Rating: 
Summary: High seas adventure, terror, wreck¿Wow!
Review: Carrying on in the tradition of The Perfect Storm and Shadow Divers, author Todd Lewan recreates the true story of five fisherman who are at the end of a catch of a lifetime, the kind of catch that will set them up for a good while, when they realize their greed has contributed to their waiting too long to head for home. They are caught in a particularly nasty storm off the coast of Alaska - they bail, and their boat sinks, along with the fish they've caught. Those fish were part of the reason for their dilemma: the boat was too heavy, rode too low in the water, and wasn't as maneuverable as it would otherwise have been.
There's a dramatic Coast Guard mission of rescue (those guys are either truly crazy or lifetime adrenaline freaks), there's lots of past history involving women (Well, duh! What's a good yarn without a little sexual conflict?), alcohol, trouble with the law, some time in jail, and there's denouement and resolution, despair, growth, drama, tragedy...and change.
But best of all is the writing. I'm a writer myself, and when I read, I look for energetic dialogue that moves the story forward, fast pacing, evidence of good editing, the ability to tell a story without losing one's audience, and, in a book such as The Last Run, the earmarks of true creative nonfiction: telling a nonfiction story using the techniques of fiction to enhance the reading experience. Todd Lewan does it all.
Kudos.
Rating: 
Summary: Better than "A Perfect Storm"
Review: I agree with the reviewers who state that this book took a little while to get rolling, but it is one of the best books of this type that I have read. It vividly depicts a fisherman's life in Southeast Alaska. The recounting of the fishing, storm, and rescue was terrific.
Rating:
Summary: Truth is often stranger than fiction
Review: I bring a somewhat unique perspective to the reading of this book, I've actually been out once long line fishing. It was just a one time deal for me, but I gained an insight that will stay with me for a lifetime. Commercial fishing is not only one of the most dangerous jobs it is also one of the most physically demanding. It attracts a certain type of individual, much like those rugged individuals that went west long ago searching for gold, enduring incredible hardship and possible death, the long line fisherman goes to sea hoping to hit a mother lode of fish all the while facing the possibility that the catch may not even pay for the expenses of the trip. The only sure thing, when at sea fishing, are long periods of doubt and loneliness and the nagging thought in the back of your head that you may never set foot on land again.
Lewan took on a huge task when he set out detail the events that lead up to the sinking of the fishing vessel La Conte because he delved into the lives of the crew and some of the Coast Guard rescuers, besides chronicling the day to day events of the fateful fishing run. The result of such detail and precision became, in my opinion, a mixture of pro and con and thus my 4 (actually 4+) rating instead of five. I do appreciate detail, but when Lewan took the time to note that on a certain morning the men had "four" strips of bacon, and not just some "eggs and bacon" or that so and so had coffee, but so and so had milk because he didn't like coffee, well my patience was stretched a bit. I do recall that on the day of the rescue the Coast Guard CO had half a bagel and some Dr. Pepper for breakfast, but I'm not sure why I know this. But these are minor complaints.
Of course this work is going to be compared to "The Perfect Storm" and this is my opinion: The latter focused upon one main character, and I think that was a strength as it read more like a novel. It also did a better job in explaining and narrating raw facts. This work, however, did have one thing going in its favor: there were survivors and they were able to provide details and drama that "The Perfect Storm" could not. Could this work end up being turned into a Hollywood blockbuster? I doubt it. The reason it's a good book isn't because there is much uniqueness to the basic story, it's about some guys that go to sea and their book sinks, it's a good book because Lewan takes us into the lives of the men, their failures, their hopes and their weaknesses. While a book is a perfect place to peek into the lives of several men, a movie could never spend the time. I do recommend this book to any that enjoyed the other, it was a very compelling read and in parts, read like a fast paced fictional thriller.
Imagine a paycheck of twenty thousand dollars earned in just a few days. Now imagine spending half of it in a week on drugs, alcohol and women. Then imagine the rest being taken by the courts and being sent to jail. What do you do when you get out? Why, go fishing of course, after all, where else can a man with nothing, no money, no family, no job, go and have the chance to earn a huge paycheck? A fishing boat.
Lewan tried here a monumental task, to take us into the lives of several men (some desperate, desolate and ruined) and show how, through a series of events, some fateful and some due to carelessness, these men changed (or didn't change), survived or perished. In many ways, the task was too big (and if the work fails to achieve a huge following, this will be why) however, I for one, think I got it. Maybe. I give the book a strong recommendation in any case, it's a great read.
Rating:
Summary: most involving non fiction book ever
Review: I enjoy reading both novels and true stories. But this book was a true story that read like a great novel. What set this book apart from other nonfiction stories is the great character development. The author dove deep to the heart of these men and captured each mans spirit.
This book contains exhilerating action, heartbreak, and emotional triumph. This was a great read and I recommend it to everyone.
