Reviews – Kent Hinckley

Reviews for Second Chance Against the Third Reich

Ludlum and Uris — Move Over

In terms of plot, plot development, dialogue, and character development, this third Hinckley novel is reminiscent of some of the action stories by Ludlum and Uris which I read many years ago. Though the plot’s outline is familiar enough – an American Army Colonel matching wits with the Nazis in WWII – the intriguing twist is that the Colonel is, psychologically, seriously damaged goods because he suffers from PTSD as a result of his WWI experiences. That damage caused him to emotionally push his daughter and wife away and to find satisfaction only in being an Army workaholic. His future was destined to be Army work and too much alcohol, followed by retirement and death. His only emotional connection was to his WWI memories, which consisted of noise, deaths, and his own guilty actions. A shell of a man.

Just before WWII broke out, the Colonel’s daughter left the U.S. for Germany, fell in love, and married an SS Officer. These actions were understood by the Colonel as a final renunciation of her affection for him. She was gone forever.

Then, out of the blue, the Colonel learned that the Nazis were planning to kill his daughter. This startled him so much that for the first time in years he recalled strong, emotional memories that were connected, not to his dreadful WWI experiences, but, rather, to his early, wonderful family life. He then discovered, to his surprise, that, notwithstanding the past, he loved his daughter with all his heart, whereupon he concocted a plan to attempt to rescue her, even at the risk of his life. The reader understands later that this foreshadowed the constructive way out of the officer’s PTSD. Hinckley handled the psychology of this part of the novel beautifully.

Most of the novel is about the Colonel’s attempts to rescue his daughter and, in typical Hinckley fashion, the fast pace is filled with much intrigue and many close calls. It is a wild romp that made me think of Steve McQueen racing over the German countryside on a stolen motorcycle in that wonderful WWII movie, The Great Escape. Is there a movie in Hinckley’s future? We can only hope so. Meanwhile, if you want a good beach novel, this is the one.

Action all the way through

It surprises me that I know Kent Hinckley is capable of sitting still, because as a story-teller, he is all about action! This novel moves fast, and is hard to put down. I’m not usually one for war or action novels, but this one had me turning pages. The emphasis on the effects of PTSD gave what might have been an over-used plot about fighting the Nazis some human interest. I agree with the reviewer who said it’s a great beach novel!

Thoughtful and Insightful

Like Hinckley’s earlier novels, “Second Chance…” provided insights and conflicts that drew me in and captured my full attention. His use of a damaged veteran’s viewpoint is innovative and adds constant tension. The Nazis and WWII have been approached my many skilled writers, and Hinckley compares with the best of them.

Super Charged War Story

“Second Chance Against The Third Reich” by Kent Hinckley is all high wire action especially for those fond of war stories. Absolutely super charged start to finish.

Very good for impatient readers seeking suspense

Author did a very good job of sustaining my suspense, and that’s tough to do because I’m usually very impatient. A worthy read.

Reviews for Hearts, Minds, and Coffee

Powerful book

An evocative book which will remain in my mind. I appreciate the skillfully written, stark truths expressed by the author. This book is highly recommended to readers who want knowledge about one perspective of the Vietnam war. Thank you Kent Hinckley for sharing your story.

Making Peace, Not War

How do you write a meaningful story about Vietnam that isn’t filled with body parts and pain? How do you find redemption in a war that has become a symbol of failed politics and wasted lives? Former Intelligence Officer Kent Hinckley has done this in a clear and kindly way, through characters who are believable and humane, including multiple sides of this complex war.

There’s a lot of kindness in “Hearts, Minds and Coffee” that sets it apart from most war novels, especially those that deal with Vietnam. There isn’t much cynicism, and no graphic blood-and-guts. Through his characters, we find realistic moments of anger, and recognition that citizens, even soldiers, can be different from the politicians who create the wars. These are believable characters, soldiers and villagers on opposing sides, who choose humane responses even as they are placed in what seems an endless situation.

