This is a story of a planet with its own biosphere which travels through space on a huge elliptical orbit. Every two thousand five hundred years it comes into range of another planet. During this rotation the technology they possess allows them to visit their short term neighbor to recover information left for them from a previous visit. The crew of ‘Alpha 1472’ makes the journey on behalf of their planet and encounter all one would expect of a society not yet as technologically evolved as them. Their mission brief was to observe, collect and collate information. Their adventures bring them into contact with a variety of different people, including simple farmers, townsfolk, their own direct descendants and invading forces. All goes well until they attempt to take off and return home. A freak accident causes them to be stranded on the planet unable to make their return.
Mary Emmanuel is the navigator on her final mission for the company. And although the company was aware that she was in the first trimester of her pregnancy, it had been decided that she and her unborn baby would be fine to accompany the crew on their mission. Neither she nor her husband, David, could have imagined the outcome.
We explore the complications they all experience in communicating with the local population, the interaction with direct descendants of their own race, the horror and disgust they feel for the invaders, and we share the real human emotions of heartache, loss and separation.
This is a story of technology versus history. It is the story of a group of people working together to complete their mission, dealing with all of the different trials presented to them. And ultimately it is the tale of a small group of people who are forced to begin a new life in an alien environment.
What makes this a compelling book to read is the fact that it is an age old story that we are all familiar with. It has been written to make the reader wonder about the validity of accepted teachings.  
Alpha 1472, takes us through a two week period of exploration and emotion ultimately leading to abandonment and a new beginning.