Manusher Mato Manush (The Story of a Real Man) in Bengali translation is our latest audio book. We are proud to present to our print-disabled readers this popular war story by Boris Polevoi (1908 – 1981), a Russian journalist and writer. Polevoi was extensively writing about Soviet progress in the World War II when he chanced to meet Aleksey Petrovich Maresyev, a Soviet fighter pilot who crashed behind German lines, then crawl for 18 days through frost-covered forest before being rescued by some villagers. He lost both his feet in the process and painstakingly learned to walk with his artificial feet. Walking was not enough for this fighter. A true hero by heart, he learned to fly war planes with the help of his artificial feet. Polevoi wrote Manusher Mato Manush simply recalling the events Maresyev related during his one-night stay with him in his bunker during fierce fighting in the summer of 1943.

This in itself was an achievement which no aviator ever did. Maresyev led his squadron successfully in several air combats and was awarded Hero of the Soviet Union award. His life is a real example before millions of disabled persons who are easily frustrated by their physical disadvantage.

Aleksey Petrovich Maresyev, the hero of Manusher Mato Manush, was born on May 20, 1916 in the small city of Kamyshin on the banks of the Volga River. He worked in a factory before joining the Soviet air force during the World War II. He actively participated in the pacifist movement till his death on May 19, 1984 in Moscow.

Manusher Mato Manush was translated from original Russian into Bengali by Samar Sen and published by Raduga Publications, Moscow in 1983. This book is recorded from the third edition. Duration of this audio book is about 15 hours and 20 minutes.