Henry Sakaida was born in Santa Monica, California in October 1951. He became interested in Russian/Soviet culture and war history after taking a Russian language course and has travelled to the Ukraine and Russia twice to conduct research. He is an experienced author and has written a number of books about his other main interest, Japanese combat aviation history, including 3 for Osprey. Henry lives with his wife and 2 children in Temple City, 15 miles east of Los Angeles.
Christa Hook began her illustrating career in 1986 and has since established herself as one of Osprey's most popular illustrators. Her illustrations combine the historian's attention to detail with the artists's sense of drama and atmosphere, and they are sought after by collectors worldwide. She has had work selected for the Laing Land and Seascape Exhibition 2000 at the Mall, and the Not the Royal Academy Exhibition 2000 at the Llewellyn Alexander Gallery.

When the Great Patriotic War began many women volunteered for the armed forces, but most of them were rejected. They were steered towards nursing or other supportive roles. Many determined women managed to enter combat by first volunteering as field medics and nurses, then simply picking up a gun during the battle, and charging boldly into the line of fire. In the area of aviation, women also contributed greatly to the war effort. In rickety biplanes, they flew bombing missions at night, without parachutes; their only protection was the darkness. This book tells the stories of the brave women that were awarded the Soviet Union's most prestigious title Hero of the Soviet Union for their bravery in protecting their homeland.