In 1949 - as the Cold War first began to heat up - the Pentagon prepared a study based on the supposition that eight yearslater (on 1 January 1957) the US and USSR would be at war, and drew up a scenario for American strategy. Formerly a top secret document. planned by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff under Truman's authority, "Dropshot" was a blueprint for Armageddon. Operation: World War III contains dramatic revelations that are as pertinent today as they were thirty years ago. One of Dropshot's most disquieting disclosures is the pessimism expressed by the Joint Chiefs regarding America's chances of winning such a conflict. Indeed, the book's editorestimates that losses incurred by bith sides would have been catastrophic. ...