Whether you enjoy his Tracy Crosswhite police procedural series or you fell in love with THE EXTRAORDINARY LIFE OF SAM HELL, there’s no doubt you’re already a fan of Robert Dugoni’s work --- or you will be very soon. In THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS, he explores the lives of a Vietnam veteran struggling with PTSD and a man over a decade younger who just missed the call to action. Alternating perspectives and timelines, Dugoni paints an epic portrait of a world stripped of innocence and the shaping of these two men's destinies.

When we meet Vincent Bianco, the year is 2015 and he is a successful lawyer, happily married and the father of two children. His son, Beau, is a sports-obsessed high school senior, and Vincent often catches himself recalling his own final year of teenagerdom. But when a mysterious package arrives, Vincent reflects on his friendship with William Goodman, who he met while working on a construction site during the summer before college. Though only about a decade older than Vincent, William was wisened and aged by his time in Vietnam as a marine and photographer. Now he has entrusted Vincent with his journal from that battle-worn, traumatic time. His only request is that Vincent read the entire book in order, so that he can fully understand the way that Vietnam changed him --- and hopefully learn from it.

Alternating between William’s teenage journal entries, Vincent’s own last summer as a teen, and present-day Vincent watching his son become a man, Dugoni explores three people on the precipice of tremendous growth and change. Through young William, living in 1967, we see the early days of life as a marine: the brutal training in Parris Island, South Carolina, the first glimpses of Vietnam in Da Nang, and, of course, the brutalities and violence witnessed by too many young men.

A proud New Jersey boy, William has his eyes on the future, and with his high test scores, he hopes to leave Vietnam with not only his life but a resume that will help him secure a career as a journalist. When he is instead given a rifle, a pack of cigarettes and a camera, he starts to realize how deeply the war will affect him and how limited his perceptions of war have been so far. He quickly learns that “growing old is a privilege, not a right” when his bunkmate is killed on the very first night of open fire. His journal entries provide the backbone of the book, with his story driving most of the action and providing some of the most emotionally intense scenes.

Only 12 years later, in 1979, the William we meet has changed. Though he is only 30, he already has a dusting of white hair, and where he was once mostly sober, he is now known as a pothead by his fellow construction workers. When teenage Vincent begins working with William, introduced by his sister’s boyfriend, Mike, he is drawn to the veteran’s stoic, ponderous nature, and often stays late to drink beers and talk with the man. Already the differences in their lives are clear: Vincent points out that his generation is the first in the century to be able to plan for the future without a war hanging over their heads.

One of nine children, Vincent worries about finances and affording college, as well as losing his high school friends, but his concerns never stretch to murderous foes or nights spent squatting over a log in the jungle. Still, Vincent knows that he, too, is right in the middle of his own coming-of-age story, and that life will never again be quite as effortless or carefree. Already intelligent and the valedictorian of his class, he is further educated by William’s stories about life in Vietnam --- from the jokes about men who tease one another about their masculinity and sexuality to his accounts of venomous snakes and gun-toting enemies.

Of course, the changes in the world and in the freedom of America’s youth are never more clear than in the chapters written through an adult Vincent’s eyes in 2016. Watching Beau play football and party with his friends, he is never more aware of the value of his child’s life or the privileges that come with choice: the choice of what to do after high school, what to study and how to live. Although Vincent's present-day life makes up the third plot line, it is the storylines of young Vincent and young William that make up the meat of THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS, though their juxtaposition with Beau, especially as seen through his father’s eyes, makes for many interesting comparisons. Because Vincent is unpacking the stories of William’s life, reflecting on his own and watching his son’s, his plot line is the most complete and offers a lot of potential for discussions on fate, luck and destiny. Dugoni weaves three compelling, relatable coming-of-age stories, each of which are poignant, gripping and full of redemption.

As always, Dugoni excels at immersing his readers not only in his settings, but in his characters’ viewpoints and experiences. Never before has Vietnam come alive for me so thoroughly: the camaraderie of the men (even against their own wishes; it is harder to leave friends behind than it is to part with fellow soldiers who are essentially strangers), the smells, the brutal training and, of course, the double-edged sword of hoping to come home alive and not wanting to be responsible for another young man, even on the other side, not doing the same.

