Cover Image: The World Played Chess

The World Played Chess

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Wow! Great writing that grabbed you from the beginning. I didn't want to put the book down. It was so we'll written. The imagery described put you in the story. Alot of people could relate to this book.

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Three eighteen-year-olds, in 1967, 1979 and 2015. What are their dreams and insecurities? What are the differences between those eras and what is still the same?

This story alternates between William in 1967, 1979 when Vincent meets William, and 2015 when Vincent receives William’s journal of his time in Vietnam as a marine.

The World Played Chess is literary fiction written in first person and an easy read, inviting and engaging. The story is mostly focused on the storyline in 1979 with parts of William’s journal of his experiences in the Vietnamese war and snippets of Vincent’s and Beau’s life in 2015 and further on.

Like I said three eighteen-year-olds (William, Vincent and Beau) in three eras with their dreams and insecurities. Three boys on the cusp of adulthood. Three boys who have a dream to go to college. Three boys who never really have suffered a loss. The story follows those boys in their growth to adulthood.

Although I liked the story and loved the writing, it also bored me at times. I’m not really interested in construction work and there were pages full of Vincent working on the construction site. And I longed for a different approach to the now chapters. I’d have liked to read Beau’s POV instead of his father’s. Now we get a POV from two eighteen-year-olds and a parent. I believe the story would have been stronger if all POV’s were eighteen-year-olds. A personal preference though.

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The World Played Chess is a hauntingly beautiful story of growing from boy to man. I became an instant fan of Dugoni after reading The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell a few years ago. He’s incredibly well known for his Tracy Crosswhite police/detective novels that have a large and loyal following.

In this book, we are introduced to Vincent and his 18-year-old son Beau in 2016, Vincent, again as an 18-year-old in 1979 and William, a co-worker of Vincent’s in 1979 and William’s journal entries from 1968 in Vietnam, when he too was 18. This age is a pivotal time that marks a boy’s coming of age whether it’s for a job, to go to war or to go to college, it’s a time of change: responsibility, independence and maturity. In each character’s story, we see their growth through the lessons they learn, the way their priorities change, the poor decisions they make, their smart choices, how they treat others, their relationships with G-d and figuring out what kind of person they want to be.

The epistolatory portion of the book comes from William’s journal entries, which were beyond powerful. Often graphic, as it needed to be in certain scenes, will move you to tears. The author never served in Vietnam, yet did immense research to bring the war to life.

There were times when the book read quickly and other times the pacing slowed down, which really let the story sink in. I learned so much about the male psyche and life during the war. Overall, the writing was amazing and I feel like I’m a better person for reading this book.

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Robert Dugoni had big shoes to fill in his follow-up to The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. Sam Hell was my favorite book of 2020 and probably top five of all-time.

Although I didn't love The World Played Chess quite so much, I did enjoy it. It paints a picture of the Vietnam War, its soldier and the harsh reality of their struggles both during the war and after they returned home (if they were luck enough to do so).

After graduating from high school, Vincent needs to earn some money to save for college and finds himself working on a construction crew alongside a couple of Vietnam veterans, one who suffers from PTSD. Many years later, the veteran sends Vincent the journal he kept from the time he served in Vietnam. Dugoni weaves Vincent's senior summer and experiences with the two Vietnam veterans to his adult life raising his own children while scattering the Vietnam entries within.

I liked this book, but at times the journal entries seemed to be forced into the story. They did have a place in the story, but maybe they could have been more cohesive at times.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of The World Played Chess.

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The World Played Chess bounces from the past, around the Vietnam War, and more present day (2015). The perspectives also rotate between Vincent and journals written by a young vet named William. The two strike up a friendship while doing construction one summer which leads William to share his Vietnam experience all the while Vincent comes of age, experiencing his first tough job, dalliances with girls and learning about loss and grief.

I read Sam Hell by the same author and really enjoyed it I also enjoyed this novel, and really appreciated a look at the Vietnam War. I’ve been reading so much about WW2 and had been searching for a book like this one.
I found some of the book quite repetitive as journal entries and verbal tellings told the same stories. But I liked the characters and their stories, growth and friendship.

