The testimony of five young Russian deserters from the Soviet army in Afghanistan form the basis of this book. Ludmilla Thorne, Freedom House's Soviet specialist, traveled to Afghanistan and spoke with the five. The five discuss their working-class origins in the Soviet Union and relate the process of disenchantment arising from the enormity of the Afghan people's suffering under the Soviet occupation that drove them to desert. The book concludes with English-language translations of letters the soldiers gave to Ludmilla Thorne to transmit to President Reagan.About the Author: Ludmilla Thorne has written many articles and book reviews on Russian and East European subjects that have appeared in Time, the New York Times, Problems of Communism, New Leader, Life, Inquiry, the Wall Street Journal, National Review and other publications.