When young neurologist Dr. Clayton Winthrop accepts a position with Neurological Associates in Philadelphia, it seems like a plum assignment. But the seemingly enviable post soon turns sour when Winthrop is unfairly criticized for using a particular procedure on a number of patients. As tempers flare and arguments turn bitter, Winthrop becomes increasingly convinced he will have to leave the practice. The last straw comes when one of Winthrop's colleagues holds a press conference to take credit for a surgery technique that Winthrop himself pioneered. Angry and disillusioned, Winthrop finds a new position at a California research institute. But the new job soon becomes just as frustrating as the last and sends Winthrop into an emotional tailspin. Now he must choose between facing his detractors and watching his career go down in flames. "I wanted to offer readers an inside look at the medical profession," Wilson says. "The book also reveals the difference between surgical procedures for the brain used in this age of computers compared with the free-hand techniques of the past." Intended to entertain and inform, the book is based on Wilson's extensive experience as a scientific and medical patent attorney. Filled with scientific detail, the story is intended to offer readers a rarely-seen glimpse of the personalities and practices that pioneer medical care.

Dennis Fleetwood appeared in court effectively and frequently. Time and time again the lawyer for the other side was John Eldridge. During a meeting in John's office Dennis noticed a picture of a woman he thought he recognized. It was John's mother, a mother whom John never knew. She, strangely, had placed him in a boarding school in Great Britain. Later Dennis discovered that the woman's picture was in an antique watch that had been hidden in his briefcase during his flight from Harvard to California. The discovery of that watch, and Dennis' naive attempt to use the law to help John Eldridge find his mother, led Dennis down a path that threatened, not only his career, but his life. He was no match for the violent responses that resulted from that guileless attempt to help John.

None of the four teenage youths who met on the tennis court the summer before entering Eastern High School imagined that during their next three high school years, they would become inseparable. By graduation day, two of the youths had become casualties of tragic accidents. Unhappily, only Bob Johnson and Forrest Montgomery remained at graduation. The effects of the two tragedies and the patriotic complexion of the country at the outbreak of World War II may well have been responsible for Bob's and Forrest's early decision to enlist. Their fate was the Battle of the Pacific and the fall of Bataan. Bob was wounded, scarcely managing to survive the ninety mile death march to the Camp O'Donnell prison and near death when he did. Frequently clashing with Captain Savage, and ignoring his command, Forrest did what it took to keep Bob alive. His court martial was inevitable. At the close of the war Captain Savage risked his career to court martial the man he hated. The intense court martial and the truly accurate account of life in Camp O'Donnell characterize the novel.