Heroes of the Soviet Union 1941-45

The Great Patriotic War began on 22 June 1941, when the Germans invaded the Soviet Union. Over 10 million Soviet soldiers took part in the war and of those about 12,600 earned the Soviet Unions highest military award - the Hero of the Soviet Union - for deeds of great daring and self sacrifice. This book covers the male recipients of the Hero of the Soviet Union award during the Great Patriotic War. Snipers, fighter pilots, partisans and spies are all included, together with the famous aces Pokryshkin and Kozhedub, who both gained the award an amazing three times.

About the Author
Henry Sakaida was born in Santa Monica, California in 1951. After a Russian language course, he developed an interest in the culture and war history, later leading to his research in the Ukraine and Russia. His other area of interest is Japanese combat aviation history on which he's written several books, including three for Osprey. Henry lives with his wife and two children in Temple City, near Los Angeles. Christa Hook began her career in 1986 and her work has since featured extensively within publishing and television. Her combination of a historian's attention to detail with an artist's sense of drama and atmosphere have made her one of Osprey's most popular illustrators. Christa has had work selected for the Laing Land and Seascape Exhibition 2000 at the Mall, and the Not the Royal Academy Exhibition 2000.