The full potentialities of World War III become more terrifyingly clear every day. It could begin anywhere, and by its seemingly conventional and innocuous start, could take us quite by surprise. But it need not, because The Third World War: The Untold Story lays out a detailed, comprehensive thesis of how, where, and why a worldwide confrontation could be waged. The Third World War: The Untold Story is fiction, but the premises upon which it is based are factual.

Incorporating a wealth of new intelligence data, new analyses of the true gravity and urgency of the current world situation, newly declassified information, and stunning new perspectives on where we are headed, this superbly authoritative work is a completely reconstructed view of the conflict. General Sir John Hackett, aided by the insights of a Soviet defector, takes us within the Politburo and the ranks of the Russian army, exposing issues and probable trends that we can no longer afford to ignore:

• Inside the Politburo as War and Peace Are Debated
• The War Through the Eyes of a Red Army Soldier
• China Invades Vietnam
• The Far East Is Convulsed
• Central America: The US. Falls into the "Elephant Trap"
• Norway and Sweden Fight to Repel the Russian Invasion
• Air Battles and Superfighters
• War in Space: Battle of the Satellites
• Libya Smashed
• Polish Troops Change Sides
• Moscow Food Riots
• How the Best Tanks Won
• The Latest Assessment of Nuclear Weapons
• Ireland's Key Role
• The Amazing Voyage of the Kiev
• Collapse of the Soviet Union

The Third World War, General Sir John Hackett's first book, sold 3 million copies worldwide, generated enormous critical and political attention—with repercussions at the highest government levels—and was translated into 10 languages. Its far-reaching impact sprung partly from its sheer daring: no one of General Hackett's stature had ever tackled the strategic and philosophical problems posed by another worldwide confrontation, using the insider's knowledge and vast resources of scholarly acumen that only a figure as distinguished as he could lay claim to.

As ever, General Hackett's purpose in writing The Third World War: The Untold Story remains constant: To show by cogent, forceful example that the non-Communist countries must build up and maintain their conventional military forces if the threat of nuclear holocaust is not to become a reality.