A re-packaging of one of Osprey's concise works on military history, this book gives a short account of Soviet air aces on the Eastern Front in what is known in Russia as the 'Great Patriotic War'. The text rather tends to plunge the reader directly into the world of Soviet aviation and air forces fairly quickly, but equally quickly you are onto events and personalities. Some of the bigger names - Kozhedub, Pokryshskin and Rechkalov - come over as real personalities, though how much of that is based on contemporary propaganda sources is hard to tell. There are accounts of operations and a potted history of the main fighter aircraft types. Some reference is made to the pre-war history of Soviet military aviation, especially in the Spanish Civil War, but this is neither detailed nor in context. Proofreading is pretty poor, but overall this is a useful introduction to the subject for the reader not specifically looking for huge amounts of detail, though some familiarity with Soviet state organisations is helpful. ( )