Avenging Angels

These women were still in their late teens when called up to join the Soviet forces between 1942 and 1944. Some volunteered to serve in the army, but most were given no choice as to whether to join the army or not, or whether to become a sniper or choose another army profession. After a few months of extremely rigorous training they were issued with sniper rifles and sent to the front. Practically without exception, their first taking of an enemy life came as a great shock, and changed them for ever. Drawing on original interviews, diaries and previously unpublished archival material, Lyuba Vinogradova has produced an unparalleled account of these women's lives.