Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45 (Elite) [Paperback]

Henry Sakaida (Author), Christa Hook (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: May 20, 2003

Osprey's examination of Soviet women who fought in World War II (1939-1945). When the Great Patriotic War began, many women volunteered for the armed forces, but most of them were rejected. They were steered towards nursing or other supportive roles. Many determined women managed to enter combat by first volunteering as field medics and nurses, then simply picking up a gun during the battle, and charging boldly into the line of fire. In the area of aviation, women also contributed greatly to the war effort. In rickety biplanes, they flew bombing missions at night, without parachutes; their only protection was the darkness. This book tells the stories of the brave women that were awarded the Soviet Union's most prestigious title - Hero of the Soviet Union - for their bravery in protecting their homeland.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An unrivalled illustrated reference source on fighting men and commanders, past and present. Each volume is packed with full colour artwork, making military history uniquely accessible to enthusiasts of all ages.

About the Author

Henry Sakaida was born in Santa Monica, California in October 1951. He became interested in Russian/Soviet culture and war history after taking a Russian language course and has travelled to the Ukraine and Russia twice to conduct research. He is an experienced author and has written a number of books about his other main interest, Japanese combat aviation history, including 3 for Osprey. Henry lives with his wife and 2 children in Temple City, 15 miles east of Los Angeles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing; 1St Edition edition (May 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1841765988
• ISBN-13: 978-1841765983
• Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 0.2 x 9.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #690,175 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Five Gold Stars, January 19, 2004

By 

Chapulina R (Tovarischi Imports, USA/RUS) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45 (Elite) (Paperback)

Quality can be expected from Osprey, which is why I was eager to receive this book from Amazon. It is about women combatants of the Great Patriotic War (WWll) who received the most prestigious title "Hero of the Soviet Union" (HSU). Note, that while over a million women fought and many were otherwise decorated, only about 100 were awarded the Gold Star of the HSU. This slim, 64-pg volume features a few examples from each of these categories: fighter-pilots, bomber aircrew, medics, machine gunners, snipers, scouts, tankists, partisans, and political officers. There are other books, such as "Women in War and Resistance", which provide greater in-depth information. But what sets this book apart, as with all Osprey publications, are the illustrations. On every glossy page are wonderful, rare photographs. And in the center are eight full-color plates of exquisitely detailed paintings by Christa Hook. Unexpectedly, the text contains numerous errors. Granted, most of these would be apparent only to readers familiar with the works of Kazimiera Cottam, Anne Noggle, and Reina Pennington. But one gaffe which is absolutely appalling, considering Osprey's reputation for historical excellency, jumps right off the first page: "[Stalin] wanted to showcase the advancement of women... His wife, Nadezhda Krupskaya, headed the women's section of the Communist Party." Yikes! Krupskaya was, of course, the wife of Lenin, and outspokenly critical of her husband's successor. Stalin's hatred for her was mutual, to the point where he once suggested ominously that a more compliant widow might be "appointed for Comrade Lenin"! Moreover, Stalin contemptuously regarded women "like herring, only with ideas." Most importantly, though, the erronious text diminishes the extraordinary efforts of Marina Raskova to convince Stalin to allow the formation of her famous female aviation regiments. Normally, such inaccuracies would cost a book a review star. But the author, Henry Sakaida, earns the full five, just for being a hero in his own right! Mr. Sakaida, a collector of Soviet medals, has a superb (and highly recommended) website. Therein are the touching accounts of how he acquired and hand-returned -- to far away Uzbekistan and Buryatia Siberia! -- stolen Gold Stars to the families of two deceased HSUs. The author has taken a Russian language course because of his interest in his topic. He has journied to Ukraine expressly to visit HSU dive-bomber pilot Mariya Dolina, and to present flowers at the museum and monument to fighter-ACE Lilya Litvyak. And he has attended the annual May Day (veterans' day) celebration in Kiev. All these stories and photos are on his website, where his smile shows his pleasure at meeting the heroes of his book.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb History, Fantastic Artwork!, September 7, 2005

By 

Raymond F. Gillis (Yonkers, New York) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45 (Elite) (Paperback)

A wonderfully written and illustrated book about a heroic and under appreciated chapter of history. Author Henry Sakaida takes great pains in getting the stories correct, including vists with some of these Heroines and their equally heroic families. The artwork by Christa Hook is perfect! Happy to say I own the original work of Ace pilot Lilya Litvak! It's a brilliant little book, long overdue. Give it your attention please, it deserves it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars About: Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45 (Elite), July 9, 2009

By 

Michel Poulin - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Heroines of the Soviet Union 1941-45 (Elite) (Paperback)

I did enjoy reading 'Heroines of the Soviet Union' and found it both very interesting and informative. The one thing that detracted from the overall good quality of the book was the poor quality of many of the photos in it. That is however excusable to a point, considering the low quality of most pictures taken by the Soviets during WWII. Maybe a research through German archives could have yielded better pictures, especially of those brave but unfortunate Soviet women and girls executed by the Germans. Still, I found the book a worthy buy.