A Reckoning for Kings

De: Allan Cole, Chris Bunch

Narrado por: Kevin Theis

A gripping war story. For the first - and only - time in fiction, A Reckoning for Kings tells the story of the Vietnam conflict from both sides - Americans as well as North Vietnamese. In four short months - during the lightning-quick, bloody campaign known as the Tet Offensive - two bitterly opposing armies would clash in an epoch-shattering encounter that would alter the course of the war and the shape of the world forever. It was a time when America won the battle but lost the war.

©2017 Books in Motion (P)2017 Books in Motion

An Incredible Achievement In the Literature of War

What made the experience of listening to A Reckoning for Kings the most enjoyable?

The verisimilitude, the sheer reality you can feel in every minute of this heart-pounding tale of the Vietnam War. The writers of this book are either sharing their lived experiences or have exhaustively researched this book. Every place name, every weapon, every detail sounds absolutely real. We are in the firefights, we are planning the tactics, we are surveying the hills and valleys and rivers and roads. We are there, as much as anyone can be.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Reckoning for Kings?

The firefights are memorable, the characters are memorable. We hear the back story of how so many of these men landed in this place at this time. The son and grandson of soldiers. The rich kid's son who screwed up and found himself in Vietnam. The Vietnamese sergeant and general. One memorable moment in this detailed and sweeping story is of Christmastime in the camp, with one very drunk soldier decorating his body as a Christmas tree -- including some very interesting choices of how to paint his intimate anatomy. Other memorable aspects include the rank and file grunts' opinion of their commanding officers. And the commanding officers reasons behind many of their decisions.

Have you listened to any of Kevin Theis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I'm a fan of Mr. Theis's work. He is such a good actor and brings so much detail and energy to every performance. I have to say that this is my favorite book so far. I don't how he does it. Dozens of characters across so many hours of material. Different races, different sides of the war, different ranks -- we lays everything out so clearly and vividly. The book races along with so much energy and excitement. Just a masterful performance!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Extreme reactions? To a very realistic book about the war in Vietnam? How could you NOT have an extreme reaction? We hear of brutal massacres of men and destruction of villages, the villagers cast out of their homes. We experience the triumph of victory in battles against overwhelming odds. We feel the pride when professional soldiers achieve greatness through bravery in the course of duty. We laugh at these people -- almost all young men -- and the insane antics they go through just to maintain their sanity. There is so much to enjoy and remember.

Any additional comments?

It's hard to imagine a more realistic and action-packed story about the Vietnam war. Anybody who is a fan of novels about wartime, or action novels in general and specifically about the Vietnam war would enjoy this book tremendously.