In the early 1960's as the Cold War heats up, the space race fuels its fire. With the future of space travel-and of the world hanging in the balance, Paul Chavasse enters Tibet on a desperate mission. His assignment: rescue the scientist Dr. Karl Hoffner, the West's only hope of beating the Soviets to the moon. Under house arrest and surrounded by enemies from Chinese occupiers and distrustful natives to the Soviet agents Dr. Hoffner holds the key to victory. Pursued by powerful enemies, Chavasse must find and liberate Hoffner, then flee over one hundred miles of rugged terrain, through a storm of Cold War intrigue, to freedom.

Jack Higgins is the author of the action-adventure thrillers Night of the Fox, Luciano's Luck, and The Year of the Tiger, as well as the mega-bestselling The Eagle has Landed, which became a major motion picture. He also writes under the pen names of Martin Fallon, Hugh Marlowe, and James Graham.