The Intelligence of Captain Heinz

What does it take to change history? Dr. Jane Gaffey is a new breed of scientist-one who is able to experiment with history thanks to recent breakthroughs in computer technology-and she has one overarching question: What kind of change would be necessary to significantly alter the outcome of the surprise Japanese attack of December 7, 1941, which triggered America's entry into World War II? At a prestigious research institute, Gaffey is able to use the amazing new technology to insert volunteer Bill Baxter-a former Navy fighter pilot-directly into the complex, highly realistic computer simulation she has created. Baxter assumes the personality of Captain John Heinz, a young Marine Corps aviator on the Hawaiian island of Oahu, where he forms an unusual alliance with a bright but unconventional Navy enlisted man and the naval base librarian, an alluring Japanese-American woman. Their goal? To blunt not only the initial Japanese blow but also attacks on other American territories that will soon follow. As the experiment draws to a close, Dr. Gaffey must face the answer to her research question along with a new one: Will she be able to extract her volunteer from the simulated world of 1941?