Rating: 
Summary: Action, Mystery and Psychology: Overall, a good read.
Review: This is a story about an Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) assaulter named Web London who survived the massacre of his Team in a failed mission. Ridden with guilt and determination, he sets up his own investigation, breaking a lot of FBI rules along the way. The action is wrought with weapons and equipment detailing, usually relevant to the scene, written in straight-to-the point language with fast-paced sequences when the detailing is done and the door kicking begins. Humor is injected because of Web and Paul Romano's (his trusty sidekick) tendency to take things as they come because they've already seen so much and little surprises them. The melodrama is saved from its own goo because the author's approach is to avoid the touchy-feely aspects of emotion, an easy thing for an alpha male book like this one (It's got big guns, beer and NASCAR.). Lots of psychological twists that may be possible, a tad unbelievable, but not entirely over the top. The scope of the web (as in "spider's web"; not to be confused with the character) is a bit too broad; too many intersecting lines. In the end, I suppose whodunit makes sense after all, but what a tangle! However, it's all explained in the end... by the murderers of course. You have to keep in mind that they're just talking about the important details of what they've done, why they done it, as a matter of fact, as if it was the first time they were talking about it. As is they forgot to talk about it *before* they decided to do anything bad. Like, "Well, they're almost all dead. By the way, did I tell you why I wanted to do this? Lets talk about it then, in detail." It's really the only time it becomes a bit trite, but at least the killer/s didn't go into the whys and hows of it just before shooting the hero in the head. (In this last sentence, do I mean the hero dies? Well, I don't know! Read the book and find out!) The very, very end of it; the closing; I'm not too sure I like it, but maybe it was the only way to end it. Could've been better, but it'll do. Perhaps there was too much going on, but I suppose things couldn't be as simple as Colonel Mustard in the conservatory with a candlestick, especially when the FBI's involved. Very good character development, but Mr. Baldacci could've done better for the mastermind behind the murders. The motivation for the murders was there, but the overall capability of the mastermind to do such things takes a bit of a stretch to believe. This particular published issue has quite a few typos too, just so you know but I'd go ahead and recommend this book to Federal Agency Plot Enthusiasts. Mr. Baldacci makes an excellent job of letting the reader in on the workings of the FBI through his characters, Bucar and all.
Rating: 
Summary: this is the best creation that this writer ever came up with
Review: i've been reading this one to the page 241 now, it's getting better and better. baldacci actually did lot of good and thorough researches before putting them together and into a novel. the dialogues between the shrink and web london were all top-nothed and very well put. the dialogues? well, they are one of the bests that i've ever read. the only bad thing about this book is the typesetting. it's too tight and congested, making the pages only in heavy blocks of paragraphs, while making the dialogues not so easy to catch on. this is the worst typesetting book that i ever encountered, and i might hold the full responsibility to the editor that did not and simply overlooked such a burden that might hurt the eyes of the readers, shame on him/her! the plot and scenario might be too complicated to some readers but really are eye-candy to a reader like me. i love it. i just don't know why some of the readers have to judge a book's value by not too believable or sometimes gave a low rating due to some of their moral standard or the limits of their nerves. when reading a book, you have to evaluate how much the hardworks and his heart of a writer has put into it. by comparison to some horrible writers like higgings and patterson who just cash in with their old format to produce similar books one after another and produced them three to four books a year once they hit the jackpot of getting a best seller and become famous. these are actually the worst writers who we should shun away. baldacci definitely is not one of them, because so far he's writing books that were so differently each time, even sometimes the plots were a bit impossible to some readers. it's just like religions, gods, faiths, politics, something if you don't believe it, you could always say you don't believe it, but you never get the right to judge it. guess what? the democratic liberals never hate the rightwing conservative republicans to the guts, but the latter always wishes hell to their opponent party. this is what i got the impression from some of the low-ratings of this book. blessed are those who never judge by their own narrow-minded values, 'cause the heaven always belongs to them. amen.
Rating:
Summary: Plot not believable
Review: There were too many odd coincidences in this book to make it entirely enjoyable. It seemed too contrived, like the author had trouble creating a concise plot and had to draw so many unlikely connections to finally end the thing. Further, there's not really any surprises, because "the last man standing" is just who you would expect it to be: the hero, the only one consistently referred to by his first name, "Web." The villains (the male villains, that is) are always identified by their last names or entire names (e.g., Nemo Strait, got that?) On the other hand, until the last 50 pages or so, when the plot unravels in an orgy of violence and unlikely coincidences, it does make for interesting reading. Web's psychiatric experience is different, and the insights into the operations of the FBI were interesting. The goings-on of a horse farm were entirely uninteresting to me, but if you like horses, you may get a "kick" out of the fact that Web and his "sidekick" spend a lot of time on a horse farm. What I learned was this: if you read Balducci, you'll got a lot of interesting detail and some character study, but a contrived plot that could be improved upon by a ten-year old. By the way there's a prominent 10-year old character in this book. He survives, with Web and a few other heroes and heroines. Diximus.
Rating: 
Summary: ALMOST FIVE STARS
Review: This Baldacci thriller is guaranteed to please his many fans given the nonstop action and convoluted twists and turns as the plot unfolds. Web London, the leader of an elite FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) is the only one that survives a cleverly plotted ambush during one of the team's missions (hence the title)and the facts surrounding the incident are clouded in mystery. The deaths of Web's team members combined with his inabilty to offer a satifactory explanation of the chain of events cast suspicion on him and lead him to attempt to unravel the mystery and also seek psychological counseling from Dr. Claire Daniels. Soon we are faced with a plot involving Earnest B. Free, the head of a paramiltary cult who Web was responsible for sending to prison in a case which involved the death of a teenage boy during a previous mission of the HRT.Additional complications ensue as Francis Westbrook, a black drug dealer, becomes involved due to the apparent role of his ward Kevin during the ambush.And this is all in the first few chapters!
