The World Played Chess

A Novel

By: Robert Dugoni

Narrated by: Robert Dugoni, Todd Haberkorn

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

“A fearless and sensitive coming-of-age story. I loved it.”—Mark Sullivan, bestselling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Last Green Valley.

Bestselling author Robert Dugoni returns with an emotionally arresting follow-up to The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell.

In 1979, Vincent Bianco has just graduated high school. His only desire: collect a little beer money and enjoy his final summer before college. So he lands a job as a laborer on a construction crew. Working alongside two Vietnam vets, one suffering from PTSD, Vincent gets the education of a lifetime. Now forty years later, with his own son leaving for college, the lessons of that summer—Vincent’s last taste of innocence and first taste of real life—dramatically unfold in a novel about breaking away, shaping a life, and seeking one’s own destiny.

©2021 by La Mesa Fiction, LLC. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“With his usual narrative mastery, Dugoni takes on the often-overlooked ordeal of boys becoming men and does so fearlessly and sensitively, chronicling the coming-of-age stories of three different men linked by war, friendship, and family. I loved it.” (Mark Sullivan, best-selling author of Beneath a Scarlet Sky and The Last Green Valley)

“A riveting story of boys becoming men and the risks they take along the way.” (Library Journal)

“The World Played Chess is a shining example of a writer at the top of his game, and a deeply thought-provoking take on a man’s coming of age.” (Authorlink)

“Wondrously brilliant and poignant.... While not a Vietnam novel per se, the book resembles Tim O’Brien’s The Things They Carried and Philip Caputo’s A Rumor of War in its sheer emotional resonance. Dugoni, though, seems to be channeling the lyrical storytelling magic of the great Pat Conroy more. The World Played Chess is this generation’s The Prince of Tides and a candidate for best novel of 2021.” (Jon Land, Providence Journal)

Author has gift to tie history and for connections

I love this author as reader- not so much with other books. But he gets it, his audience and also the cadence and focus of his work.

Robert has a gift for these relationships- this book and also Sam Hell, which is extraordinary.

I completely recommend this book and you will not regret the credit or your precious time.

A MUST READ FOR VIETNAM VETS

I have just finished listening to the audio book, The World Played Chess, by Robert Dugoni. Being a Vietnam Combat Vet, it is one of the very best books I have read or listened to. I was a 19 year old Scout for an Armored Cavalry Unit in 1969. I did not see quite as much brutal warfare as William did in this book, but I did see more loss of life than one ever hope to see. And, I fall into that type of Combat Vet that does not care to rehash what I lived through in Vietnam. I will now search for other books by Robert Dugoni and hope they are as good.

great book

I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend. The story was well done as was the narrative.

Loved it

Couldn't stop listening once I started and hated for it to end! Great insight of a time that many never understood!

Thoughtful book

This story had me in tears a lot of the time. Tears of sadness and of joy both. Great story with a plot that is still meaningful to this day. Thank you Robert Dugoni for this beautiful novel.

Loved it

This was a wonderfully written and narrated book. I can relate to almost every story, not so much the Vietnam references but the growing up stories and teaching (making memories) for my own kids. Thank you Robert!!!

I laughed, I cried…

Robert does an amazing job at drawing you into each of the characters! I was so moved by the stories. Felt myself feeling so much gratitude for the life I have, my children, more specifically my 18 year old son….
I loved that the author narrated the book. You know it’s read in the exact inflection that he wanted it heard.
William , the marine- they were so misunderstood after the Vietnam war. You felt such compassion for him, what he went through…
❤️5 stars!!

Very Good Read

This was a very good read and was very entertaining as well as interesting. Some of the Vietnam stories that were shared are similar to what i have heard from my Father so i can tell the author did some solid research.

Inspiring Page Turner

This book is one I will share with all my friends and family. I grew up during the Viet Nam was but really had little interest or understanding of it. The lessons Vincent learned from the vets he worked with were invaluable.
the young Vincent and the father Vincent were inspiring characters.
William and his journal brought great depth and understanding to me of the war and the people who fought it.
Robert Dugoni is an incredible writer. I've read everything he's written and he just gets better and better!

Wow!

What an amazing, awesome, interesting viewpoint of life and the process of figuring out how to grow up and learn to do the right things in life, even when no one’s looking!