Defending the Motherland

"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 Superbly written and researched . . . Vinogradova takes her place in the top flight of Russian historians - Anna Reid What has been missing until now is a thoroughly researched account of all these pilots' wars, based on primary sources and stitched into the larger picture of the epic battle for what Hitler called the ""world island"" of central Russia. Defending the Motherland fills that void - The Times Brings to light the fascinating story of the world's first and only all-female aviation regiments . . . Not for the first time, one can't help being flabbergasted by the heroic achievements of the poverty-stricken and hounded peoples of the USSR - Spectator [Vinogradova's] assiduous research, including numerous interviews with elderly veterans, has uncovered fascinating nuggets about the young female pilots' experience - Sunday Times 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 Remarkable . . . Vinogradova tells the stories Russian pilots with verve - New Statesman A feat of historical research and a wonderful, stirring read"