On the morning of 1 September 2004 the children of Beslan were excited about the start of a new school year. At School No. 1 in the southern Russian town many proud parents had also turned out to enjoy a day of traditional celebrations. Suddenly, as the festivities got under way, a band of heavily armed terrorists stormed the school playground and these ordinary lives were changed forever. In the space of a few minutes, more than 1,200 hostages -mostly women and children - were herded into the school gymnasium, beginning three days of unimaginable terror and suffering. As the hours dragged by and the hopes of the captives and their anxious relatives gradually ebbed away, a violent conclusion to the siege became more and more likely… Формат: 13,5 см x 21,5 см.