The Last War: Detective Ferrets & the Case of the Golden Deed

The Ferret Chronicles #5

by Richard Bach

Can one animal save the world? So asks Richard Bach, bestselling author of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Ferret Chronicles. This moving fable about the almost-end of a civilization and the profound issues it raises -- that of war and peace, life and death, revenge and forgiveness, guilt and innocence -- is a timely tale of timeless themes sure to resonate with anyone concerned about the present state of the world.

Genres: Fiction, Philosophy, Fantasy

160 pages, Paperback

First published September 30, 2003

About the author

Since Jonathan Livingston Seagull - which dominated the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller List for two consecutive years - Richard Bach has touched millions of people through his humor, wisdom and insight.

With over 60 million copies of his books sold, Richard Bach remains one of the world's most beloved authors. A former USAF fighter pilot, Air Force captain and latter-day barnstorming pilot, Bach continues to be an avid aviator-author, exploring and chronicling the joys and freedom of flying, reporting his findings to readers.

His most recent works include Travels with Puff, which recounts Bach's journey from Florida to Washington state in his small seaplane, Puff, and Illusions II: The Adventures of a Reluctant Student, which incorporates Bach's real-life plane crash.

In October 2014, the never-before-published Part Four to Jonathan Livingston Seagull was published.

Readers can find more about Richard and his work at www.richardbach.com

Reviews

[Tristan Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Who has enjoyed our experiment with destruction? Who is happy for what has happened? If we are not happy, if our experiment has brought us not well-being but pain and loss and horror, must we, ever? repeat it."

"From this day forth, I withdraw my consent from evil..."

A particularly uplifting tale, worthy of reading and reading, especially in troubled and perilous times. I have take the above quotes very slightly out of order, for reasons of making an impact for this review. There are many more quotes from the speech of Avedoi Merek, the ferret philosopher who helped bring back the remains of the entire ferret race from the brink of its own destruction. (Fans of Star Trek will gleefully recognize this variation of Sarak of Vulcan.)

I won't keep you. This short book deserves its surprises, its amusing twists and turns, and your rapt attention. Is it too late for humans to avoid this trap? Perhaps... but if one ferret can make a difference, our human author asks, or to quote the back cover, "Can one animal save the world?"... perhaps some few of us human animals can figure out how to bring us back from our cliff's edge. I recommend this book strongly. I would wish for a poster of the Courtesies listed here (pp. 54-55, in this edition), to be hung in places where all could see them regularly. I will hope that we might all discover such courtesy with one another.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe you have to read the first 4 in the series to really grasp this book, unfortunately, I did not.

I had a lot of trouble following this book. I found the mystery of the book was not quite a mystery at all and the reader couldn't play along. I enjoyed the character, Shamrock, though I did not know much about her (or him, I am not quite sure it was said), so maybe there is more character development in the previous books.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I might have rated this higher if I were a pre-teen. MIGHT have.

[Victor Vilchiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

i read this to my son as a night time story. I did not know this was part of a series... now on the hunt for the first 4 books.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Richard Bach's fables that make me think about the state of my life, our country or our world. In this story we are provoked to think about war & peace. I especially liked the constitution of courtesies in the story that are courtesies we could all live by.

"Whatever harm I would do to another, I shall do first to myself."

"As I respect and am kind to myself, so shall I respect and be kind to peers, to elders, to kits." (in the fable the kits are the ferrets)

"I claim for others the freedom to live as they wish, to think and believe as they will. I claim that freedom for myself."

"I shall make each choice and live each day to my highest sense of right."

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the series, by far. I recognized throughout that Bach was trying to do something very powerful with these seemingly simple stories (sound familiar? Jonathan Livingston Seagull) but he never quite accomplished it. With this final effort, he has accomplished his highest right. May feel slightly odd without having read the others but I think if you're open to the fable concept then it works well as a stand-alone. THought-provoking and maybe a little inspiring. Bach is a strange man, I feel, but he has a fascinating philosophy that comes through nicely in this piece.