100 Books Like Finland at War

“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… show more.

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.

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.

Häyhä's war ended dramatically on March… show more.

This definitive study explores the Soviet invasion of Finland and details the major events of the Winter War of November 1939 to March 1940. The Russian attack, which was expected to be swift and decisive, was blunted by the extraordinary fighting qualities of the Finnish Army and high number of casualties they inflicted on the Russians. The challenges caused by the weather, the wilderness terrain, the Mannerheim Line defenses, and the superbly executed Finnish military tactics resulted in a fascinating David vs Goliath struggle.

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.

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.

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.

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 found it hard to choose between several of Edward Crankshaw’s books explaining Russia. Each, in its own way, uncovers a particular aspect of history or society that makes the country what it is. In the end, I settled on this, his first: published in 1947, not long after Crankshaw had been posted to Moscow during WWII, and while he was still reeling from the vast gulf between what he experienced there and the image of the USSR that was being sold abroad. 

Crankshaw was sometimes accused of being too sympathetic to Russia, but while he does his best to explain why the country behaves as it does, he doesn’t seek to excuse it. For that reason I find this one of the most clear-headed appraisals of Russia. And given the continuities that run through all of Russian history, his rationalising of how Russia works and what it does is… show more.

I took up this gigantic novel on the recommendation of a friend who recommended Grey Bees. I was skeptical that I would read much of it because it is about Russia during the Second World War. However, once I got into the book, I was blown away.

Grossman is a bigger artist with words than any painter. He had a deep insight into humanity, every aspect of it. The chapters are short, but the book is over 800 pages long. I wanted to stop, but each chapter presented such insights that it was impossible not to be in awe at his writing. The story includes descriptions of the battle of Stalingrad from both sides, family life, the plight of Jews, and much, much more. 

After reading this book, I feel that I have lived another lifetime. There is a lot of sadness, some comedy, and lots of horror and… show more.