The book by the writer Aramilev (1896–1954) is a personal look at what was happening in the Great War, in which he was a direct participant, full of valuable everyday sketches about trench life. Its uniqueness lies in its coverage of the complex psychological aspects of war - such as the instinct of self-preservation, life in extreme conditions. For Aramilev, war forms a special type of psychology of a combat participant, which can be considered as a continuous series of borderline situations, being on the brink of life and death.