A young Russian soldier offers a harrowing chronicle of his experiences in the Chechen wars that captures the fear, chaos, hardship, drudgery, and brutality of modern warfare, documenting his personal odyssey from naïve, teenage conscript to battle-hardened soldier.

Originally published in Great Britain in 2007 by Portobello Books, Ltd., with the title, " One soldier's war in Chechnya." Individual chapters were first published in Russian literary journals during 2003-2006 and then in book form by Exmo in 2006."--title page verso.

Mountain brigade -- The River Argun -- Chechens -- Chechens II -- Yakovlev -- The cow -- To Mozdok -- The ninth neighborhood -- Shank -- The Apartment -- The Runway -- Mozdok 7 -- The Summer of 1996 -- Special cargo -- New Year's Eve -- Alkan-Yurt -- The Storming operation -- Argun -- A Soldier's dream -- Field deception -- The Obelish -- Lais -- Hello sister -- Traitors -- Chechen penal battalion -- Operation 'Life' continues -- I am a reminder.