One Man's Island

by Thomas Wolfenden

Be very careful about what you wish for…Sergeant Major Tim Flannery’s personal life is in shambles. Just home from his sixth combat tour in Afghanistan, His wife has left him, his house is in foreclosure, and he feels like his entire world has disintegrated. With almost thirty years’ military and civilian police experience, he’s always been able to make the right decisions in tight spots, but waking to find he’s the sole survivor, after the entire Earth’s population is dead from an unknown calamity from the cosmos, he’s at a loss. Or is he? Follow him across a Continent, and then an Ocean, to find his fate, to see if one man can change the world, make a difference, make the hardest decision of his life, and save humanity once and for all…

Genres: Apocalyptic, Thriller, Post Apocalyptic

550 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 5, 2012

About the author

Thomas Wolfenden was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is an honorably discharged veteran of the US Army. He's worked in several different jobs throughout his life, spending fifteen years in law enforcement and the private security field. He has worked as an automotive detailer, ambulance driver, a nuclear medicine delivery courier, a dairy barn cleaner, and most recently has worked as a ballast regulator operator, a switchman, conductor and a locomotive engineer on the railroad. He's traveled extensively, through the United States and abroad, and lived in several States. Pennsylvania, Arizona, West Virginia, Kentucky, Idaho and Florida being a few places. He has written several OP-ED pieces for various local newspapers, and had up until recently, kept a political humor blog. He's a Life/Endowment member of the National Rifle Association, Libertarian, American Patriot and a strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. He now spends his time between the United States and Australia, with his life partner, Catherine.

Reviews

[N. Kuhn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to start by saying, I think this was a really great, interesting book. My negative, let's get that out of the way first. I wish there was a little more explanation on how so many people survived while others didn't. I also found it slightly annoying that the majority of those who did survive were all military! Literally half the people in this story are military! (Not that I have anything against them, it just makes you wonder what's going on) There were some parts that got a little boring, explaining all of the day to day, then we skip 6 years! Confused a little. But, now the positive.

I love how everything that happens, is related to other things that happen. Everything happens for a reason, right? Well in this book, they do! I loved seeing how it all fit together. If you like Apocolyptic books, this was great! I found it interesting and was happy to see something like this, without zombies or aliens!

Now, I've read through other reviews on this book. I have to say, I didn't notice the editorial mistakes they mentioned. So, I'm thinking this book has been updated. Either way, it was an absolute pleasure reading this book! I found it to be a page turner. I didn't want to put it down! To me, this is the type of book that makes for a great movie and I'm interested to see if the author continues the story!!!

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Utterly enjoyable and engrossing! The story kept sucking me back to read more, as I continually wanted to find out what was going to happen next!

I do have to admit there were parts that where I had to suspend all belief in reality, as they were laughingly unbelievable, but even those parts added a touch of humor and enjoyment to the book.

A fast paced, action filled, apocalyptic yarn filled with cross country adventure, cross ocean adventure, bad guys, good guys, buffalo and Indians, exploding stars, nuclear weapons, and even dolphins! I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[John Podlaski · Rating 4 out of 5]

In war, soldiers continuously think/dream of home and the family left behind. Afterwards, they'll move mountains, if necessary, to get back home. They've survived and now It's time to celebrate! Walking through the front door and seeing loved ones again are sure to trigger a slew of emotions - after all, it is a dream come true and there's no place like home! When Sergeant Major Tim Flannery returns from Afghanistan after several tours with the 75th Rangers, he finds nothing but heartache. He is greeted by a neglected and overgrown lawn, a foreclosure sign on the front door, it's empty inside - no wife, furniture or private gun collection. All gone! Thus begins our story.

Tim awakes in the morning to find that he is the sole survivor of a cosmic calamity that kills most everyone in the world and destroys everything with a circuit board. Fortunately, the military had shielded their electronics long ago and much of the equipment is available to the Sar' Major to use. He soon discovers other survivors and quickly learns that not all of them have his best interest in mind.

Tim sets out on a cross-country trek to locate other survivors, his routes chosen by an inner gut feeling that he can't explain. He does make discoveries along the way and soon meets a Native Indian who talks of prophesies and how Tim was chosen to save mankind.

Once the story gets going, it is difficult to put down. I agree with other reviewers that "One Man's Island" is similar to "The Stand". I also see the Sar' Major similar to Jack Reacher in many respects. The story does have typos (real words but used in the wrong context) that spell check won't find and needs to be proofread by a human, but I didn't find them distracting enough to take away from the story.

