Stalingrad snipers were a legend in their time. Their patience, keen eyes and ruthlessness helped win the Battle of Stalingrad and turn the tide of the Second World War. This is the true story of a teenage sniper recruited in 1942 by Vasily Zaitsev to seek out and shoot German officers. To begin with, the youngster finds it almost impossible to kill, but after a shocking discovery, goes on to 'snap as many as 84 German sticks', and following capture and a daredevil escape, leads a handpicked unit on a hazardous mission -- to seize Field Marshall Paulus, the Commander-in-Chief of the invading army. But this sniper is no ordinary marksman! The author first visited Stalingrad in 1959, and made subsequent visits in 1963 and, most recently, in 2006, when he met Tania Chernova, the heroine of this novel. Having studied Russian in Birmingham and Moscow, James Riordan lived, worked and travelled extensively in Russia for five years, and has presented several BBC radio programmes on Russia. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Russian at the University of Surrey.

About the Author

James Riordan has travelled the world collecting folktales and has published over thirty volumes of tales from different countries. The Twelve Labours of Hercules won the UK Reading Association Award 1998. He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Surry and Visiting Professor at the University of Worcester, as well as holding honorary degrees from Birmingham, London, Moscow and Grenoble. He regularly reviews children's books for The Times. He has also written ten novels for young people. His first, Sweet Clarinet, won the NASEN award in 1999 and was nominated for the Whitbread Prize in 1998. Match of Death won the South Lanarkshire Book Award in 2004, and The Gift was nominated for the NASEN award in 2006. He published a novel on slavery, Rebel Cargo, with Frances Lincoln in 2007.

Prizes

Taut action story with heroine at its centre will appeal to both boys and girls. Story meticulously researched and based on actual events and people who took part in the Battle of Stalingrad (August 1942-January 1943) - which made the Russian sniper movement famous. Main character's story based on the oral memoirs of real-life sniper Tania Chernova. The author's novel Sweet Clarinet was nominated for the Whitbread Award in 1998 and won the NASEN award in 1999. Author's novel The Prisoner was nominated for the Carnegie Medal.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up-A story based on a real Russian teen, Tania Chernova, who served as a sniper between the years 1942 and 1943, defending Stalingrad from the invading Germans. Riordan's attention to detail in both the military and civilian arenas creates a seamless narrative that almost reads like a diary. Elements such as the differences between the sounds of a Russian aircraft and an enemy aircraft, the palpable anxiety felt by Russians when speaking ill of the government, and the survival techniques used by civilians and soldiers alike strengthen readers' connection with Tania Belova and her environment. Riordan's development of her character, from a girl uncertain about her duties as a sniper to one who, after seeing the death of her comrades and a loved one, has the courage to defend her people at all costs; his realistic portrayal of war; and his well-integrated historical facts make this work remarkable. The book concludes with a note about the real Tania and others from her story. Readers who choose to delve into the sniper's world will not be disappointed.-Hilary Writt, Sullivan University, Lexington, KY Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.

An exciting, well-researched story. The author met the real sniper in 2002. Irish Examiner Every moment of the chilling account!should change the perspective of many readers - both girls and boys - whether they study this period at school or not. This is an important story from the Second World War and one for a mature reader. Carousel A challenge to read and I think would engage a 12+ audience. INIS From the first page this is a powerful and heart-rending story which traces the rapid evolvement of an ordinary girl in extraordinary circumstances. Well known for his sensitive and perceptive writing about adolescence in extreme situations, Riordan has produced an extraordinary and thought-provoking book. This is a story that lingers in the reader's mind and should certianly be an award winner in 2009. School Librarian Riordan writes with pace and verve, having set the mood with a highly atmospheric opening chapter. He keeps the reader turning pages and I for one could not put the book down. There are wonderfully vivid and tautly written descriptive passages here and Riordan does not shirk from presenting the cruelty and hardship endured by the Russian people and their enemies. Ibby Link This is a powerful and moving account of an event which many young people may be unaware of today. www.writeaway.org.uk