This is the autobiography of Mikhail Kalashnikov, the inventor of the world's most famous gun, the AK-47. Offers a fascinating history of the weapon's development and spread throughout the world, as well as a window into the turbulent history of Russian in the twentieth century.

Includes bibliographical references (p. [167]-168) and index.

1. Treading a path of pain and sorrow: Son of a kulak ; Farewell to Siberia -- 2. 'Arise, great country! Arise to mortal fight!': "The last but one ; My university -- the hospital ; 'You must help Sergeant Kalashnikov!' -- 3. The birth of the AK: The 'Mikhtim' dossier ; 'Up until 2025, and even beyond ... ' --4. A unique weapon: The standardization of firearms ; One more step --- 5. 'He was a god; he might rise again': Daily life of a deputy in the Supreme Soviet ; Behind the walls of the Kremlin -- 6. 't home and abroad': Izhevsk ; Better late than never -- 7. Odds and ends.