I totally enjoyed reading this story and felt entertained. That's why we read books - for entertainment and as an escape from reality, a visit to a different place or time - ready to explore new things through the imagination and creativity of a writer. Great job Mr. Wolfenden! I am also expecting a sequel and look forward to reading it when available. Good luck!

John Podlaski, author
Cherries - A Vietnam War Novel

[Susannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brand new author who is published by Permute Press. Their catalog of books is not one I would normally look through as, at my age, I have shied away from bloody, nasty things, such as the now Vampire craze but one group of writing I have always enjoyed is the Apocalypse kind of thing and in this they have a nice variety. I loved this book. There are some errors that a new author might make but I tell you, never enough to keep the tale from spinning along. I enjoyed the characters he created and there are not too many of them because obviously most humans are dead from a science fiction event. Our lead male is one Sergeant Major Tim Flannery, just returned from his last tour in the gulf war. He is tired, jaded and fearing what he will find once he reaches his home in Philadelphia as he had not heard a word from his wife in quite some time. He often wondered why he ever gotten married. In a very short while, his life will be irrevocably changed while he sleeps on never knowing until morning light that a humorous cosmic joke has been played on the earth and only a few humans have survived it. Tim realizes he needs to leave the cities behind because of all the bodies. He decides to go south with the idea of eventually heading west. Along this trip he picks up a young girl of 13, Robyn. She is one of the great characters developed throughout the story. Occasionally the story is touched by what I would call "mysticism" where Tim is pulled to do or go places he would rather not. We find this will be strings that nicely tie together as he and Robyn travel west.
Meanwhile, out in the Pacific Ocean a devil is brewing. You can't have light, without dark now can you? A large destroyer ,the USS Hughes has been turned into the modern day pirate ship by the Commander, one Winthorpe Wright who is basically one brick short of a load and slipping into madness as time goes by. He and our guy Tim have a date with destiny on a small island in the Pacific. Its a great story and well written on the whole. Just remember if you get a little incredulous at how things work out, it is after all a story and supposed to be fast paced and a few raised eyebrows won't hurt a thing.

[Arlena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: One Man's Island
Author: Thomas J. Wolfenden
Publisher: Permuted Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"One Man's Island" by Thomas J Wolfenden was a very captivating novel that I found hard to put down this 'end of the world' fiction story. This was definitely a post apocalyptic world that had a new hero by the name of Sergeant Major Tim who gives the reader a thrill of a ride that has hope and glory. I really enjoyed the good story that this author gives the reader especially the magic that is brought in. I found the characters were very believable that were set in this post Apocalypse world. The time this author spent in one of the world's elite Light Infantry Regiment ranks, 75th Ranger Regiment was indeed of great interest in this read. I enjoyed this plot and there were so many twist and turns that really will keep the reader interested to see what is coming next. If you are looking for a fascinating, entertaining and just good story you have come to the right place for "One Man's Island" would be recommended for you.

[John Hennessy]

When the world mysteriously ends, Sar’ Major Tim Flannery wakes up alone it a city that once sported over 1.5 million people, with odd burns covering his body, and a crushing headache to boot. Thomas Wolfenden shines with his main character and the very realistic struggle of surviving the apocalypse. Finely realized and fleshed out, Tim reminds me of that funny uncle most of us have: He’s light-hearted and comical, yet stern and practical, and truly one of the good guys. Following Tim’s adventure across the U.S. was fun and enjoyable, but the story really takes off when Tim finds Robyn, a scrawny 13-year-old who livens up the book and makes it the great read that it is. Complete with perilous thugs, dangerous animals, huge explosions, machine gun battles, some tender loving, and an ancient Native-American prophecy, One Man’s Island is sure to please any post-apocalyptic fan.

[Andrea Shirey · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a whole, I really liked this book. I’m a big fan of apocalyptic novels and the tie to WV was interesting. (I discovered in the end that the author had lived here at one point). There were times I thought it was too detailed but those passages were easily skimmed. The book is also very long but overall, I enjoyed the plot and the way the author brought all of the individual stories together.

[Heather Faville · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about One Man's Island? I know...I LOVED IT! Yes, I truly loved this book. It was smart, well written, believable and everything I have wanted to read in an apocalyptic survival novel.

