Here are 100 books that The Finnish-Soviet Winter War 1939-40 fans have personally recommended if you like
The Finnish-Soviet Winter War 1939-40.
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As the author of four novels based on Finnish culture and history, I admire and respect the Finns for many qualities, including their intelligence, their strength and endurance, and their understated sense of humor. But the quality that impresses me most is what the Finns call sisu, which roughly translates to an ability to show stoic courage and tenacity in the face of adversity. The Finnish resistance to Stalin during the 105 days of the Winter War was a classic demonstration of that national trait. While researching this book, I had the privilege of interviewing five Finnish veterans, all of whom exemplified sisu while serving during the Winter War.
The story of the Winter War between Finland and Soviet Russia is a dramatic David versus Goliath encounter. When close to half a million Soviet troops poured into Finland in 1939, Stalin expected Finnish defenses to collapse or surrender. But they held firm. The Finns not only survived the initial attacks but succeeded in inflicting devastating casualties before superior Russian numbers eventually forced a peace settlement. This is a detailed and compelling guide to Finland's vital, but almost forgotten role in World War II. It reveals the untold story of determination and mastery of winter warfare that characterized Finland's fight for survival on the Easternn Front.
The story of the 'Winter War' between Finland and Soviet Russia is a dramatic David versus Goliath encounter. When close to half a million Soviet troops poured into Finland in 1939 it was expected that Finnish defences would collapse in a matter of weeks. But they held firm. The Finns not only survived the initial attacks but succeeded in inflicting devastating casualties before superior Russian numbers eventually forced a peace settlement. This is a rigorously detailed and utterly compelling guide to Finland's vital, but almost forgotten role in the cataclysmic World War II. It reveals the untold story of iron…
There’s nothing like personal experience. You have to read the literature, it’s true. That’s how we’ve all met here at Shepherd. But you have to roll up your sleeves and get down to visiting, too, if you want to write about travel. I first approached the Arctic in 1991 and I return above sixty degrees north every year, although I must confess to a secret advantage; I married a Finn. We spend summers at a little cabin north of Helsinki. I know the region personally, I keep coming back, and I invite you, whenever you can, to come up and join us!
“Helsinki, 10:30 a.m., November 30, 1939. Soviet bombers drop from a cloud bank to unload their bombs on the capital city of Finland.
In the weeks to come the world will watch admiringly as the tiny army of a small Baltic republic wages the kind of war that inspires legends against the invading military might of the Soviet Union.”
The Winter War between Finland and Russia flies under the radar of most general readers mainly because Finland, alone up in a cold, dark corner of Europe, got almost no help, so that its five million people had to face the mighty Red Army on its own.
It was a different kind of war, with undermanned Finnish soldiers on skis using unorthodox guerrilla tactics on in unimaginably difficult Arctic fighting conditions.
Trotter overlays a thorough understanding of the conflict on the hard realities of the far north for a description that takes the reader…
"Masterfully recreates all the heroism, tragedy and drama of a campaign whose lessons deserve far more attention." —General James R. Galvin, former Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
In 1939, tiny Finland waged war-the kind of war that spawns legends-against the mighty Soviet Union, and yet their epic struggle has been largely ignored. Guerrillas on skis, heroic single-handed attacks on tanks, unfathomable endurance, and the charismatic leadership of one of this century's true military geniuses-these are the elements of both the Finnish victory and a gripping tale of war.
As the author of four novels based on Finnish culture and history, I admire and respect the Finns for many qualities, including their intelligence, their strength and endurance, and their understated sense of humor. But the quality that impresses me most is what the Finns call sisu, which roughly translates to an ability to show stoic courage and tenacity in the face of adversity. The Finnish resistance to Stalin during the 105 days of the Winter War was a classic demonstration of that national trait. While researching this book, I had the privilege of interviewing five Finnish veterans, all of whom exemplified sisu while serving during the Winter War.
The Soviet invasion of Finland remains one of the lesser-known but critically important events in the lead up to World War II. This book, co-authored by two Finns who have an intimate knowledge of both the Finnish people and the war, recounts all of the major battles in vivid detail. And it shows, how against all odds, the skills and the fortitude of the Finns allowed them to resist the Russian advances through an incredibly cold winter. While Russia lost close to 500,000 soldiers (Nikita Khrushchev, former Premier of the USSR, claims it was a million) there were only 25,000 casualties on the Finnish side.
This book is a brief but very interesting illustration of the Winter War between Russia and Finland. The heroic stand of the Finns against the Russian juggernaut provided a timely moral and psychological lift to those in the West willing to defend freedom.
I was born in 1957 in Finland. I completed my military service in the Kainuu Brigade, graduating as a reserve officer. Later, I worked in the field of voluntary national defense as a spokesperson and editor-in-chief of a reservist magazine, and participated in numerous refresher exercises around the North Karelia region.I also wandered a lot in the wilderness of Kainuu, where my father lived. I was attracted by the peace of nature, and all my free time with my wife was spent in the wilderness in our own hideaway. As I walked the terrain, I couldn't help but notice the scars of the Winter War. Soon, I became seriously interested in past events.