While William is uncomfortable with killing, the book does not shy away from showing us his fellow marines who delight in it, often to the eye-rolling discomfort of his peers. Dugoni has a real knack for unpacking the emotions and pivotal moments in some of our country’s most dangerous positions. Like he has with his Tracy Crosswhite and Charles Jenkins series, he makes the battlegrounds of Vietnam, previously an insular, practically unknowable world, feel immediate and vivid for his readers, especially those of us born long after the war.

Dugoni makes an interesting choice in allowing us to see William at 30 and, through his mysterious package to Vincent, 67. In many authors’ hands, these revelations would lessen the blow of the more dramatic scenes in Vietnam, as we already know that William survives. But Dugoni is a master of the slow reveal, and as a 30-year-old William starts to show signs of PTSD and a 67-year-old William makes one last desperate attempt to share his story, it becomes clear that while he may have survived, he is not without his scars, both physical and emotional.

Expertly weaving together three coming-of-age stories set in three dramatically different time periods, THE WORLD PLAYED CHESS is a masterwork of emotion from an author who seems like he hasn’t met a genre he can’t conquer. Rich with historical detail and as poignant and powerful as the best works of fiction, this novel is a gut-punch of a story that is as fearless as it is insightful. Don’t miss the author’s note or the acknowledgments in this one; Dugoni’s explanations for his research process and inspiration are nearly as compelling as the book. And if you haven’t read him yet, what are you waiting for?

This is not my typical book but I'm so glad I read it. Dugoni tells three coming-of-age stores that are all moving and realistic. You can't help but feel for William, Beau and Vincent and I love how the three timelines played out. I bought this one as holiday gifts for my father and father-in-law and look forward to discussing with both of them.

Thanks to Lake Union and NetGalley for the copy to review.

Wow!! Did I LOVE this book!! Character portrayals were fabulous. Writing was terrific. Kept my interest from start to finish. Thank you!!

The World Played Chess, a standalone novel by Robert Dugoni, masterfully presents the coming-of-age experiences of three young men, unfolded along three different timelines. In the author’s comments at the end of the book, Dugoni attests to the extensive research he did on the Vietnam war to create the narrative, and that research is evident. The reader is amazed to learn that the Vietnam vet character is not based on personal experience. The book is heartwarming, heartbreaking, and real. This one is not easily forgotten.

I was provided with a digital Advance Readers Copy of this title by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Well written with good character development but very predictable to me. I just couldn’t get into it. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I am fast becoming a fan of Robert Dugoni. His mystery/thrillers are good and he can tackle stories like this equally as well.

I found this book emotionally gripping. It tells the story of three young men on the cusp of manhood, 18 years old. William is spending his 18th year in Vietnam. He meets Vincent in 1979. Vincent was set up on a construction job where he meets William and Todd, both Vietnam vets. The third perspective is from 2015 as Vincent's son, Beau, is going off to college. In 2015 Vincent receives a package in the mail. Inside is a journal that William kept during his time in Vietnam. During his time working with Vincent they would talk after work over a few beers and William would tell him stories about his time in country. This book at times was heartbreaking. Those boys were so young and William suffering from PTSD imparted to Vincent a respect for life. He always told him the life was a privilege and not a right. Vincent made some bad decisions that summer but learned a lot. Beau's story didn't seem as important. He had more in life financially than either William or Vincent but he also learned some hard lessons. A couple of times I was near tears, especially with William's story.

I highly recommend this coming of age story and would like to thank Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me a copy.

Every book I have read by Robert Dugoni I have loved. This was a well researched, well written, very touching story. Split timeline between Vince the teen and Vince the adult, and the Vietnam Vet, he knew named William, and an accounting of his war experience in a journal. I just fell in love with the raw gritty characters. Found it a slow start, but may have been just me. Once I got into the story, I was riveted!
5 🌟

This was a very informative and emotional look into how it actually was in Vietnam for so many. Well written. Liked how the story was told through 2 people and the effects on both. This wasn’t the kind of book you can’t put down (although my husband probably would have disagreed), but I’m glad I read it.