One Man's Island is the 1st book of, at least, two that follows Tim Flannery and his life after he returns home from his sixth tour of duty shortly after his return he awakens to a completely different world. Some unknown cosmic event has left a VAST majority of the world's population dead and it initially appears as though Tim is the last man standing...or is he? As time progresses we watch and learn about Tim's new way of life and what he does to continue to thrive in this world. Since this is not a zombie apocalypse or even a natural disaster, scavenging is much easier and stockpiling all the supplies needed to live is fairly easy. With his military background, Tim has a decent knowledge of how things (machines, electricity etc) work and this helps him to get his new life even more in order.

We do eventually learn that there are others still alive. They are few and far between and yes, as expected, not all are willing and able to work hard to survive. They just want to take what others have worked hard to attain...among other liberties they feel they have a right to. What I loved about One Man's Island is that it primarily focused on just that ONE MAN. The majority of this book is about Tim and eventually Robyn, a young girl, whom Tim finds and takes under his wing. I have always wanted to read a more lighthearted book that focused on a single or very few characters surviving in a new type of world. That's not to say that horrible things do not happen in this book. Oh they do. Readers will eventually go back and forth between Tim/Robyn's story and the story of another group of survivors who aren't quite as level headed as our main character.

If you haven't already figured it out I highly suggest One Man's Island and will most definitely be rereading and looking forward to the sequel. I just hope what I think may happen doesn't happen as that would disappoint me a bit, but it's not my story so we will see where the author takes us.

**There may very well be typos and grammatical errors, but unless it is horrendous I realize that mistakes are made even by professional editors so it really doesn't bother me. I'm not "that person"

[Bobbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent apocalyptic story about an ex cop/military man who loses everything and keeps on going. He is knowledgeable about survival and weapons, brave in adversity and in the end an all around good guy who fights for what he feels is right. An American Patriot who loves what this country truly once stood for, I say once because I believe we have taken many a wrong turn, do the words greed and power ring true with you?

Few have survived the initial event and the hero finds himself alone. As he travels he wonders if he's the only survivor, eventually finding a man who needs his help, but it ends badly. Then in the backwoods of West Virginia he finds a child, Robyn, who he takes under his wing and begins to teach how to survive. They encounter a few people along the way, mostly scum looking for trouble. The Sar' Major takes care of them, and rescues her when she is kidnapped. They eventually form a close family bond. They meet more people, good and bad, including a mysterious Indian along the way.

There are many exciting adventures. I particularly enjoyed his teaching Robyn survival skills and how to use weapons to defend herself and help feed them. It was amusing watching this taciturn military guy learning how to be a father to a little girl. His heart was always in the right place and he did a bang up job of it too. He uses military armories to resupply and get vehicles they can use, they also stopped at gas stations and stores for needed supplies. While reading I learned a few things about surviving a disaster and how to protect myself. By the end of the book they have made many new friends and found love in strange places.

There is swearing and bloodshed in this book, if that offends you don't read it. Otherwise, get set for a wonderful, exciting, just can't put it down read. You won't be sorry you read this one. Now on to the next exciting book from this talented writer!

[Gary Close · Rating 4 out of 5]

EMP books, like Zombie books, are a genre alone. Readers of the type know this. Others have no idea. This book is one of the better in the genre. Its got action. Its got character development and its got military lingo galore. Its a man's book. No doubt about that -- and I like it. If you want a strong female lead go somewhere else. This book is for the man cave. If you want to know how it would probably go down in an EMP event this book gives the reader a pretty good idea what would probably happen -- and it isn't pretty for the fairer sex. There are good people. There are bad people. And there is sorrow enough between the two. Wolfenden does a good job of exploring that gulf. And he suggests a greater guiding hand in the affairs of men. While not fully developed I am hoping he delves into it further in the second in the series. If you like survivalist action packed adventure--this is your book. Two Thumbs Up!

[Jackie Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping from the moment you start reading, One Man's Island is a leap into a post apocolyptic world, overwhelmed by fear and desperation but also filled with a fantastic new hero in the shape of Sarg. Major. Tim!

His 'no holds barred' take on life pulls us into a thrilling journey to a future filled with hope and glory.

The characters are well described and the relationship between Tim and Robyn is beautifully built with a growing affection you can really feel.

The writing is gritty, with no compromises in the language used, but it keeps the reader on the edge of their seat right up until the very last page.

[Anton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love (and thus read a lot of) survival and post-apocalyptic novels and this one is one of my favorites so far. It is realistic (with plenty of useful details to consider and debate), has a fun plot, believable and relatable (more important for me!) characters. It has plenty to enjoy and to think of.

One questionable bit was about the safe distance from an exploding nuclear weapon --- but I wont say a word more to avoid spoilers. All in all, a great survival novel!