3.75 stars rounded to 4.
Thanks to #netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

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Again, Robert Dugoni does not disappoint.

This is a beautifully written book that I gobbled up in less than 24 hours. I truly felt like I knew the characters and felt their emotions. More than once, I shed tears as I read this novel.

I highly recommend this book.

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"The World Played Chess" by Robert Dugoni is a book about the journey of young people, the becoming time of being an adult. It is about the leap that is taken to maturity and the experiences and challenges faced by different men in different times and places. One, in the almost present day, another in 1979 working construction before going to college, another set in 1968 in Vietnam and told thru amazingly realistic journals of a teenager's experiences there as a "grunt". Dugoni masterfully weaves the stories throughout time and in doing so tells many of life's truths. The one that stands out in this book is "old age is a privilege, not a right." The senseless death of the young are a part of this book. It is told in heartbreaking reality. A mistaken war, an unfortunate choice of which car to ride in both can be unlucky or poor choices.
This book is one that will stay with me. The characters are unforgettable. The scenes are all too real for many of us who have lost young friends in war or peacetime. While this book talks about death and choices, it is mostly about life, survival, and good choices. It is about how well those of us who are privileged to live life choose to do so. It is an unforgettable journey. Reading this book is one of those privileges of old age. I highly recommend it. Thanks to #TheWorldPlayedChess#NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this amazing book. Thanks to Robert Dugoni for writing "The World Played Chess".

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I have read several: Robert Dugoni’s novels. I especially like the Tracy Crosswhite series.
This is a standalone.

Described as a coming of age.
Written in three time periods ~ each by an eighteen year old young man ~
The time fame ~
1968 ~ William, a Vietnam vet wrote in his Journal
1979 ~ Vincent first becomes friends with William
2016 ~ Beau, Vincent’s son ~ this time period is when Vincent receives William’s 1968 journal.

The story kept me curious and turning pages. A few times things got a little slow for me but it was a good read. While reading each time period, I knew there would be big difference in the time periods but also thought how the young men were somewhat the same.

I always enjoy the author’s notes and Acknowledgments.
In this case, the Acknowledgements are a story in themselves as is all the research that Dugoni did.
I also like the “Book Club Questions”! Great questions that make you think ~ if you are either in a book club discussion or just somethings to think about!

Want to thank NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for my honest professional opinion.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 14, 2021

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What a book! I have read other books by Robert Dugoni, but this one is special. I knew the writing would be stellar, but was not expecting such an emotional, deep story. Seeing how William and Vincent grow and change over the course of the book was wonderful A big part of the story taking place in the California Bay Area was a plus for me - I enjoyed reading about places I'm familiar with. If you want an engrossing read, this is it.

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This was a powerful story. It is told from three perspectives: William at 18 in Vietnam, Vincent at 18 and William about a decade older ad they work construction together and Vincent as a grown man with an 18 year old son. The pieces are woven beautifully and thoughtfully through William's journal. I found this both moving and thought-provoking. Highly recommend.

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I recently enjoyed reading ‘The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell’ by Robert Dugoni and made a pledge to myself to read more of his books. This is another excellent historical fiction novel with great characters and made an entertaining read.

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 labourer 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.

This is a really good story and takes the reader on the full range of emotions.

I would like to thank both Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

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Wow. A remarkable novel. Exploring the expectations of youth versus the reality of life. Hopes and dreams. The impact of situation, circumstance, desire, direction, motivation. Characters you will feel for. A wonderfully engaging read.

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I requested The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni because I absolutely loved his previous book, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. Sadly, I didn't feel the same about this book, but the fault is mine. Dugoni's characters are real , their experiences are true, and his writing is engaging and interesting to read. However, there are very detailed and vivid descriptions of events that took place during the Vietnam war and the impact they had on the men who were there, and these I did not enjoy. I am sure this book will be very successful and will appeal to those who are interested in reading about this subject. I knew a little about it but thought it would have a different focus.