The World Played Chess is the fourth stand-alone novel by best-selling award-winning American author, Robert Dugoni. In early 1967, eighteen-year-old William Goodman joins the Marines and goes to Vietnam. In mid-1979, eighteen-year-old Vincent Bianco graduates from high school and works aa a builder’s labourer to save money for college.

In 2015, lawyer and father of two, Vincent Bianco watches his eighteen-year-old son Beau going through the same process of graduating high school and heading for college. When he receives, in the mail, the journals that his friend William wrote detailing his experience in Vietnam, he recalls the wisdom this man passed on while they worked together.

As well as chronicling the events of that final summer with his high school friends, including a few close calls, his own journals of the time recorded his encounters with William, a man clearly afflicted by what was only just then being recognised as PTSD from his service year. Vincent wonders if experiences contained within these journals, his and William’s, which reveal the stark differences in their journeys to manhood, will help him prepare his son for this challenging time in his life.

William describes rude awakening that is training, the overwhelming fear that guerrilla warfare entails, the shock of watching the men he carefully refers to as platoon mates die in front of him: calling them friends would only increase the pain. And, after months in the Vietnamese jungle, the difficulty adjusting to ‘normal’ life: too luxurious, too comfortable, too quiet, the food too good, the lights too bright, for any of it to seem real; and the attitude and expectations of society, a burden.

The format of alternating journal entries gives William’s immediate perspective on what he experiences in Vietnam as well as then offering them in recall, with any insight gained, as Vincent hears them told. Occasionally interspersed with these are Vincent’s narrative as a father, reflecting with surprise and pride on how Beau handles the trials life throws at him.

Dugoni’s characters have an authentic feel: they display very human flaws but develop, learn and mature from what they have to face. He gives them wise words and perceptive observations, and rewards time invested in these characters with a moving, thought-provoking and uplifting read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing.

I received an advanced reader copy of “ The World Played Chest” from the publisher and author through Net Galley, for which, thanks


I can imagine the challenge an author must feel when he steps outside his usual genre, in Robert Dugoni’s case mystery thrillers, where he has been very successful . Robert Dugoni met that challenge, twice by recently authoring two excellent novels, “The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell” and now “ The World Played Chess.”
“ The World Played Chess” might be described as a “coming of age” story, and it is, but it is a moving, thoughtful and deeply felt book that brought an ache to my heart. Believe me, there are not many books that get beneath the calluses on my age-worn sensibilities as
this one did.
The novel is about three men. Vince Bianco is a loving husband and the father of a high- school age daughter and son . Beau. as he is called , will begin college next year, but right now he is enjoying his last carefree summer. As Vince worries about how his son will confront his future, he recalls his own last high school year, especially the summer of 1979 when he he worked at a construction job with two men, Will and Todd. Both were Viet- Nam vets only a few years older than Vince, but many years older in the kind of hard seasoning only warfare gives.
Through the device of journal entries in Will’s experiences the novel the reader watches three young men how young men grow up. Each faces critical, life altering choices. Each learns what being a man , and not a kid, really is. All three learn the most important lesson: life is precious and easily lost.

The primary characters Vince and Bill are bought vividly to life by Mr. Dugoni. Reading the alternating chapters, one becomes immersed in their summer of love and loss. Loss of love, of lives , of faith. Most importantly importantly, they learn that , as the book says, there is no manual for learning how to be a man. Each has a moment when a choice must be made to live his life or waste it.
As I read the book, chapters moving seamlessly from one man’s story to the other, I felt as if Each succeeding chapter opened a window deeper into their lives. Often gut- wrenching, always moving , vivid and sensitive , we watch the young Vince and the war-torn Will intertwine their lives to a point where a single action would weld them together forever. I knew it would all come together, but not quite as I thought. It was better.
Note1: there are many, many novels written lately that depend on a lost item, be it letter, journal locket, to start off the plot. “ The World Played Chess” is a far level above the usual novel.
Note 2: There is nothing objectionable in the book. But it will make you think about how two lives can come together to prove that a life is a precious thing.


