The Last Detail

Book arrived in great condition, as promised, and exactly on time. I would definitely recommend this seller.

This was an amazing little book. It turned out to be much deeper than I expected. The characters were really rich and each segment of Billy, Mule, and Larry's journey seemed well thought out. As a military brat, I know that there's often difficulty obeying orders when the orders don't make sense, as my own father wrestled with it often enough. The novel begins when two Navy lifers, Billy & Mule, are deputized to escort a younger sailor, Larry, to prison. The younger man has been convicted of stealing 40 dollars and dishonorably discharged, plus given an 8 year prison sentence. Because Larry's sentence seems harsh to Billy and Mule, they endeavor to show the younger man as much of a good time as possible during their trip. They get him drunk several times, he tries marijuana with Billy's ex-girlfriend, and they even arrange for him to lose his virginity. Along the way, the older men begin to question their own values and blind obedience to the service with ultimately tragic consequences. This book explores the relationships between men, the nature of service, and race relations in interesting and thought provoking ways. An excellent read. If you read and enjoy this novel, I'd highly recommend both Mash: A Novel About Three Army Doctors and Gardens of Stone by Nicholas Profitt, if you can locate a copy of the latter.

'The Last Detail' was set back in the time that I was in the Navy myself. The 60s. I was a Petty Officer and when my ship was in dry dock in the Boston Navy Yard, I was seconded to the Armed Forces Police detachment at the 2nd Naval District Headquarters for a few months, and did similar duties to the old timers in the story. Collecting people for transfer to the Portsmouth Prison, and other Shore Patrol duties. I saw the film with Jack Nicholson before I read the book. I had to laugh, as Jack's version of Billy was just like me some 40 years ago. He even wore his white hat the same shape as I did. And I agreed with Billy's thought that no serviceman looks as sharp as a well turned out Sailor in his dress blues. The story brought back lots of memories, of the duties I had and the men I worked with; that was before my tour in Viet Nam in 68. I don't dwell on the political sides to that war, but I still have fond memories of my days in the Navy and also serving many times as a Shore Patrolman. The book has lots of humor and tells one a lot about what things were like in the Navy back then. I think anyone with an interest in the Navy will enjoy this story.

I hadn't read this book in about 30 years, and picked it up to re-read prior to reading the sequel LAST FLAG FLYING. I was quite surprised at how much more I got out of Poniscan's work, now that I am retired military. His charaters are flawless, dialogue is elegant and bawdy, and the plot moves at a frantic pace. The point I came away with was this: sooner or later, all of us lifers became disappointed in the system. A great book!

Have you ever seen the movie with Jack Nicholson? Did you ever wonder why they called it The "LAST" Detail? What exactly did "Last" mean? Bet you don't know. But if you read the book you'll find out. Then it will make sense, because the book continues where the movie left off. It's worth a look-see.