The name of Czech writer, teacher, and historian Eduard Štorch is well known not only in his homeland but also in other countries. Štorch's adventure novels dedicated to the distant past of humanity continue to interest young (and not only!) readers to this day. Štorch participated in archaeological expeditions and took part in many digs, and to share his knowledge with the younger generation, he began writing books about the life of primitive people. Thus, the main character of Štorch's most successful novel "Mammoth Hunters" (1918) came to life—boy Kopchem, who lives 20–30 thousand years ago somewhere in present-day South Moravia. Like all his kin, Kopchem engages in gathering, fishing, and hunting, and in his spare time, he enjoys playing with boys like himself, basking in the sun and air. Under the guidance of a strong leader, Kopchem's tribesmen migrate, choosing safer and more plentiful spots for their camps. Each person in the tribe has their role: men hunt, provide for women and children, while the latter manage the household, sew clothes from skins, and tend the fire. Primitive people are constantly threatened by danger: they fall victim to predators, suffer from illnesses, fight with neighbors, sometimes go hungry, and freeze. At the same time, each day is filled with astonishing encounters with wild animals and the elements for modern man… The novel, illustrated by the wonderful Czech artist Zdeněk Burian, is published in Russian for the first time in full translation!
