Soldiers and Kings

Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling

By: Jason De León

Narrated by: Jason De León

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

“A work of extraordinary reportage and compassion...[it] will shock you, move you, and leave you changed.”—Matthew Desmond, Pulitzer Prize-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Evicted and Poverty, by America

“An enlightening, frightening, unforgettable read.”—Sandra Cisneros, bestselling author of The House on Mango Street

An intense, intimate and first-of-its-kind look at the world of human smuggling in Latin America, by a MacArthur "genius" grant winner and anthropologist with unprecedented access

Political instability, poverty, climate change, and the insatiable appetite for cheap labor all fuel clandestine movement across borders. As those borders harden, the demand for smugglers who aid migrants across them increases every year. Yet the real lives and work of smugglers—or coyotes, or guides, as they are often known by the migrants who hire their services—are only ever reported on from a distance, using tired tropes and stereotypes, often depicted as boogie men and violent warlords. In an effort to better understand this essential yet extralegal billion dollar global industry, internationally recognized anthropologist and expert Jason De León embedded with a group of smugglers moving migrants across Mexico over the course of seven years.

The result of this unique and extraordinary access is SOLDIERS AND KINGS: the first ever in-depth, character-driven look at human smuggling. It is a heart-wrenching and intimate narrative that revolves around the life and death of one coyote who falls in love and tries to leave smuggling behind. In a powerful, original voice, De León expertly chronicles the lives of low-level foot soldiers breaking into the smuggling game, and morally conflicted gang leaders who oversee rag-tag crews of guides and informants along the migrant trail. SOLDIERS AND KINGS is not only a ground-breaking up-close glimpse of a difficult-to-access world, it is a masterpiece of narrative nonfiction.

©2024 Jason De León (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Orange County Register's "20 Highly Anticipated Books Coming in 2024 We Want to Read"

"Anthropologist and MacArthur fellow De Leon offers a staggering view of the people who help move asylum seekers. His conversations with participants in a vast migration put human faces to a shadowy concept, and his story is illuminating and often heartrending in its telling."—Booklist

"A harrowing account of the work of human smugglers in bringing aspirational immigrants to America’s southern border...[and] an exemplary ethnography of central importance to any discussion of immigration policy or reform."—Kirkus *Starred Review*

"UCLA anthropology professor De León embedded with a group of coyotes, or migrant guides, over the course of several years to study the people behind the industry of human smuggling. His book seeks to dispel stereotypes about those involved with moving migrants across Mexico.”—Orange County Register

Honest and enlightening

This book helped me comprehend the reasons why people come to America illegally and struggles they may face in the journey from the southern border.

You must read this book!

Eye opening book on what migrants have to go through in search of a better life.