SOCIAL SCIENCES

Defending the Motherland: The Soviet Women Who Fought Hitler's Aces

by Lyuba Vinogradova
MacLehose: Quercus. Apr. 2018. 352p. illus. notes. bibliog. index. ISBN 9781681440125. $26.99; ebk. ISBN 9781681440101. HIST
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Vinogradova (coauthor, A Writer at War) presents the story of a squadron of female fighter, bomber, and support pilots during World War II, focusing on the lives of those who responded to calls of patriotism and took to the skies in defense of their homeland. Layered throughout their accounts is a critique of the Soviet system under Joseph Stalin, including descriptions of the soldiers' struggles and the hardships that war brought to both the military and civilians. Vinogradova also sheds light on Stalinist Russia, including the tensions and pressures, paranoia and suspicion, and the ways in which the military navigated those issues while attempting to defend the nation.
VERDICT Following these women's stories with a focused lens and allowing the background themes to add to the narrative without shifting emphasis, this engaging work adds to the knowledge of the Soviet military effort of World War II, profiling its lesser-known heroines while also offering a straightforward critique of Soviet culture.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Zeitz, Otterbein Univ. Lib., Westerville, OH , Apr 01, 2018
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