[r.d. stinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

One man's island is another man's fun read.

a really good read. take a career soldier, a ranger of course, throw in the apocalypse, a lost kid, a mysterious stranger, fate, and coincidence and you have an adventure that spans six years of survival leading to the reason our hero survived. we even get a crazy pirate in the story. almost, I am kidding, as good as one of my own stories. please buy and enjoy this unique tale.

[Andrew Niemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars. I liked this book. A simple premise, a simple story. But enough details and twists to make it an enjoyable read. Though the book could be considered a stand alone, I'm glad to see there is a sequel.

[Joe Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book. Sergeant Major Tim Flannery is the best. Would by a sequel.

[Felicia A Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

YAYYYYYY! Another editing project is now a published book! No-zombie apocalypse for your reading enjoyment.

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This turned out to be a really good read. Wolfenden crafts a perfect blend of interesting events and rich character development. Add to that the sense of destiny tying seemingly random events and encounters into the greater scheme, and it was a very well written book.

Following Sar' Major Tim's journey from coming home to an empty house after his last tour, to wondering the dead winter streets of Philly, to finding an unlikely new best friend who brings out as much of his own potential as he does in helping to raise her; and then, to cap it all off with his leading the fight to save the last survivors from a truly narcissistic psycho with a particularly fortuitous find and hardcore last stand. This is certainly one my new favorite "last man on Earth" type novels.

[Ian Denner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Good SHTF story told from a premise that I haven't read before. I really enjoyed the story with all the twists and unexpected turns.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Average

A predictable but sort of fun ride. Too many improbable coincidences and peril of Pauline moments. Guys into weaponry and"guy wins girl" situations will benefit most.

[Kristin (Blood,Sweat and Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Life is never fair.
We just have to take what we can get out of it,
and try to make every day just a little bit better.”

One Man's Island follows the story of a man named Tim who returns from abroad to find his wife has left him, his house in foreclosure and his bank account emptied of everything save his last paycheck from the Army. Life couldn't get much worse for poor Tim or so he thought. When an unknown calamity wipes out 99% of the Earth's population, Tim does what he must to survive but what happens when just surviving isn't good enough?

One of the best parts about this story is that we really get to see how quickly life can change when nobody is left to tend to it. If you've ever watched the show Life After People you'll know that Mother Nature doesn't wait very long to reclaim what is rightfully hers and that is true in this story as well. In a lot of ways, this story reminded me of The Stand by Stephen King except in this story it's something uncontrollable that kills everyone not just science run amok. Both stories however deal with the moments after devastation hits and explores the question of How do you live in a world that is mostly dead?

Another thing I really enjoyed was how Tim made use of his time considering he really had everything he could desire within grasp should he need it. It's kind of great reading a Post Apocalyptic story without Zombies, Cannibals or roving gangs just looting and trashing everything because nobody is around to stop them. Sure, I do wish Tim had branched out more into his city (maybe visiting Independence Park or The Zoo and releasing any animals that had survived) but since it was winter when the story started I can understand him not wanting to be stranded out in the snow.

Lastly, I loved Robyn. Her growth from backwoods bumpkin to a smart, sophisticated young woman was great to see. I also liked that she was still a teenage girl with teenage wants and needs under her gruff outer exterior. Yes, it did show her naivety but it was also understandable considering how little contact she had with others after The Event happened.

Now even though I did enjoy One Man's Island, I did find a few faults with the overall story and here's why:

First off, I absolutely hated Tim calling Robyn baby all the time. You do not call a pre-pubescent girl that you have a Father/Daughter relationship with baby as a pet name. I found it icky and it made me wonder almost the entire book if when she matured he'd have a more adult relationship with her. Thankfully that wasn't the case but how it was written I kept expecting it to happen.

Secondly, while I did enjoy the book, I think it was much too long for its own good and would've been so much better if it had been scaled back 100 pages or more. Yes, the relationship between Robyn and Tim was important but all the person to person dialogue without anything else going on really dragged the narrative down for me.

Lastly, I didn't really like the ending. I know the Author mentions taking liberties with the science of things but 3 miles just doesn't seem an appropriate distance to be at to survive as unscathed as they did. Plus don't even get me started on the convenient arrival of Flipper the friendly dolphin. I would of much preferred them heading back to Oahu and or maybe showing all the survivors forming a small community in Arizona or of course even staying in HI. Plus it's sort of sad that nobody thought of the innocent enslaved men, women and children trapped aboard the ship when they decided to pull the final trigger.

