May, 1864. In the shadow of bloody Spotsylvania, a northern and a southern company meet - not entirely by accident - and challenge each other to a series of baseball matches. These ordinary soldiers play for honour and even heroism while every game and every skirmish bring them closer to either court-martial or a violent and anonymous death. As enemies become friends and friends become enemies, the soldiers betray themselves in ways that bring PLAY FOR A KINGDOM to a powerful and revelatory climax. Brilliantly counterpointing the playing field and the battlefield, this novel takes us into the commanding, chaotic, and deeply human story of men striving to transcend their everyday selves.
