The short stories contained in The Many Deaths of Comrade Binh are fiction. This does not, however, mean they aren't true. Retired naval officer Kenneth Levin readily admits to some artistic license, but each tale is based on actual events that occurred during the Vietnam War.
Twice wounded in the line of duty, Levin remembers the horrors of war all too well. He draws inspiration from his own experiences and those of comrades, allies, and mercenaries, as well as civilians and members of the North Vietnamese army.
Levin never forgets how deeply war affects both combatants and bystanders, or how battle sometimes forces humans to act inhumanely. Many of his stories are capable of moving you to tears-or disturbing enough to keep you up at night.
At the same time, humanity has a knack for survival even in wartime, a truth reflected in Levin's stories of humor, irony, and love.
Despite being war stories, The Many Deaths of Comrade Binh never glorifies war. Levin knows his subject too well to romanticize battle or mistake jingoism for patriotism. Comparable to Bao Ninh's The Sorrow of War, Levin's stories are about the terrifying impact of war on ordinary people.
About the Author: Kenneth Levin is a decorated naval officer who was wounded in action twice. He rose to the rank of commander before blindness forced him to retire from the US Navy.
After the Vietnam War ended, Levin traveled to Hanoi, Hoi An, and Cu Chi to interview North Vietnamese army veterans and their children. Their experiences were incorporated into his first novel, Crazy Razor, and his most recent publication, The Many Deaths of Comrade Binh.
Born in Chicago, Levin now lives in Oakland, California with his wife, Eileen. He holds degrees from Washington University in St. Louis and the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
