The Emperor of Japan is beheaded in a ritual political assassination by a Japanese military group bent on world domination. The weakened state of Russia along with the rich Siberian oil deposits needed to fuel the war machine makes that nation the first target.

Russia has an agreement with the United States for the Americans to provide assistance against outside aggression. Leading the American effort to protect the Siberian skies against the invaders is Air Force Colonel Bob Cassidy, who knows that inevitably he will face his old academy crony, Japanese Captain Jiro Kimura. However, the American-Russian alliance is in for the same surprise as the Emperor as group were aware that the Japanese military has clandestinely obtained nuclear weapons. World War Three is closer to becoming a reality than ever before.

FORTUNES OF WAR is a great military thriller based on real political, military, and global economics facing the world today. This authenticity placed inside a brilliantly written story line might be the best military story of the decade. The military heroes from the three nations are genuine, wonderfully described, and just awesome and their scenes are incredibly technical yet supremely intriguing. Though the politicians are more like caricatures of modern leaders and do not come across quite as well, Stephen Coonts keeps most of his prose with the trained killers. Move over Clancy, readers know they can count on Coonts for the top war story of the year.