America is set to finally end World War II with a devastating act--dropping the atomic bomb over Japan. But what if a secret mission was set in place to alter the course of history? In this fast-paced, and imaginative thriller, the authors strike a brilliant chord between what was, and what might have been. It is July 1945. Germany has surrendered, and the U.S. is poised for one last surge against the Japanese. Under pressure from both the press and the Washington politicos, Secretary of War Henry Stimson launches a mission so secret, not even the President knows. Dubbed Operation Big Stick, it is a subversive plot to warn the Japanese and get them to surrender. Charged with leading the daring mission is Captain Patrick Snyder, an impulsive, smart-talking intelligence officer, who fears what failure will bring, not only to himself, but to the entire world. "From the chambers of Truman and Stalin at Potsdam to outposts in the Pacific...a suspenseful and well-constructed thriller." --Publishers Weekly "Well-plotted, well-paced...convey(s) the urgency surrounding the bomb in those final days of the war." --Houston Chronicle