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As 90-year-old Winston Churchill barely clings to life in January 1965, Great Britain and the world prepares for the funeral of the century. The long-planned grand farewell has a code name: Operation Hope Not. A "who's who" list of world leaders plan to attend.
But Lyndon B. Johnson is a no show.
Why does the President of the United States, a consummate and ego-driven politician, who has just been inaugurated for his own term, following a landslide election victory the previous November, choose to stay home instead of making his presence known as the leader of the free world while 350 million people watch via new satellite technology.
And, why doesn't President Johnson send his new Vice President, Hubert Humphrey, in his stead? Why also will the American Secretaries of State and Defense travel to London as part of the "official" US delegation, only to skip the actual service at historic St. Paul's Church?
Why indeed.
With these verified historical facts as a backdrop, best-selling author DAVID R. STOKES takes us through the "looking glass" and into a world of shadows, mystery, and intrigue.
America and the world have not yet fully recovered from the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Yet, in a way that seems to connect back to that awful moment in November 1963, there are rumors of another conspiracy one involving a possible attack connected to Churchill's funeral when more than 100 world leaders are assembled in one confined place.
President Johnson reaches out to a team of trusted operatives in the intelligence world all "off the record," of course. These men some whose names will eventually become infamous have a singular mission: to prevent a catastrophe that could change the course of human history.
The American agents uncover a plot more far-reaching than they could have ever imagined.
At the center of THE HOPE NOT PLOT is Winston Churchill himself. His accomplishments. His mistakes. His admirers. And his enemies.
THE HOPE NOT PLOT is fiction, yet it is saturated with historical details. You may wonder what is real and what is made up and be tempted to reach for your smart phone to check things out.
David R Stokes
David R. Stokes is a Wall Street Journal bestselling author, ghostwriter, broadcaster, and retired pastor. His latest book, JFK'S GHOST: Kennedy, Sorensen, and the Making of Profiles in Courage, was released by Lyons Press (Rowman & Littlefield) June 1, 2021. His earlier book, THE SHOOTING SALVATIONIST, appeared twice on the Wall Street Journal Bestseller list in 2011. This story has been recently revised and republished with 30,000 words of new material. David has also written screenplays based on two of his novels, CAMELOT'S COUSIN and JAKE & CLARA, and they are currently being represented for production in Hollywood. Retired FBI Agent and Bestselling author, Bob Hamer, says, "David Stokes combines his meticulous research with a writing style which makes you feel as though you are that fly-on-the-wall witnessing history as it unfolds."David grew up in the Detroit, Michigan area and has been an ordained minister for more than 45 years. Now retired from pastoral ministry, he writes full-time. David has been married to his wife, Karen, since 1976, and they have been blessed with three daughters--all now grown and with wonderful children of their own. There are, in fact, seven grandchildren, a fact verified by hundreds--maybe thousands--of pictures, as well as an ever-growing collection of toys and gadgets joyously cluttering their home.His next book, THE HOPE NOT PLOT: A Novel of Churchill's Final Farewell will be published in fall, 2025. Visit David's website: DavidRStokes.com.
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