Finnish Simo Häyhä is the world's most famous sniper. The statement that best describes him is: One shot–one hit. Simo Häyhä still holds the top spot in the calculated world statistics for snipers with 542 kills. Häyhä still serves as a role model for all snipers, regardless of nationality.
In the Winter War on the Kollaa line, Häyhä made history by eliminating more than five hundred enemies. Häyhä was rewarded for his achievements in numerous different ways, such as by promoting him from lance sergeant directly to second lieutenant, by awarding him the Kollaa Memorial Cross, and by awarding him as the best sniper on the war front with a model 28 rifle manufactured by the SAKO arms factory. I have had the honor of holding that award rifle in my hand. It vividly reminded me of my own military sniper training in Kajaani.
Simo Hayha (1905 - 2002) is the most famous sniper in the world. During the Winter War fought between Russia and Finland in 1939 - 1940 he had 542 confirmed kills with iron sights, a record that still stands today. He has been a role model for snipers all over the world and paved the way for them by demonstrating their significance on the battlefield.
Simo Hayha was a man of action who spoke very little, but he was hugely respected by his men and his superiors and given many difficult missions, including taking out specific targets. Able to move…
I was born in 1957 in Finland. I completed my military service in the Kainuu Brigade, graduating as a reserve officer. Later, I worked in the field of voluntary national defense as a spokesperson and editor-in-chief of a reservist magazine, and participated in numerous refresher exercises around the North Karelia region.I also wandered a lot in the wilderness of Kainuu, where my father lived. I was attracted by the peace of nature, and all my free time with my wife was spent in the wilderness in our own hideaway. As I walked the terrain, I couldn't help but notice the scars of the Winter War. Soon, I became seriously interested in past events.
This book is an excellent description of the harsh events of the Winter War, which still touch us today.
A war always needs at least two sides; in this case, the attacking side was the Russians and the Finns were defending their own country. The Soviet Union initially wanted to seize the buffer zone only to protect Leningrad, but the war soon expanded to occupy the whole of Finland. The Finns did not agree with the Russians at all and fought tenaciously for their independence and neutrality.
I warmly recommend that all readers familiarize themselves with the book's content, which presents the actions and traditional life values of both warring parties in a completely new light.
I was born in 1957 in Finland. I completed my military service in the Kainuu Brigade, graduating as a reserve officer. Later, I worked in the field of voluntary national defense as a spokesperson and editor-in-chief of a reservist magazine, and participated in numerous refresher exercises around the North Karelia region.I also wandered a lot in the wilderness of Kainuu, where my father lived. I was attracted by the peace of nature, and all my free time with my wife was spent in the wilderness in our own hideaway. As I walked the terrain, I couldn't help but notice the scars of the Winter War. Soon, I became seriously interested in past events.
With its stronghold, this book reminds me of the horrors of the Winter War, the heavy battles, and painful losses experienced by Finns. The price of freedom was terrible.
It also affects me very strongly, as well as the rest of us younger representatives of the next generation, who today get to live in peace in a democratic and free legal state without the dictatorship of Russia's tyranny.
I warmly recommend that all readers familiarize themselves with the book's content. This emphasized to me even more the importance of freedom. Whatever it is, it's always something worth fighting for, regardless of which country you live in.
This fascinating millitary history tells the intriguing tale of the bitter and attritional Winter War between the USSR and Finland in the midst of World War II.
On 30 November 1939, Soviet bombers unloaded their bombs on Helsinki, the capital of Finland. Stalin's ultimatum, demanding the cession of huge tracts of territory as a buffer zone against Nazi Germany, had been rejected by the Finnish government, and now a small Baltic republic was at war with the giant Soviet military machine.
But this forgotten war, fought under brutal, sub-arctic conditions, often with great heroism on both sides, proved one of…
I was born in 1957 in Finland. I completed my military service in the Kainuu Brigade, graduating as a reserve officer. Later, I worked in the field of voluntary national defense as a spokesperson and editor-in-chief of a reservist magazine, and participated in numerous refresher exercises around the North Karelia region.I also wandered a lot in the wilderness of Kainuu, where my father lived. I was attracted by the peace of nature, and all my free time with my wife was spent in the wilderness in our own hideaway. As I walked the terrain, I couldn't help but notice the scars of the Winter War. Soon, I became seriously interested in past events.
The Russian attack on Finland was supposed to lead to a quick occupation, but it turned out differently. The Finns defended tenaciously.
The Russians' certainty of victory soon turned to despair. Most of the mighty Russian army was forced to fight in a foreign country under extreme conditions in the grip of severe frosts, suffering huge losses. The Winter War finally destroyed the external international reputation of the Soviet Union's glorious Red Army.