Final Thoughts
One Man's Island might not of hit it out of the ballpark for me but it still was a game worth watching. Would I recommend this title? Yes. Would I read a sequel if one was written? You bet. I think this Author shows great promise and I can't wait to see what the future may hold for him. With that being said, I'll be rating One Man's Island by Thomas Wolfenden ★★★★.

Reviewed originally @Blood,Sweat and Books

*Copy provided by Publisher. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated in an which way for providing them.

[Autumn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have discovered that rating this one is a bit difficult. I read this yesterday and I am still thinking about it. No glaring or strikingly irritable GSP errors and I have to admit that I am drawn to the protagonist. The sample was enough to hook me and make me want to find out what happens to him.

The issue holding me back from giving this four stars is the fact I can't believe that the protagonist is the only one left alive in the city after the "unknown calamity from the cosmos". As it stands, and I do not profess to be any kind of expert, it just does not seem feasible. Yes, I am being vague, I hate book spoilers... go read the sample and then see if you understand what I mean.

Add to that, the price. I have never heard of this author before, and it appears this is the only novel he has written. $6 is rather expensive for a first time author from an indie press. Sorry... you can thank all the indie authors and presses out there who publish junk for my distrust. I have Amazon Prime, and I would feel better if I could borrow the book, but I think I will not purchase... Mount TBR doesn't need another addition to its slopes.

Go read the sample, if you feel as I do, then you won't be out six bucks, if you don't... let me know how it goes. I see some more reliable positive feedback for this book and I might go for it.

[Stonebender · Rating 2 out of 5]

Many of the post-apocalyptic books I've read recently feel like the author's wish fulfillment. You know, "If we could just get rid of all these people that annoy me and the government that wants to tell me what to do, life would be beautiful and perfect." To be honest, that's sometimes why I want to read them. Not so much the government part, but there are days when it feels like there are just too many people. This book seemed to be even more wish fulfillment than others. Yes he loses some people that he cares about but he's a misanthrope. If I the young girl who he can protect and who adores him. Later comes upon the perfect woman who can't wait to get him in bed. Finds the perfect place to be in a post-apocalyptic world. Yes, he has his difficulties, but nothing that is a real barrier to a pretty okay life.

As with many of these post-apocalyptic books there is way too much detail about guns for my taste. Apparently only military types survive the apocalypse. I also thought there was a certain amount of casual racism although the author tries to appear "colorblind". The book could use a lot of editing, I would cut out 50% of the words as repetitive and not particularly enlightening. Given I think I got it for free or for a dollar or two. Not a terrible book.

[Matthikins · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Man's Island is an entertaining post-EMP read if you can get past the mystical underpinnings that seemed tacked on for no reason other than to make sure the plot train arrived at all the right stations on its way to its ultimate destination. Did I just type destination? I meant showdown. For me, One Man's Island was just entertaining enough that I was able to ignore the man behind the curtain and enjoy the ride, but, as they say, your mileage may vary.

Rating: 4 [gimme the sequel]

[Aeshna Juncea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a four and a half star book pushing a five 75% of the way into it. I could ignore the coffee for breakfast repetition and the jump of six years where they never really met anyone! The downhill slide started with a helicopter pilot from his past turning up.... Then they all meet someone who has spent years on their own maintaining a plane because every man needs a hobby! Wtf. Book would have been better if they'd sailed to the island. Certainly more believable. It also seems you have a better chance of surviving initial disaster if you're connected to army/navy/airforce. This could have been a stunning debut book but for me it fell at the final set of fences. So close, so very close.

[Laura Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apocalyptic fun read!

Apocalyptic fun read!

I loved the easy flow of this book! Not preachy or doom and gloom, just enough bad to reinforce how good people can be. the characters are real people, not contrived heroes. I could not put this one down!

[CHRISTINE WORKMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

this was a page Turner to me. I didn't want to put it down. it had the right number of characters and they were well fleshed out. I do hope there is another book in pipe since I so enjoyed it.

[Bob Lionel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story! Hope there is more...

Great story! Hope there is more...

Well written and sucks you right in. looking forward to more and hope this is the first in a series.

[Kelly Willcoxbrackeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is good...

This is a post apocalyptic tale of a different sort. No zombies, just a few heroes and a few not. Great story and a well written page turner. Well worth the time to read it. Couldn't put it down.

[Dale (Aus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book and liked the characters, they were well developed and likable. Other than a few small annoyances the story was good and I want to read more by this author.

[Mark Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book. Impossible to put down. Brill characters and story, a must read. I do hope there is a second one.