The fate of the author of the book is unique for Russia at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. Born into a simple Jewish family, he made a successful military career: he graduated from the Academy of the General Staff, reached the rank of general. In his memoirs, he gives a wide panorama of the life of Russia at that time: Jewish towns, military garrisons, the Academy, the life of the capital, Siberia, the Caucasus, Turkestan.