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Calling Robert Dugoni’s The World Played Chess, a “coming of age” novel seems to me to be an understatement. The novel, which Dugoni’s second stand-alone, features not just one, but three 18-year-old men in three different time periods. Vincent’s life is the common point at which the stories intersect. He’s the father of Beau. He’s also a former co-worker of William Goodman back when they toiled together on a summer construction crew when he was 18 and Goodman was 30. Dugoni masterfully merges the men’s stories: William’s journal of his nightmare that was the Vietnam War alternates with Vincent’s past experiences with William just after Vincent had graduated high school. Added to those viewpoints, now Vincent himself as the father of a son who is finishing high school, heading to college, becoming a man, as it were. What kind of man will he be? This book is a look back at the journeys of William and “Vincenzo,” as William called him, in that brief summer that opened young Vincent’s eyes to the realities of a world far beyond himself. Years later, as a father, he is reading the journal William has sent him, and his viewpoint, his mind, and his heart are expanded even further. Can it serve as a guide for his own son?

A word of warning to those who love and admire Robert Dugoni’s writings – this is not anything like Tracy Crosswhite or David Sloan or Sam Hell, or even Charlie Jenkins. In a word, this book is grim. As William Sherman famously said, “War is hell.” The author did tons of research to make sure that William’s journal would come across as sounding authentic. I believed it. It sounded an awful lot like hell to me. The teenage Vincent gets only the bits and pieces that William feels comfortable sharing; even the inexperienced college-bound kid knows that this hard-working, beer-swigging, cigarette-smoking veteran is a tortured soul. Every so often, the ghosts of the jungle rear their ugly heads.

The teenage Vincent is a regular guy, a smart kid. He meets William when a friend tells him about a construction job paying five dollars an hour under the table. How can a kid without a scholarship pass that up? Between that and hanging out every night with his buddies, Vincent has a busy summer. As he gets to know William, however, his world expands. Trying to do dangerous work with a hangover and doing stupid stuff with the guys proves to be a wakeup call, and the stories about Nam teach him just how sheltered his life has been. And this is years before he has access to William’s journal!

The journal arrives when Vincent is married and has two teenaged kids of his own. What can he learn from it? How can it help his son as he prepares to enter the “real world”?

I’ll admit that I had a tough time with portions of this book. WAR IS HELL. Dugoni did tons of research and had a veteran read and critique his manuscript. It comes across as credible. Frighteningly so. But much like The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, Dugoni doesn’t simple “tell” a story. He plants ideas that spread like ground cover in the reader’s mind and heart. What does one know about friendship, about love? What does one believe about God? What kind of When a person is young, there is so much to learn and discover – he’s just playing checkers. The rest of the world – those who have experienced much – are playing chess. Parts of this book, mainly William’s war journal, but events and feelings expressed by Vincent and Beau also, evoked incredible sadness. At times, I simply had to stop reading and close my eyes. Just. Be. Just be with those emotions. Other times, I couldn’t help hearing Joan Baez’ beautiful voice in my head,

May you grow up to be true
May you always know the truth
And see the light surrounding you
May you always be courageous
Stand upright, and be strong
And may you stay
Forever young
Forever young

Mr. Dugoni wraps it all up with a marvelous Epilogue, one that healed my heart from the battle wounds he inflicted upon it through some of those difficult chapters. I don’t know if veterans of foreign conflicts or their loved ones will be able to read this story. Perhaps it would be too difficult; perhaps it would be healing. What I do want to say is that, no matter how we feel about our nation’s involvement in those wars, we owe those soldiers who served honorably our thanks.

As always, my thanks to Robert Dugoni, to NetGalley, and to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with this ARC copy of The World Played Chess in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are my own.

5 stars

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I am a big fan of Robert Dugoni's books. This book is a bit different from his mystery books. This book captures the coming of age storyline with the different timeframes during the Vietnam War and after.

I wasn't too sure at first, as the book is told in three different timeframes and with different narrative points of view, but it worked. The story is emotional and pulls at the heartstrings. The World Played Chess is an overall good book.

