Aleksandr Vasil'evich Gorbatov had a difficult journey, from a soldier in the tsar's army, to commander of the armed units of the Soviet Armed Forces and the commander-in-chief of the newly created air forces. In his book, the legendary general talks about the twists and turns of fate, as well as his many trials and tribulations. A poor, half-starved childhood, Stalin's repressions, years of...

In the summer of 1941, the Germans received a shock when they first encountered the T-34. Calling it a 'wonder' weapon, they even contemplated copy its design, which had advantages over the Germans in armor, firepower and maneuverability.

The first years of the war saw huge losses of human life and heroic attempts by outnumbered and outmaneuvered Soviet troops defending the USSR from the German blitzkrieg. Those awarded the medal, Hero of the Soviet Union, in these early days are considered even greater heroes. Among these, 68 tank-troops received the medal - many did not live to the end of the war, indeed, many received the...