The Dagger. The Bronze Bird. The Shot. The Drivers

The name of Anatoly Naumovich Rybakov (1911–1998), a classic of Russian literature, author of the epoch-making novels "Children of the Arbat" and "Heavy Sand," is known worldwide, and his works have been translated into dozens of languages. However, broad recognition came to Rybakov long before the publication of his major novels. The greatest popularity was gained by his adventure books, which, along with the works of Kassil and Gaidar, formed the golden fund of Soviet literature for youth and were also adapted numerous times with the author's involvement as a screenwriter. Among them, the trilogy about Misha Polyakov stands out: "The Dagger" (1948), "The Bronze Bird" (1956), and "The Shot" (1975). The heroes of these novellas belong to a generation of brave, honest, straightforward "children of the revolution," and the sharp turns of the plot reflect the shadows of the Civil War, NEP, and unyielding class struggle. Closely related to the trilogy, thanks to the figure of the main character, is the novel "The Drivers" (1950), which was written immediately after "The Dagger" and was awarded the highest state prize in the field of literature. In this edition, Rybakov's works are published with wonderful illustrations by Igor Ilyinsky and Ekaterina Chudnovskaya.