Once a Warrior King cover art

Once a Warrior King

Memories of an Officer in Vietnam

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Once a Warrior King

By: David Donovan
Narrated by: Don Sobczak
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £18.99

Buy Now for £18.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

He was a young American soldier - and the most powerful man in a remote rural District of Vietnam.

In the spring of 1969, First Lieutenant David Donovan arrived in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam to work as military advisor with village chiefs and local militia to win the war.

But as he was the highest-ranking person in the entire district, his life there was far more complex than anyone could have imagined.

This is Donovan's gripping account of combat missions and night ambushes in the swamps and jungles of the Delta...his heartrending tale of personal involvement with the culture and families in his charge...his humane introspection on his awesome responsibility as both warrior and king...his stark reflections on the changes he saw in himself and his country upon his return to the U.S.

©1985 David Donovan (P)2014 Greenside Books
Armed Forces Military Special & Elite Forces Vietnam War War Village Solider Heartfelt

Listeners also enjoyed...

The 13th Valley cover art
Rattler One-Seven: A Vietnam Helicopter Pilot's War Story cover art
We Few cover art
The Green Berets cover art
Things I'll Never Forget cover art
Across the Fence: Expanded Edition cover art
A Rumor of War cover art
Whispers in the Tall Grass cover art
The Killing Zone cover art
Sudden Threat cover art
Mekong Mud Dogs cover art
Walking Point cover art
Walking Point cover art
The Return of the Marines cover art
Hue 1968 cover art
Jumping from Helicopters cover art
All stars
Most relevant
This is such a great, real story. I have had the book for about 30years, it's one of my favourite Vietnam memoirs, that and Chicken Hawk. Please listen to this uncommon account of one man's war. I can't fault this, excellent!!

One of the best

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Just a great listen and very authentic and very good all round from start to finish

Excellent 👍

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Well written and honest account of a soldier serving in extremely difficult circumstances. IMHO one of the best accounts of the conflict in Vietnam.

Really great story!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.