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by Randal R. Jones (Author)
Pendulum pits a little known and heretofore classified organization, the United States Military Liaison Mission (USMLM) and its main character, Major Matt Bollard, against the Soviet forces of East Germany, and places this rivalry in the context of a Soviet military conspiracy against its own political apparatus. The catalyst for action by both sides is the fast approaching signing of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF). While elements of the Soviet military seek to counter the political changes occurring within its own government and negate the effects of arms negotiations, equally determined members of the U.S. military seek to demonstrate through its intelligence collection that the Soviets cannot be trusted to enter into any viable arms control treaty.
It was in this environment and among these players that the east and west confrontation was automatic and natural. Yet, this was not their first confrontation; they had been rivals in yet another international arena - Afghanistan. The novel unfolds with this early confrontation as Bollard hurries to Afghanistan to interrogate captured Soviet officers at the same time as Spetsnaz leader, Major Grigori Asimilov, attempts their rescue with surprising results having a long term impact on both officers.
Pendulum's characters, actions, and events are numerous and complex but realistic. It is the fusing of these disparate yet connected factors that is the foundation of intelligence reporting and analysis and is the basis of the novel.
Pendulum includes a Chronology of Historical Events upon which the book is based, a Character List, Glossary and Acronyms, and detailed End Notes relevant to the non-fiction Forward and Background.