By creating Slater Marshall and his special forces team, Hinckley presents a believable main character who is sucked into battle, armed with inferior weapons and misinformation, and who retains his sense of humanity. And he populates the story with memorable squad members, villagers, fly-boys, high ranking officers, grunts, opposing soldiers, and go-betweens of complicated loyalties.

His story also explains Vietnam to me in ways that my old military friends never could. The guys I knew didn’t want to talk about what happened there, and I don’t blame them. How could I understand? My 4-year navy stint ended in 1963, so I hadn’t been in Vietnam, a war I opposed. In 1966, when my old Naval Academy roommate wrote home to describe how he was out building schools in rural villages, I didn’t understand that, either. Was he justifying our country’s existence there, among all the brutality and carnage? Or was he trying to make a positive difference? It didn’t compute.

Hinckley’s novel helps to understand how men and women from my naive and idealistic generation could be consumed by this terrible war, and how some of them did positive things. It provides examples of small kindnesses, common sense, creative decisions within a deeply flawed system, and determination to remain human. And after all these years and wars and shattered lives, it even provides some rays of hope.

I Loved This Story!

Hearts, Minds and Coffee is a great story! A very entertaining wartime adventure read, but also a wonderful story of love, the power of friendship, and one man’s courage to follow the course set by his moral compass while still fulfilling his duty to his fellow soldiers and remaining true to his sworn Oath of Service. Set during the Vietnam War, protagonist and newly minted 2nd Lieutenant Slater Marshall and his reconnaissance team find themselves living on their own, in enemy territory. What follows challenges the reader to ask themselves: “Would I, against all odds and the risk of violent death or Court Marshall, have the courage to work for peace in the midst of war?” Even though Hearts, Minds and Coffee is a work of fiction, the author states that many of the characters and events introduced in this novel were based on actual people and events. It is a surprisingly touching book that will appeal to a wide range of readers. I loved this book!

“I’m going to turn you into a `strack’ soldier.”

California author Kent Hinckley brings a rich background to his debut novel – a novel with a completely different view of the Vietnam War. He served in Army Intelligence in Vietnam, worked for Bank of America international finance in Taipei and Tokyo, worked in the real estate industry for over twenty years emphasizing green technologies, and now lives in San Diego, California.

Whether or not this book is a memoir or simply a very well considered novel is unknown but Kent Hinckley certainly knows how to build a story with a solid basis from childhood to pacifist Vietnam soldier. HEARTS, MINDS AND COFFEE is so very real to those of us who served in Vietnam in the same time frame as this book’s plot will notice all the left unsaid portions in the now famous pantheon of Vietnam novels (Tim O’Brien, Philip Caputo, etc) and that is why this book is destined to rise to that level of anti-war novels.

Kent’s main character is Slater Marshall whose childhood was spent on a farm with an abusive father and a passive mother, a lad who as he grew realized his fear and loathing of injury and killing, join the ROTC in order to afford school, studied Vietnamese, found himself destined for military duty, and being a pacifist at heart he elects to remain in the back support groups. Assigned to Viet Cong controlled territory he discovered a family in a small village and against all odds manages to save the Vietnamese villagers and his fellow Americans and in short becomes the truest kind of hero.

Kent’s manner of pacing this novel is so practiced, so natural, so seamless that his writing betrays his presence of a nascent author in the field of contemporary literature. He is a fine writer, offers an entirely new look to the Vietnam War legacy and his timing could not be better. As the reports mount of the high incidence of PTSD among Vietnam Vets and now repeated among those returning from the various wars in the middle East, it helps the public view war differently – and becomes an homage to those who are placed in war zones physically but whose hearts and minds remain with the afflicted people. Highly Recommended.

Inspiring and interesting read on a war often misunderstood

I’ve read many military books, but this one was quite interesting to me since it was from a different perspective. Slater’s story is one that had me captivated from the start, and it was eye-opening and inspiring to hear of his journey with fellow soldiers in Vietnam. I think this book is a must-read for anyone interested in the Vietnam War, and anyone who wishes to read a tale of one soldier’s quest for peace and understanding.