A gripping, unforgettable and heart-breaking story of female heroism in war and terror, written elegantly, filled with new research - archival and oral - and told here fully for the first time. Not just a tale of amazing derring-do, but a terrifying window into Stalinist Russia. Simply superb

- Simon Sebag Montefiore,

Lyuba Vinogradova tells the poignant story of the determined young women who fought and died in the air above Stalingrad and elsewhere in the epic struggle to expel the German invaders from their country. It is an absorbing and meticulously researched account

- Sir Rodric Braithwaite,

Remarkable . . . Vinogradova tells the stories Russian pilots with verve

- Erica Wagner, New Statesman

A feat of historical research and a wonderful, stirring read

- Rachel Polonsky,

Superbly written and researched . . . Vinogradova takes her place in the top flight of Russian historians

- Anna Reid,

The story of the Soviet airwomen is well told by Lyuba Vinogradova . . . She has done a huge amount of research, which shines through the pen portraits of the aviators and some of the vivid descriptions of the aerial battles

- Leo McKinstry, Literary Review

Vinogradova is excellent on the technical aspects and experience of flying the various aircraft . . . She is at her best, though, in bringing alive the quotidian details of wartime

- Wendy Slater, Times Literary Supplement

Russian historian Vinogradova dove deeply into the archives and conducted an admirable amount of legwork to craft this revelatory study of Soviet female fliers during WWII

Booklist

Following these women's stories with a focused lens and allowing the background themes to add to the narrative without shifting emphasis, this engaging work adds to the knowledge of the Soviet military effort of World War II, profiling its lesser-known heroines while also offering a straightforward critique of Soviet culture

Library Journal