About the book: 2007 / “With a Pen and a Sword.” One of the most significant works in the creative heritage of V. Pikul. A novel that was recognized as a classic of Russian historical prose. One of the most interesting and controversial moments in Russian history of the 18th century. - Russia's participation in the Seven Years' War - under the brilliant pen of Pikul, turns into a complex, multifaceted and endlessly fascinating mosaic of court and political intrigues, strategic discoveries and, above all, espionage and “secret diplomacy”. “The Battle of the Iron Chancellors” This novel reflects the picture of complex Russian-German relations during the most difficult European political crises of the 50-70s of the 19th century, when Prince Alexei Mikhailovich Gorchakov and Otto Bismarck were chancellors from different sides.