I was a fan of the book the Perfect Storm, but this book was far superior.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably Amazing Rescue at Sea
Review: I found this book by accident surfing on the net under "rogue waves" and was instantly "hooked" after reading the excerpts. From page 1 where the boys find the body of the fisherman on a romote island 800 miles from the sinking to the epilogue describing the survivors and rescuers lives today, it was a real page turner! What those survivors endured for so long in that water is just mind blowing. It also goes to show you that the human spirit does not give up easily. Mr. Lewan describes the rescue by the heroic and brave Coast Guardsmen so completely, you actually FEEL like you are part of the crew in that helicoper above those 70 foot seas. You may actually find yourself gripping the book with both hands and knuckles turning white as you turn page after page. My heart was pounding as he described rescue attempt after rescue attempt in excellent detail. Mr. Lewan's descriptions regarding the lives of the men, the storm, waves, sea, weather and their thoughts will blow you away.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who commercially fishes for a living, and even those who don't. The mistakes and bad judgment calls that were made by the "powers that be" were unacceptable and I only hope that anyone who reads this book and fishes for a living will make sure the boat they go out on is completely seaworthy (this boat had a leaking problem) and the owner registers his/her rescue beacon(s) with the Coast Guard. Because of these mistakes as well as others, 2 men lost their lives unnecessarily and a handful of others, survivors and rescuers both, will never forget their experience on that frigid January night. Hopefully the experiences all these men went through will be well noted by the reader and lives will be spared in the future from the lessons learned in this book.
Rating:
Summary: A Stupendous Read!
Review: I read a lot of books of non-fiction, but this true story was truly extraordinary. When I finished The Last Run and turned the back cover, I was deeply satisfied -- out of breath! This is a tale about five men who had lost their way in life, and found it again after going through a horrific ordeal at sea in Alaska. It was not just how well the author described the sea in turmoil; I've read good storm books. What set this one apart was how Mr. Lewan made me FEEL something for the fishermen and the Coast Guardsmen who tried to save them. This was a book about PEOPLE in a storm, not just a storm -- the storm within all of us, you could say. Do yourself a favor: Read The Last Run and become a co-survivor!
Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Read
Review: In the spirit of Shadow Divers, The Perfect Storm, Touching the Void, and Into Thin Air, this book delivers. The buildup to the boat sinking was well written, but the actual rescue writing was amazing. Just imagine a scene where the fishermen are floating on top of a rogue 70 foot wave, and looking down at the top of the rescue helicopter. The descriptions of the pilots, copilots, and rescue swimmers, as they performed their tasks, made you feel that you were actually there.
Rating: 
Summary: Takes a while to get off the ground
Review: Like a football game that doesn't get going until the fourth quarter, this story of five fishermen swamped in a massive gale off the coast of Alaska nearly buckles under the weight of its words until the last act. The emotional center of the story is washed out by the flood of details - it's not necessary to know what each pilot had for breakfast, the length of everyone's hair or the depth of water along nearly the entire Alaskan coastline. It's like the writer is used to being paid by the word and can't sift through the details for the story. The description of the helicopter rescue, however, is gripping and goes a long way towards redeeming the book. Lewan isn't Sebastian Junger, but he makes a respectable attempt.
Rating:
Summary: Wow, what a story and what a story teller--terrific
Review: Living in Florida, I was unaware of this story. It must have made the inside headline, but surely disappeared quickly from Florida newspapers. Too bad. This is an amazing story of rescue and survival. It is an illustration of how unlikely heroes come to the fore in time of crises. Lewan paints an excellent portrait of events and people leading up to the disaster, then the book fairly runs, or should I say, falls to its conclusion with the finality of asteroid hurtling into earth's atmosphere. Once the fishermen are in the water, you cannot put the book down.A masterfully told story. And you come away with a new appreciation of the Coast Guard, who too often get into the news making a gigantic drug seizure or picking up Cuban rafters. This is a story about heroism and survival in an immensely hostile environment. In retrospect, you might think a top-notch fiction writer had to dream it up, but, no, it is not fiction.
Rating:
Summary: Don¿t go fishing in a storm . . . . .
Review: The Last Run is a story of dedication, greed, tenacity and heroism. Dedication of investigators to match miniscule remains to a missing person. Greed of fishermen to catch just a few more before heading back to port and safety from the storm. Tenacity of fishermen cast adrift in bone chilling water fighting towering waves and hurricane force wind until help arrived. Heroism of Coast Guard search and rescue. A true story of human struggle and redemption. Author Todd Lewan commences his drama with a CSI-like investigation and segues ways into painting portraits of the five fishermen who later find themselves together on a sinking fishing ship in the middle of an Alaskan hurricane. The portraits he paints have the blemishes of real men who came to Alaska hoping to be allowed a second or third chance or perhaps, just the opportunity to survive. The last half of the book is a fast paced drama of the men fishing, fighting the storm, running from the storm and then not escaping. As the fishermen are repeatedly (every 10-15 seconds) entombed in towering waves, the reader anxiously waits for the Coast Guard to arrive on scene and commence the rescue. The tension builds and builds and though the ultimate ending is told in the first few pages of the book - the reader needs to know what really happened and finds no comfort in the foreshadowing. The story is masterfully told. It starts fast, slogs along for a bit while the characters are developed and then roars along chapter after chapter. Author Lewan deserves kudos for including a map of the Alaskan region early in the book and later, pictures of the main characters. The map is helpful in tracking the story and the pictures put a face on the words. What I would do to improve the book? I would change very little. Perhaps, include more information about the Coast Guard helicopters. An appendix with a detailed drawing of a helicopter described in the book would be interesting. Maybe a picture of a guardsman in rescue gear or an aerial photograph of the Coast Guard base would add to the story.
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