Gogol was a Ukrainian writer from the early 19th century. Taras Bulba is the story of the life of the Ukrainian Cossacks who lived during the 16th century. Taras Bulba is an old warrior who takes his sons on a training mission. He becomes their leader and lays siege on the Catholic Poles. When they are about to attack a walled city his son discovers that the woman he loves is in the city. Other stories included in this collection are St John's Eve, The Cloak, How the Two Ivans Quarrelled, The Mysterious Portrait, and The Calash.