Lady Death: The Memoirs of Stalin's Sniper

Written by Lyudmila Pavlichenko and Martin Pelger

Narrated by Emily Durante

In June 1941, when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa, Lyudmila Pavlichenko left her university studies and ignored the offer of a position as a nurse to become one of Soviet Russia's 2000 female snipers.

Less than a year later she had 309 recorded kills, including twenty-nine enemy sniper kills. She was withdrawn from active duty after being injured. She was also regarded as a key heroic figure for the war effort.

She spoke at rallies in Canada and the U.S., and the folk singer Woody Guthrie wrote a song, "Killed By A Gun," about her exploits. Her U.S. trip included a tour of the White House with FDR. In November 1942 she visited Coventry and accepted donations of 4,516 from Coventry workers to pay for three X-ray units for the Red Army. She also visited a Birmingham factory as part of her fundraising tour.

She never returned to combat but trained other snipers. After the war, she finished her education at Kiev University and began a career as a historian. She died on October 10, 1974 at age fifty-eight, and was buried in Moscow's Novodevichy Cemetery.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Translator: David Foreman
• Release date: May 19, 2018
• ISBN: 9781977382726

Reviews for Lady Death

[kburne1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Interesting memoir. I had no idea that Russia had female snipers.

[kristymk18-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fascinating read through the memoirs of a truly bad ass woman. If you liked American Sniper, then I suggest this book. If you like Russian history, I recommend this book. If you like military history, then seriously, get this book. What a rarity to have a woman in this sort of position years ago. Lady Death is readable and informative.