Summary:
"Preview of Peril" by Alfred Coppel is a science fiction novel written in the early 1950s. The story unfolds against the backdrop of an interplanetary conflict, specifically the Second Martian War, delving into the dramatic tension and military strategy employed by the Terran Space Force. The book likely explores themes of war, sacrifice, and the unpredictable nature of combat. The narrative follows Commodore Clare Hartnett and the crew of the Terran destroyer "Darkside" as they embark on a perilous mission to prevent Martians from capturing crucial isotopes at Metallurgical Station 9. As they navigate through danger, the crew must address their new command structure with Hartnett as the higher authority, which puts their morale and cohesion at risk. The story escalates into intense moments of strategy and combat, culminating in a daring and explosive trap laid for the Martians that involves the seemingly obsolete ship, "Artemis". Through tactical gambles and the challenges of cooperation amidst looming threats, the novel ultimately reveals the lengths to which the crew will go to protect their mission and each other, highlighting the complexities of warfare in a vividly imagined space environment. (This is an automatically generated summary.)