A blown electronic tube...an unexpected chain-reaction...and suddenly the President of the United States and his advisers are confronted with the knowledge that in the next few hours they will either save the world or destroy it...

"The accident may not occur in the way we describe, but the laws of probability assure us that ultimately it will occur."

"The 'accident' in this excerpt from the foreword to Fail-Safe is a mechanical failure that sends a group of six United States bombers hurtling toward Russia at 1,500 miles an hour with no chance to recall them...shattering" - Chicago Tribune

"A terrifying tale for our time" - New York Herald Tribune

"Gripping, exciting and almost unbearably fascinating" - Los Angeles Times

"Excruciatingly Tense" - Wall Street Journal