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I do not pretend to know what would have happened if the USA and the USSR had gone to war over Cuba in October 1962. One imagines this scenario has been the object of countless staff college war games in America and elsewhere in the intervening fifty-three years; I suspect — with a high level of confidence — that few of those war games would have played out the way the participants expected, and that no two games would have resolved themselves in exactly the same way as any other. That is the beauty and the fascination of historical counterfactuals, or as those of us who make no pretence at being emeritus professors of history say, alternative history.

Nobody can claim ‘this is the way it would have been’ after the Cuban Missiles Crisis ‘went wrong’. This author only speculates that the Timeline 10/27/62 Series reflects one of the many ways ‘things might have gone’ in the aftermath of Armageddon.

The only thing one can be reasonably confident about is that if the Cuban Missiles Crisis had turned into a shooting war the World in which we live today would, probably, not be the one with which we are familiar.

A work of fiction is a journey of imagination. I hope it does not sound corny but I am genuinely a little humbled by the number of people who have already bought into what I am trying to do with Timeline 10/27/62.

Like any author, this author would prefer everybody to enjoy his books — if I disappoint, I am truly sorry — but either way, thank you for reading and helping to keep the printed word alive. I really do believe that civilization depends on people like you.

One last note of thanks: to Tom Kruse, the narrator of the unabridged audio book of ‘Aftermath — Book 1 of the Timeline 10/27/62 USA Series’. I am delighted to announce that later this year Tom and I will be working together again on the audio book of ‘California Dreaming — Book2 of the Timeline 10/27/62 USA Series’.

Other Books by James Philip

The Timeline 10/27/62 World
The Timeline 10/27/62 — Main Series

Book 1: Operation Anadyr

Book 2: Love is Strange

Book 3: The Pillars of Hercules

Book 4: Red Dawn

Book 5: The Burning Time

Book 6: Tales of Brave Ulysses

Book 7: A Line in the Sand

Book 8: The Mountains of the Moon

Book 9: All Along the Watchtower

(Available 1st June 2017)

Book 10: Crow on the Cradle

(Available 27th October 2017)

Timeline 10/27/62 — USA

Book 1: Aftermath

Book 2: California Dreaming

Book 3: The Great Society

Book 4: Ask Not of Your Country

Book 5: The American Dream

(Available 27th October 2017)

Timeline 10/27/62 — Australia

Book 1: Cricket on the Beach

(Available 20th December 2017)

Book 2: Operation Manna

(Available 20th December 2017)

Other Series and Novels
The Guy Winter Mysteries

Prologue: Winter’s Pearl

Book 1: Winter’s War

Book 2: Winter’s Revenge

Book 3: Winter’s Exile

Book 4: Winter’s Return

Book 5: Winter’s Spy

(Available 31st January 2017)

The Bomber War Series

Book 1: Until the Night

Book 2: The Painter

(Available 31st March 2017)

Book 3: The Cloud Walkers

(Available 31st March 2017)

Until the Night Series

Part 1: Main Force Country — September 1943

Part 2: The Road to Berlin — October 1943

Part 3: The Big City — November 1943

Part 4: When Winter Comes — December 1943

Part 5: After Midnight — January 1944

The Harry Waters Series

Book 1: Islands of No Return

Book 2: Heroes

Book 3: Brothers in Arms

The Frankie Ransom Series

Book 1: A Ransom for Two Roses

Book 2: The Plains of Waterloo

Book 3: The Nantucket Sleighride

The Strangers Bureau Series

Book 1: Interlopers

Book 2: Pictures of Lily

Audio Books of the following Titles are available (or are in production) now

Aftermath

A Ransom for Two Roses

California Dreaming

Heroes

Islands of No Return

Love is Strange

Main Force Country

Operation Anadyr

The Pillars of Hercules

The Plains of Waterloo

Winter’s Pearl

Winter’s War

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Details of all James Philip’s published books and forthcoming publications can be found on his website www.jamesphilip.co.uk

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Cover artwork concepts by James Philip

Graphic Design by Beastleigh Web Design