The book by the famous poet and prose writer Alexander Borisovich Kerdan (born 1957) includes the novel “Guard”, as well as novels and stories about the defenders of the Fatherland, soldiers and officers who fought in Afghanistan and Chechnya, faithfully fulfilling their duty in the period of the Cold War and during the days of peace. The author knows firsthand about military service. He served in the Armed Forces for almost thirty years, going from a military school cadet to a colonel. The autobiographical nature and utmost sincerity of his military prose, his deep knowledge of the psychology of his heroes and empathy for their losses and losses, the desire to understand the true origins of heroism and betrayal - all this constitutes the living nerve of the book, making it interesting to a wide range of readers.