In his acclaimed novels of alternate history Harry Turtledove has scrutinized the twisted soul of the twentieth century from the forces that set World War I in motion to the rise of fascism in the decades that followed. Now this masterly storyteller turns his eyes to the aftermath of World War II and asks In an era of nuclear posturing what if the Cold War had suddenly turned hot Bombs Away begins with President Harry Truman in desperate consultation with General Douglas MacArthur whose control of the ground war in Korea has slipped disastrously away. MacArthur recognizes a stark reality The U.S. military has been cut to the bone after victory over the Naziswhile China and the USSR have built up their forces. The only way to stop the Communist surge into the Korean Peninsula and save thousands of American lives is through a nuclear attack. MacArthur advocates a strike on Chinese targets in Manchuria. In actual history Truman rejected his generals advice here he does not. The miscalculation turns into a disaster when Truman fails to foresee Russias reaction. Almost instantly Stalin strikes U.S. allies in Europe and Great Britain. As the shock waves settle the two superpowers are caught in a horrifying faceoff. Will they attack each other directly with nuclear weapons What countries will be caught in between The fateful global drama plays out through the experiences of ordinary peoplefrom a British barmaid to a Ukrainian war veteran to a desperate American soldier alone behind enemy lines in Korea. For them as well as Truman Mao and Stalin the whole world has become a battleground. Strategic strikes lead to massive movements of ground troops. Cities are destroyed economies ravaged. And on a planet under siege the sounds and sights of nuclear bombs become a grim harbinger of a new reality the struggle to survive mans greatest madness. Praise for Bombs Away A fascinating and compelling story of real people caught in forces beyond their control . . . Harry Turtledove is