Romance, murder, drugs, race, psychotherapy, high tech action and frequent violence make this a page turner. Even after the villians become clear the outcome remains in doubt and the missing pieces of the very complicated puzzle are only slowly revealed.As a David Baldacci fan who had trouble putting this book down to get to sleep at night, I was tempted to give it a five star rating. However, it is too long, like Tom Clancy Baldacci seems to increasingly believe that the more details and complications the better. This seems a little too much. Second a lot of the detail is incredibly graphic violence which is unnecessary given the intriguing nature of the plot, and while in the opening scene this is both necessary and riveting, it is carried to extremes elsewhere.Remember, read it when you have lots of time, on vacation or a long plane flight.
Rating:
Summary: A Baldacci Classic
Review: I'd never heard of David Baldacci, until my mother recommended I read his work. Last Man Standing is the second book I've read and I must say he is an outstanding author, who mixes Grisham-like plotlines with his own brand of spy intrigue. Last Man Standing is not merely a page-turner. It explores fully the depth of the human mind with the pyschoanalysis of super-shrink, Claire Daniels. The storylines is pleasantly complex, showing the frail side of tough guy Web London. London can bear the brunt of the physical nature of his job but breaks down at under a hypnotic physical examination. Readers will also be torn by the paradox of Big Francis. A cold-blooded ruler of the underworld, he pulls out all the stops to save his son from being killed. The only drawback to this book is the unusual amount of swearing. I realize that with any thriller there are evil men who don't speak Sunday-School language. Grisham, Jenkins, and others have proven that coarse language isn't necessary for a good plot. Last Man Standing is a good read if you can manage to handle the language. Baldacci is definitely a writer who can both build suspense and distrust of federal agencies.
Rating:
Summary: Good action, cheesy dialogue
Review: This is the first Baldacci novel I have read, not bad, not great. I was a big fan of Clancy's Rainbow Six, which for those who haven't read it is about a team much like HRT, but while the plot is interesting, the characters are slightly derivative and the twists are not wholly unexpected. The main character, Web London, is real in that he's not some invincible force, but inconsistent in that he goes from being an intellectual and emotional man to a cookie-cutter tough guy. - FBI guy to Web: "If you see Macy on the street, my advice would be to run".
- Web's reply: "I'm HRT, I eat guys like him for breakfast". Come on, that's just weak. That line was used by the current govenor of CA in the classic film "Commando": Tough guy to Arnie: "You ready? Cause this Green Beret's gonna kick your [expletive]".
Arnie's reply: "I eat Green Beret's for breakfast, and right now I am very hungry". I like that the details of HRT, the FBI and problems that seem inherent in the system are dealt with pretty fairly. I don't like that the dialogue in parts seems like it was written for Jean-Claude Van Dam. There are moments of brilliance, like when Web is confiding to his shrink about the letters he wrote at Ruby Ridge, but overall the characters and dialogue pale in comparison to Baldacci's contemporaries. The action is not as good as Ludlum and the characters just don't interest me the way Clancy's seem to.
Rating:
Summary: Very Exciting
Review: This was my first Baldacci book, and it is still my favorite. It is a very exciting book and the information you get on Hostage Rescue Team and FBI in general is fun to read about. Baldacci does a good job of putting you in the shoes of Web London. The plot has many twists and turns and each one keeps you hooked. Through the descriptions of his environment, you can feel like you are there better than some of his other books. This book is exciting and more believeable than other fiction out there. Although 4 stars may be overdoing it a bit, 3 stars would definately not do it justice. This is my favorite fiction book in this genre.
Rating:
Summary: A Satisfying Hero
Review: This is the first book I've read by this author. I'm currently obsessively craving "thriller" mysteries, and this one "hit the spot". I really enjoyed the character, Web London, because mentally he was so damaged and messy on one level in sharp contrast with how competent and efficient he was on another level. To me, it seemed to be a truer depiction of the way people really are, rather than all one way or another. I especially appreciated that there was no neat, easy resolution between Web and Claire Daniels at the end of the book. I will definitely read another by this author.
Rating:
Summary: One of the best books I have read
Review: If you are in to these types of mystery books...this one is great. Baldacci does a nice job getting your attention early. A good play on several different plots, but not to complicated to keep you from losing interest. Some good stuff on the politics and inner workings of the FBI. I had not read Baldacci, prior to this, in a while and look forward to his next one.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining read...
Review: To finish up my troika of weekend reading, I completed the book Last Man Standing by David Baldacci. This was recommended to me by Chris Miller, and he was right... I liked it. Web London is a member of the FBI's Hostage Rescue Team. During an operation to take out a drug house, something happens to cause London to freeze at the point where they were supposed to rush the location. The operation turns out to be a setup, and the entire team is killed except for him. He has to deal with the guilt over being the "last man standing", along with trying to figure out what happened that caused him to freeze. The deeper he digs, the more he finds that points towards a cover-up or a leak within the bureau. Pretty good pacing for a book that's over 500 pages. Good character development, and a number of plot twists that you don't see coming. Definitely a time commitment due to the size, but a good psychological crime thriller.
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