Last Man Standing

A chillingly plausible novel about the collapse of Italian society and one man's struggle to retain his humanity amid the horror

"A bleak, lyrical tale that evokes Cormac McCarthy's The Road.... Gruesome, intense, and strange... a eurozone nightmare brought to life on the page."--James Lovegrove, Financial Times

It is 2025, and Italy is on the brink of collapse.

Borders are closed, banks withhold money, the postal service stalls. Armed gangs of drug-fuelled youths roam the countryside.

Leonardo was a famous writer and professor before a sex scandal ended his marriage and career. Heading north in search of her new husband, his ex-wife leaves their daughter and her son in his care. If he is to take them to safety, he will need to find a quality he has never possessed: courage.

“'The story might sound familiar, if it weren't for the fact that Davide Longo has written it better than anyone else' Vanity Fair .”

'gruesome, intense and strange ... a Eurozone nightmare brought to life on the page' Financial Times. Financial Times
'We suspect that Davide Longo is the most talented and intense Italian novelist of his generation' Valentina Pigmei, G.Q. GQ
'It turns an unforgiving spotlight turned on an increasingly unstable world. We can only hope that Longo's visionary diagram of our possible future remains on the printed page' Independent. Independent
'The depiction of civilisation's end is terrifyingly convincing ... After reading this, life in Ireland under austerity seems a nonstop frolic' Irish Times. Irish Times
'The Last Man Standing is set to be one of the best novels this year' SFX. SFX
'Longo has succeeded in crafting a shimmering parable' Maike Albath, Süddeutsche Zeitung. Süddeutsche Zeitung
'With mesmerising control of language, Longo weaves a tale that will leave readers with much to think about long after they have put it down' The Irish Examiner. Irish Examiner
'a totally unique novel that blends despair with hope and angst with serenity so well that it deserves to be held in similar high esteem. An inspiring read' We Love This Book. We Love This Book
'this is a complex and compelling investigation of the behaviour of survival' TLS. TLS

Davide Longo was born in 1971 in the Province of Torino. In addition to novels he writes books for children, short stories and articles, and his texts have been used in musical and theatre productions.

Italy in 2025 is on the brink of collapse: borders are closed, banks withhold money, armed gangs of drug-fuelled youths roam the countryside. Nowhere is safe with society at the tipping point of anarchy. When Leonardo's home is ransacked he is forced to flee with two children, facing horror and violence unlike any they have encountered before. If Leonardo is to bring the children to safety, he must confront evil head on, and in doing so shed every trace of his former self.

Italy in 2025 is on the brink of collapse: borders are closed, banks withhold money, armed gangs of drug-fuelled youths roam the countryside. Leonardo was a well-known writer and academic before a sex scandal ended his marriage and career. He takes refuge in his remote vineyard home, but nowhere is safe with society at the tipping point of anarchy. His ex-wife entrusts him with his daughter, Lucia, and another child by her second marriage. But when their home is ransacked, they see no choice but to try to cross to France. Sleeping rough and scavenging as best they can, they face horror and violence unlike any they have encountered before. Leonardo will come to understand that if he is to bring the children to safety he must confront evil head on and, in doing so, shed every trace of his former self.

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