The memoirs of Litvin, written in 1962, remained unpublished and unknown until translator Stuart Britton and a Russian colleague approached him with the intention of publishing them in English. Britton interviewed Litvin to compile the details of his original memories and commented on the work produced in order to provide a historical context for the campaigns and battles in which Litvin participated. These valuable memoirs, free from Soviet-era propaganda, offer a view of the war never before seen by Western readers, including photographs from Litvin's personal collection. [Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]