The Reluctant Communist

My Desertion, Court-Martial, and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea

By: Charles Robert Jenkins, Jim Fredrick

Narrated by: John McLain

Length: 7 hrs

Publisher's summary

In January of 1965, 24-year-old US Army sergeant Charles Robert Jenkins abandoned his post in South Korea, walked across the DMZ, and surrendered to communist North Korean soldiers standing sentry along the world's most heavily militarized border. He believed his action would get him back to the States and a short jail sentence.

Instead he found himself in another sort of prison, where for 40 years he suffered under one of the most brutal and repressive regimes the world has known. This fast-paced, harrowing tale, told plainly and simply by Jenkins (with journalist Jim Frederick), takes the listener behind the North Korean curtain and reveals the inner workings of its isolated society while offering a powerful testament to the human spirit.

©2008 The Regents of the University of California; Foreword copyright 2008 by Jim Frederick (P)2018 Tantor

A story of treason.

As an American I'm ashamed I spent money on this book. It's about a person who turned his back on America and has more excuses than Kim jong Un. I feel like vomiting.

Excellent history and human story

Excellent historical perspective as well as a great human story. Super easy to stay engaged with this book. Great perspective on North Korea it’s relationship with the US, Japan and the world.

A very complex story.

At first, I judged the author harshly for deserting his post, but now I see the human side of him.

Okay

The narrator cannot pronounce Pyongyang! It seems they should have checked that before hiring him!

Unique story, worth reading!

Interesting and unique story. Vital in understanding the human element of the tragedy of North Korea.

Insightful and a fantastic read

This is a thoughtful and insightful view into an American’s experience in North Korea. Having read many books written by North Korean defectors I know the author and his family did not physically suffer to the extent most North Korean nationals did in that time. BUT the author was not allowed to leave North Korea for 40 years!!!! And the way he was treated and had constant oversight by the government, etc is fascinating.

excellent story

I struggled with the narrator's voice for quite a while but eventually, the story was so captivating I could ignore it.

Narrator

The narration is so bad it’s distracting. Even if I speed it up, it becomes more comical but I still couldn’t listen to the story. This must have been an early recording before they realized that the voice matters. Check the sample, that isn’t just a comic stretch of bad reading. That’s the clowns voice.

Really intreasting book

it's crazy how one bad decision can impact your life. this book gives a unique insight into a America's love in NK

Annoying narrator

This is a great story but genuinely letdown by the narrator who constantly mispronounces 'Pyongyang'. Then there is the heavy accent which doesn't work effectively.
Redo the narration and this would be an amazing listen.

Brilliant

Been waiting ages for this to come out as an audio book. It was worth the wait.

A bit boring

I have read many books on North Korea, most of them very involving but this one is not. Not sure how the jurnalist author managed to make such a fascinating subject so boring.