Allies by Jeff Davies

Faced with the disastrous aftermath of the Iraq war, the new President of the United States is faced with the problem of rebuilding public confidence in its Government and re-asserting its influence and prestige in a world that is increasingly suspicious of its motives, its methods and, above all, a military machine that appears eager for an opportunity to restore its damaged pride. Across the pond, the British people, no longer willing to automatically march to the insistent beat of their US ally s drum, are increasingly drawn to a radical politician whose vocal support of unilateral disarmament has long consigned him to the extremist fringes of his party. His vision of a revolutionary New Democracy and an economic and social transformation as the result of demilitarization is suddenly generating popular support with the British people and shudders within the US Administration. How will the US respond to a rising resentment against its presence in Britain and even popular attacks on its bases and servicemen generated by the changing political climate and insensitive blunders by its military commanders? Will it accept the loss of its huge UK military bases and assets and Britain s withdrawal from its much-vaunted coalition? Or will it insist on its national interests and its role as the self-declared champion of the war on terror taking precedence over those of its traditional ally - and once more throw the world into political and even military - turmoil? This is not only a story of political leaders whose job it is to make tough decisions in tough circumstances. It is about events that take place in a small and inconsequential village in rural England and the ordinary people whose experiences drive an international crisis and who are reluctantly forced to choose between conflicting loyalties to their country, their conscience and those that they love as they are suddenly overwhelmed by a crisis that escalates out of control around them. The saga takes us