A Short History of Finland
A fascinating history of Finland from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century.
 
The modern nation of Finland is the heir to centuries of history, as a wilderness at the edge of early Europe, a borderland of the Swedish empire, and a Grand Duchy of tsarist Russia. And, as Jonathan Clements’s vivid, concise volume shows, it is a tale paved with oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric reindeer herders to medieval barons, Christian martyrs to Viking queens, and, in the twentieth century, the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against impossible odds.
 
Offering accounts of public artworks, literary giants, legends, folktales, and famous figures, Clements provides an indispensable portrait of this fascinating nation.
 
This updated edition includes expanded coverage on the Second World War, as well as new sections on Finns in America and Russia, the centenary of the republic, and Finland’s battle with COVID-19, right up to its historic application to join NATO.

 
1142266903
A Short History of Finland
A fascinating history of Finland from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century.
 
The modern nation of Finland is the heir to centuries of history, as a wilderness at the edge of early Europe, a borderland of the Swedish empire, and a Grand Duchy of tsarist Russia. And, as Jonathan Clements’s vivid, concise volume shows, it is a tale paved with oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric reindeer herders to medieval barons, Christian martyrs to Viking queens, and, in the twentieth century, the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against impossible odds.
 
Offering accounts of public artworks, literary giants, legends, folktales, and famous figures, Clements provides an indispensable portrait of this fascinating nation.
 
This updated edition includes expanded coverage on the Second World War, as well as new sections on Finns in America and Russia, the centenary of the republic, and Finland’s battle with COVID-19, right up to its historic application to join NATO.

 
17.95 In Stock
A Short History of Finland

A Short History of Finland

by Jonathan Clements
A Short History of Finland

A Short History of Finland

by Jonathan Clements

Paperback

$17.95 
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Overview

A fascinating history of Finland from prehistoric times to the twenty-first century.
 
The modern nation of Finland is the heir to centuries of history, as a wilderness at the edge of early Europe, a borderland of the Swedish empire, and a Grand Duchy of tsarist Russia. And, as Jonathan Clements’s vivid, concise volume shows, it is a tale paved with oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric reindeer herders to medieval barons, Christian martyrs to Viking queens, and, in the twentieth century, the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against impossible odds.
 
Offering accounts of public artworks, literary giants, legends, folktales, and famous figures, Clements provides an indispensable portrait of this fascinating nation.
 
This updated edition includes expanded coverage on the Second World War, as well as new sections on Finns in America and Russia, the centenary of the republic, and Finland’s battle with COVID-19, right up to its historic application to join NATO.

 

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781913368654
Publisher: Haus Publishing
Publication date: 02/02/2023
Pages: 192
Product dimensions: 5.10(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Jonathan Clements is an author and TV presenter specializing in the history and cultures of the Far East. Previous books by him include A Short History of Tokyo, The Emperor’s Feast, Anime: A History, and a biography of Gustaf Mannerheim, Mannerheim: President, Soldier, Spy. He lives in Finland.
 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction 1

1 From the Fenni to Lalli: Prehistory to 1159 5

The Martyrdom of Saint Henry 6

Prehistory & Early Finns 10

The Vikings & Balagard 14

The Newborn King 24

2 East of Sweden: 1159-1809 29

The Imaginary Crusades 30

People of the Österland 36

Finns in 'New Sweden' 43

Finland in the Northern Wars 46

The Swedish Legacy 51

3 The Russian Century: 1809-1899 56

Industrial Revolutions 57

Laestadius & Laestadianism 62

The Great Migration 65

The Åland War 68

The Kalevala 74

National Romanticism 77

4 A Nation is Born: 1899-1939 85

Russification 87

Revolution: Whites vs Reds 94

The Jaegers and the King of Finland 98

Karelian Fever 104

Racing the Storm 110

5 The Jaws of Peril: 1939-1944 113

The Winter War 115

The Continuation War 121

The Lapland War 128

6 In the Cold: 1944-1995 131

Stella Polaris 134

Finlandisation 138

From Eurovision to Europe 140

7 The Landscape of Thorns: 1995-2022 147

Satan & Santa 150

My Homeland is Finland 153

Centenary, COVID, and NATO 164

8 Echoes of the Past 175

The Metadata of Meals 177

From Temperance to Pantsdrunk 185

National Holidays and Local Festivals 191

Architecture and Public Art 195

Finishing with Finnish 201

Chronology of Major Events 205

Further Reading and References 219

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