Put this one on your must read list.

4.5 stars. Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, and Robert Dugoni for an advanced reader's copy in exchange for an honest review. Robert Dugoni is one of my all-time favorite authors. I have yet to read a dud by him. He has a way of writing/storytelling that makes you feel as if you are sitting down with his characters having a conversation. This book is another standalone just like "The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell." This novel features three young men all turning 18 in the years 1967, 1979 and 2015. All looking forward to college and starting the journey to become men. But they will all have vastly different journeys. It explored the expectations of youth versus the reality of life. There are large passages that are a soldier's journal from his time in Vietnam that are excellent. The character development, storytelling, and story structure are just damn perfect. This story completed captivated me, and these characters evoked visceral, complex emotion within me. Dugoni has outdone himself with this coming-of-age piece and created a true masterpiece that is a must-read.

3.5 rounded up to 4 start, due in part to Dugoni's well written prose.

Vietnam-war era books are not my typical jam, but the intrigue of this book lies in the coming of age story of three young men, who are forced to grow up quickly. The story passes through three different timelines, connected by Vincent Bianco.

In 1979, when Vincent spends his summer before college working as part of a construction crew, with two Vietnam Veterans. Vincent befriends William Goodman, enjoying beers and listening to his tales war at a time when no one yet knew about PTSD.

Contrast to 1967, William, fresh out of high school, enlisted in the Marines, with the intent of shooting pictures of the war with his camera rather than bullets. He is given the nickname "Shutter," and endures more combat and missions that he ever imagined.

Skip ahead to 2016, when Vincent, now a married lawyer with two kids, receives William's journal in the mail. William's journal pulls Vincent back into that summer of 1979, and pulls the reader into the jungles of Vietnam, the brutal humidity while "humping" through rice fields, mud, and sludge, and blackness of nights filled with fear. Vincent is fathering Beau, who stumbles through his own high school mishaps as he prepares for college and for his future.

The arrival of the journal has Vincent reminiscing about the summer of 1979, his friendship with William, and the lessons he unwittingly learned from Shutter about when to stand up for a belief, when to walk away, and how to talk to a son about making choices without sounding like a lecture.

The emotions in this book are deep and raw. Involuntary tears rolled down my cheeks as I read. Dugoni is a gifted writer. While I Sam Hell is still a favorite of mine, the World Played Chess is a worthy read.

Thank you to Robert Dugoni, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

I would love to be original and witty with this review, but, I simply can not, so, I will start with the following:

This is a coming of age story of 3 men. William, Vincent aka Vincenzo and Beau. This book has Vincent telling his story of working with William, a Vietnam Vet, in the summer of 1979. Vincent is preparing to go away to college. The 2 men form a friendship that will last a lifetime w/o ever seeing one another again. Fast forward to 2015 and we read about Beau, Vincent's son who is getting ready to go off to college for the first time.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story! I appreciate how similar these 3 men are to one another and the subtle differences. The characters were so well developed throughout the book and I just felt that there was so much growth with out being preachy.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced readers copy. This book released on September 14, 2021.

Following three young men on the cusp of adulthood, The World Played Chess is a complex coming-of-age story. Young William just graduated high school in 1979 and takes on a summer job working construction. There he meets Vietnam War vet Vincent whose story is told of his journey to adulthood in 1967. And lastly there is the story of Beau, William’s son, as he starts his journey into adulthood in 2015.

I loved the multiple timelines, it added a lot of depth to this story. The multiple perspectives was great, but a bit overdone in my opinion. I would really be enjoying one of their stories and it would be time to switch to another character. Beau’s story wasn’t really fleshed out like the other two and because of that, I feel we could have done without it. While a wonderful story, it just felt like an add-on and the plot would have been a lot stronger without it. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between William and Vincent, it was both complex and completely pure. I loved reading the journal entrees from Vincent’s time in the Vietnam War, it was an interesting look at that time period. The writing is exceptional and really showcases Dugoni’s talent. Overall, I loved this book but my issues with Beau’s story knocked it down a star. 4⭐️ Thanks @amazonpublishing for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the copy of this book.

