From the back cover: "The Fourth Succession War was a victory for the Federated Suns. The War of 3039 was a fiasco. Now a new generation of Inner Sphere leaders are coming of age, inheriting the promises and the vendettas of their elders. A new Marik commands the Free Worlds League. Theodore Kurita gains more and more power at the expense of his own father. The marriage between Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner has successfuly borne fruit. The Capellan Confederation is no longer under the leadership of a madman. But things never go smoothly in the Inner Sphere. Will the fledgling Federated Commonwealth survive the coming decade or will it collapse under pressures from within and without? Can the Capellan Confederation regain its strength before the Davions decide to finish what they started 20 years ago? Can Theodore Kurita drag the Draconis Combine into the modern day without losing his own life? The BattleTech 20 Year Update advances the storyline of the universe up to the year 3050 and provides an inside look at the next generation of heroes and villains." User comment: The various House books provided background on the Inner Sphere empires up til the cusp of the Fourth Succession War, and the war itself is covered within the two volumes of the NAIS Military Atlas to the Fourth Succession War, This volume covers the period between the end of the war and the arrival of the Clans. While it's unlike the House books in that it doesn't provide any details on experimental 'Mechs or other rules refinements - even with Star League era tech beginning to reappear - it does include a complete unit roster for every major unit in the Inner Sphere, as well as detailed maps, making it a great sourcebook for BattleTech and BattleForce campaigns.