Footfall by Larry Niven and Jerry PournelleA spaceship was spotted heading towards Earth from the area of Saturn, set to meet the Earth in six weeks. The Russians and Americans(the cold war is still going on) send a ship to meet the aliens. The aliens capture the ship and take the astronauts prisoner. The aliens, who look like elephants, have come to Earth to enlighten the people of Earth with the knowledge of their Predecessors and they are willing to exterminate as many humans as it takes.
It quickly becomes obvious that the aliens have greater weaponry, because they can move asteroids to come crashing down on Earth, and they have lasors that shoot with deadly accuracy. The president and his military put all of their hopes on a Project Michael. This story is told through the aliens(fithp) and through a zany web of humans. Political and social morals are strewn through this story, at times more obviously than others.
Happy reading.
