The Last Ship may refer to:
The Last Ship is a 1988 post-apocalyptic fiction novel written by William Brinkley. A television series loosely based on the novel premiered on June 22, 2014, on TNT.
The Last Ship tells the story of a United States Navy guided missile destroyer, the fictional USS Nathan James (DDG-80), on patrol in the Barents Sea during a brief, full-scale nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. It details the ship's ensuing search for a new home for her crew.
The Last Ship was released as an eBook on November 27, 2013, published by Plume.
The story is told in a first-person point of view by the ship's commanding officer, "Thomas", whose full name is never revealed. Thomas is writing this account several months after the war in order to describe the odyssey of his Norwegian-homeported ship, the USS Nathan James (DDG-80), in the aftermath of the conflict.
Thomas begins by describing his ship to the reader. He discusses the ethics of commanding a warship, the capabilities of nuclear strike forces, daily life aboard a U.S. Navy ship in the Arctic Circle, and the nature of his ship's mission. Captain Thomas remarks that despite the reduction in the land based ICBM arsenal, there is still considerable power in the SLBMs and Tomahawks; his ship alone has more power than several missile silos combined.
The Last Ship is an original musical with music and lyrics by Sting and a book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey. Inspired by Sting's own childhood experiences and the shipbuilding industry in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, the musical premiered in the summer of 2014, at the Bank of America Theatre in Chicago, before moving to the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway. The musical received two Tony Award nominations in 2015, for Best Score and Best Orchestrations.
In September 2011, it was confirmed that British musician Sting was working on a musical, following rumours the previous year. A first reading took place in Manhattan in October that year, with a further reading in Newcastle in February 2012 and ultimately a full staged reading for the musical was held in 2013. In September 2013, the show was officially confirmed and it was announced that the show would premiere in Chicago in 2014.The Last Ship, which would cost around $15 million to stage, was initially inspired by Sting's 1991 album The Soul Cages and Sting's own childhood experiences, tells the story about community and the demise of the shipbuilding industry in Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, with the closure of the town's Swan Hunter shipyard. The show has a book by John Logan and Brian Yorkey and is directed by Joe Mantello, with choreography by Steven Hoggett, set and costume design by David Zinn, lighting design by Christopher Akerlind and sound design by Brian Ronan.
'Neath these trees
Towering to the sky
I have walked the years
Forest home
I have heard the call
And must say good-bye
Fare thee well
I sail upon the dawn
To another world
That beckons me
Chorus:
Hold to me closer
While you tarry
Here with me
The sea bell is chiming
My ship sets sail
Farewell to thee
Here we stand
Waiting though we know
That the time has come
Call to me in dreams
I will come to you
And we'll walk once more
On this silver shore
Chorus:
Hold to me closer
While you tarry
Here with me
The sea bell is chiming
My ship sets sail