This book examines several sources using three key battles of the Winter War and draws a sharp demarcation between the ill-prepared Russian troops and the Finns, who used their troops sparingly, utilizing the terrain and using inventive guerilla tactics to defend their homeland. Detailed maps help the reader follow the events.
I, too, have adopted these teachings after graduating from the army as a reserve officer.
I was born in 1957 in Finland. I completed my military service in the Kainuu Brigade, graduating as a reserve officer. Later, I worked in the field of voluntary national defense as a spokesperson and editor-in-chief of a reservist magazine, and participated in numerous refresher exercises around the North Karelia region.I also wandered a lot in the wilderness of Kainuu, where my father lived. I was attracted by the peace of nature, and all my free time with my wife was spent in the wilderness in our own hideaway. As I walked the terrain, I couldn't help but notice the scars of the Winter War. Soon, I became seriously interested in past events.
Interviews with Finnish and Russian war veterans and the extensive article archives provide a versatile description of the background of the Winter War and the actual combat events. The author's deep involvement gives, at least to me, a truer picture of the actual warfare and its various stages until the end of peace.
The special skills of the Finnish soldier in winter conditions, combined with his unyieldingness and dedication to his own cause, gave me a truthful answer to what the Russians initially did not believe in and were not prepared for - the strong resistance of the Finnish troops.
Finnish men and women work seamlessly to preserve the freedom of association. The author's fluent language, solid facts, and good book illustrations from both the battle and the home front make this book worth reading.
When the Red Army invaded Finland in November 1939 most observers expected a walkover. Instead, in a gallant stand that captured the world's imagination, the tiny Finnish army was able to hold off Stalin's mechanized echelons for 105 days.
Gordon F. Sander peels away the layers of myth surrounding this Nordic Thermopylae to reveal the conflict in its full military, political, and cultural contexts. A bestseller in Finland, the English-language version of Sander's book draws on interviews with both Finnish and Russian veterans of the war, in addition to a bountiful archive of articles from both the Western and Finnish…
I am a writer and researcher from North Yorkshire, England. Although I’ve written extensively on pre-cinema history (for example, I co-wrote the BAFTA long-listed documentary, The First Film) I have also researched little-known stories connected with the natural world, particularly the beautiful Yorkshire Moors, where I live. My upcoming travelogue The Witches’ Waywill combine nature-writing with original historical research, and will be published by Open Space Books in the Autumn. I have long been an admirer of the poetryof Edward Thomas – bringing his long-forgotten fictionto a new audience has been a real passion project of mine.
Tove Jansson was one of my favourite authors as a child, thanks to her magical Moomin series.
Her fiction for adults, too (The Summer Book, Art in Nature) is wonderful. However, I have gone for one of her lesser-known books, Notes from an Island, which is simply a short journal with brief and starkly beautiful diary entries concerning the times she spent with her partner, Tuulikki Pietilä, on a barren and otherwise uninhabited island in the Gulf of Finland.
The book is a collaboration - Pietilä supplied stark, minimalist illustrations - and it also includes sections of a journal contributed by Brunström, the gruff mariner who helped the couple with their trips to and from the island.
Jansson’s writing style is as sparse as the island itself, reflecting the tough conditions, which nevertheless, did not preclude a life of artistic fulfillment for both her and Pietilä. This…
In the bitter winds of autumn 1963, Tove Jansson, helped by Brunstroem, a maverick fisherman, raced to build a cabin on a treeless skerry in the Gulf of Finland. The island was Klovharun, and for thirty summers Tove and her beloved partner, the graphic artist, Tuulikki Pietila, retreated there to live, paint and write, energised by the solitude and shifting seascapes.
Notes from an Island, published in English for the first time, is both a chronicle of this period and a homage to the mature love that Tove and 'Tooti' shared for their island and for each other. Tove's spare…
I always assumed that one day I would become a teacher. Yet, it was only by a circuitous route that I ended up focusing on education, taught at a Graduate School of Education, and was a founding member of Project Zero, a major education research center. In my book, I present the major ideas and programs with which I’ve been involved. (In a companion volume I present my “essential writings” on the Mind). While I am best known for developing the “theory of multiple intelligences,” I believe that this book provides a full portrait of my contributions.
A small group of scholars and educators have taken the ideas of progressive education seriously and made them available to ambitious and adventurous educators worldwide.
In his explanations of why Finland has become among the most admired systems in the world, with three editions of this “instant classic,” Sahlberg has provided an important and timely model for progressive educators worldwide.
The first two editions of Finnish Lessons described how a small Nordic nation built a school system that provided access to a world-class education for all of its young people. Now available in 30 languages, this Grawemeyer Award-winning book continues to influence education policies and school practices around the globe. In this Third Edition, Pasi Sahlberg updates the story of how Finland sustains its exemplary educational performance, including how it responds to turbulent changes at home and throughout the world. Finnish Lessons 3.0 includes important new material about:
teachers and teacher education
teaching children with special needs
the role of…