This book was the definition of a coming of age story of three different men, from three different times. The first, William in Vietnam, the second Vincent who meets William at a job site before he heads to college and the third, Vincent's son as he is set to graduate high school.

This book touches on a lot of tough, heartwrenching themes about life being too short and sometimes too long. The takeaways from the book are important. The story was well written but not super engaging. I think this book is more geared towards a different audience. .

This is a poignant story told through the eyes of a Vietnam veteran and the person who was a told the gripping story, a 18 year old who will never forget his experiences there.

The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni is told across multiple timelines through the eyes of Vincent and William. They met in 1979 when Vincent was a new high school grad bound for college but spending his summer working on the construction crew William is on. William spent time in Vietnam as a soldier during the war. He chronicled his experience in a journal that he sends to Vincent in 2015. Through reading this journal Vincent gets to really understand William and the life-changing experience he went through in Vietnam. Read and enjoy!

Robert Dugoni impresses time and again regardless of the genre. Whether you're a long time fan like me, or someone who has never read this author I can highly recommend his latest offering <b>The World Played Chess</b> which is both a coming of age story and a Vietnam War story.

Told from two eighteen year old boys with just over a decade separating them.      A few small years which made the world of difference to their experiences.   As an 18 yo in 1968 William went straight from school into the marines and was sent to Vietnam whereas when Vincent was 18 in 1979 he partied with mates and worked on a construction site to earn some cash to pay his way through college.      It was on that job in 1979 that William and Vince met and where they shared beers and conversation when the working day was done.   Vince became something of a confidante for William, the person William could share some of his innermost thoughts and feelings with.     Many decades later he shared his journal with Vince and it is through these words that the Vietnam story unfolds.

In the present day Vince is the father of an 18 year old son Beau.  The present day thread ties it all together as Vince puts into practice some of the wisdom he gained, and the lessons he learnt during his 18th year. 

This book was very well done.  Not only did I feel attached to the characters and engaged in the story but it provided a reminder of the futility of war.       I haven't read a great deal about the Vietnam War so it was definitely an eye opener for me.   The book read like a memoir though Robert Dugoni states it wasn't.   Instead it was an amalgamation  of some of his own stories, some stories of a couple of Vietnam veterans he befriended when he was an 18 year old working on a construction site, and it was all supplemented with an enormous amount of  research. 

I highly recommend this novel and send mynthanks to the author and his team, to Lake Union Publishers and Netgalley for the opportunity of reading this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review which it was my pleasure to provide.

An absolutely wonderful coming of age story about the summer of 1979. The World Played Chess is told from three points of view: William, a soldier in Vietnam, and Vincent as a teenager and then an adult in present day. The story plays out in flashbacks and stories told through the reading of William's journal. So many things play out including the struggles of life and war, PTSD, family, friendship, and all of the emotions that come in to play as you leave life at home and move on to adulthood. Who are our heroes in life? I love the title and its meaning. "The world is playing chess and you're playing checkers." An emotional and unforgettable read.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Robert Dugoni, and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this publication. What a beautiful coming of age story of boys becoming men. As a mother of two sons this really made me delve into my feelings of having your son taken and sent to war and also a parent’s knowledge of knowing when to let go. Mothers of sons should read this! This is a manual on growing up and knowing when to do the right things. I fell in love with both William and Vincent. This is an emotional story that will stick with me for a long time.
I loved Mr. Dugoni’s usage of a journal to tell the story of a young boy’s experience in Vietnam. I also liked the past and present storyline. His description of the bush in Vietnam made the reader feel as if they were there with the characters.
As a child of the 60’s and 70’s I watched the war in Vietnam nightly on the news. I didn’t understand it but remember the images. As I grew older I didn’t learn a lot about Vietnam in school and sadly at 61 years of age I still don’t know a lot. After reading this novel I feel I want to learn more and read more about that time in our history.
I loved The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell and honestly that lead to me requesting The World Played Chess. Mr. Dugoni has followed it with another outstanding novel. I would highly recommend it! Thank you for the honor of reading an advance copy!
Leslie Ponder