The Aesculapian (Aesculapius was the Greek god of healing and performed miracles) is a tale of political intrigue, interwoven with power, romance, tobacco cartels, corrupt societies, murder, and the betrayal of American medicine for financial fortunes in offshore banking accounts. The Byzantine plot pursues Big Tobacco and the nicotine scandal; the power barons of medicine; the Tora Society, a sinister Japanese crime syndicate led by a cunning old doctor; a veteran French underground fighter; agonizing memories of World War II and Vietnam; a wicked Southern senator; Machiavellian revenge masterminded by the President of the United States; a captivating love story; an idyllic journey around the world; and, finally, an explosive climax. The timing of this first novel is fortuitous as our country struggles with its knowledge and tolerance of what it now knows about the tobacco industry. One can only wonder and fiction permits us to beg the question What did we know? When did we know? What was the knowledge worth? In The Aesculapian Dan Cloud has crafted a stunningly intricate tale of power and commitment, rich in detail, bristling with suspense a wrenching yet sensitive portrayal of a good doctor tortured by deception and tragedy.