#TheWorldPlayedChess #NetGalley

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I was so anxious to read this book. Robert Dugoni wrote The extraordinary life of Sam Hell, it is in my top 10 favorite books. This one is completely different in so many ways and similar in some. The book tells it’s story in three different time periods, 1968, 1979, and 2017. 1968 is the story of William as a young soldier in Vietnam, 1979 is Vincent, a teenager who goes to work for William before college and 2017 is Vincent as a grown man and father. The story weaves in and out masterfully with William’s experiences in Vietnam. I have read many books about WWII but few about what our soldiers endured in Vietnam. Vincent lives these things through william’s journal and learns about life. I loved it and recommend it to all my friends, male and female. Thanks @RobertDugoni for writing it and thanks @netgalley for letting me read it. #theworldplayedchess

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This was a heartfelt, beautifully written coming of age story that made me laugh and cry. I absolutely loved The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and Dugoni is quickly becoming a favourite!

Many thanks to NegGalley, the publishers, and of course, the author, for the opportunity to review this book in exchange for my honest review.

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This is an excellent coming-of-age novel from the author of The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell. The story is told from alternating perspectives of Vincent as an 18 year old when he spends time with William; William a Vietnam War veteran who suffers from PTSD; and Vincent as a father to his teenage son. I thought it was a realistic depiction of PTSD, and enjoyed the author’s writing style and the end-of-book notes. I had a difficult time reading the chapters when William was in Vietnam; although well-researched, the subject matter and pacing were challenging for me. I really felt for the characters and learned some things, so it’s a 4 (almost 5) star review for me!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader’s copy of this book.

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The World Played Chess is a coming-of-age story about a man called Vincent Bianco. As a teenager, he works at a job along with two Vietnam vets, one of whom, William, starts telling him stories about his time in Vietnam. Years later, William sends Vincent his diary that he wrote over there. I really enjoyed the flow of the book. It would go from the present day to Vincent's time working with William, all the way back to Williams's diary entries from his time in Vietnam. The characters were very real as was the setting. I thought it was very well-written and enjoyed it. It was a tad heavy on the God stuff at points, however, it was dealing with life and death so I get that.

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Robert Dugoni has long been a favorite author of mine! Prior to this year, I would have to say it was simply the Tracy Crosswhite series that kept me coming back to his work. Having now read The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, The 7th Canon and The World Played Chess, I am compelled to reveal that I am a total fan! Sam Hell and The World Played Chess are two extraordinary pieces of work that stand alone and above Dugoni's other work.
The are head and shoulders above many other authors as well. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't immediately jump on board the Sam Hell wagon because it was different than his previous work, but once I read it I was at the gate requesting TWPC as soon as I saw it was going to be released later this year.

Yes, TWPC is a coming of age novel, the coming of age of young men one in; the 60's, one in the 70's and one in 2015. Each trying to find his own place in the world as a man, rather than a teenager. William, a Vietnam vet, had many lessons he shared with Vinny, who in turn shared them with his son, Beau. Hard lessons about life, love and certainly loss. Hard though they may have been to share and hear, they were and are timeless - "Growing old is a privilege, not a right.", "Failure is easier to live with than regret.", "You don't cheat death, you think you do, but you don't. Death finds you." These are just a few of the most poignant and meaningful passages that I highlighted and gave me pause for thought. It did make me wonder where Dugoni arrived at these ideas. Did he know a Vietnam vet? Did he had a relative that served? Regardless of where, they are particularly important as a young person comes of age, that he or she contemplates the meaning for his or herself to figure out what kind of life they want to live.

This book truly resonated with me. I graduated from high school in 1976 and entered the military that same year. Post Vietnam era vet though I was, I still came into contact with many that were. The portrait Dugoni painted of William was extremely realistic from my experience with those men. Though they served our country just as a WWI, WWII or Korean veteran did, they were marked in a different and indelible way. The ability to move on with life after war was vastly different and our country seemingly did little to support them. They were left to sink or swim on their own. It took time, but William did swim and was able to share his life lessons down the years.

Absolutely, great read Robert Dugoni. Thank you Net Galley.

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