How the Steel Was Tempered
Russian cover | |
| Author | Nikolai Ostrovsky |
|---|---|
| Original title | Как закалялась сталь |
| Language | Russian |
| Genre | Socialist realism |
| Publisher | Young Guard (serial) |
Publication date | 1932–1934 (serial) – 1936 (book) |
| Publication place | Soviet Union |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
How the Steel Was Tempered (Russian: Как закалялась сталь, romanized: Kak zakalyalas stal) or The Making of a Hero, is a socialist realist novel written by Nikolai Ostrovsky (1904–1936). With 36.4 million copies sold, it is one of the best-selling books of all time and the best-selling book in the Russian language.