Nikolai Gerasimovich Kuznetsov, (1904-1974), created an extraordinary career in eventful times. Joining the navy during the Russian Civil War in 1919 he rose to his final and highest rank in 1955, as Admiral of the Fleet of the Soviet Union. He accumulated considerable combat, administrative and political experience in his career. He authored a number of works relating to his life and profession. For the purposes of this work, Kuznetsov is the most important non-Spanish naval voice from the Spanish Civil War. N.G. Kuznetsov served as senior naval advisor to the Republican Navy during his tenure in Spain. His professional judgments are vivid in detail and provide an extraordinary view into the situation behind Republican lines relating to both purely military decisions and political interests in naval affairs. Naval aspects of the Spanish Civil War have had no coverage in English language works. This highly regarded memoir fills in a needed area. In his memoir we see the shaping of the Spanish navy as it grapples with the loss of most of the officer corps at the onset of revolution. Kuznetsov writes for his Russian audience and provides details regarding Soviet advisors in other military professions-notably aviators and tankers. The memoir is a straightforward translation of his Russian text without deletions. Kuznetsov’s style is matter of fact with an occasional humor or introspective aspect. He is rather modest of his own achievements which were considerable and earned him considerable standing among the Spaniards he came into contact with. (His nickname was “He who commands” among the Spanish) The illustrations are those included in the original work.