by Brad Smith
First published 2019
The Cold War ignites in 1985 when Soviet forces launch a surprise assault across the Inner German border. NATO commanders in Washington scramble to respond as their front-line units face overwhelming enemy armor pushing toward the Fulda Gap. American tank crews manning M1 Abrams find themselves outgunned and outnumbered, fighting desperate battles through the hills and villages of southern Germany. Each engagement becomes a race against time as Soviet T-80s advance toward the Fulda River bridges. If these crossings fall, the Western alliance collapses and Europe belongs to Moscow. The story moves between the Pentagon war rooms where generals plot strategy and the cramped tank interiors where young soldiers face death with each radio crackle. Brad Smith captures the chaos and terror of mechanized warfare through multiple perspectives, showing how individual tank duels shape the broader conflict. This opening volume of the series establishes the stakes for a war that threatens to reshape the world.
Genres: military-fiction, adventure, action, political-thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-allies, race-against-time
Setting: Germany, Fulda Gap, Washington
Period: 1985
178 pages · Paperback · Lock 'n Load Publishing, LLC.
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war