Finland at War: The Winter War 1939-40

by Vesa Nenye, Peter Munter, Toni Wirtanen, Chris Birks

Overview

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 determination, unparalleled skill and utter mastery of winter warfare that characterized Finland's fight for survival on the hellish Eastern Front.

Finland at War: the Winter War 1939-40 is the premiere English-language history of the fighting performance of the Finns, drawing on first-hand accounts and previously unpublished photographs to explain just how they were able to perform military feats that nearly defy belief.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472806314
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	09/22/2015
Series:	General Military
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	7.80(w) x 9.70(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

After graduating college, Vesa Nenye followed his family's illustrious military tradition and served his country, Finland, as a Tank Commander and an Arms & Munitions NCO. Upon leaving the armed forces, he became a member of the Panssarikilta—the armored core heritage society in Finland. After the army, he opened a gaming retail chain with Peter Munter and has been in the wargaming industry, as well as international sales, for the last ten years. He lives in Nottingham, UK. The author lives in Riddings, UK.

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgements /Chronology /1. The Rise of Finland /2. The Road to War /3. The Karelian Isthmus, December 1939 /4. Ladoga Karelia, December 1939 /5. Group Talvela /6.North Finland Group /7. Lapland Group, 1939–40 /8. A Watching World /9. The Battle for Ladoga Karelia, 1940 /10. The Karelian Isthmus, 1940 / 11. An Interim Peace /Bibliography /Appendix

Editorial Reviews

"If you’re one of those who just can’t get enough of the Mannerheim Line, Finnish ski patrols, and the Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun, and if Talvisota (“Winter War”) is the first Finnish word you ever learned, and sisu (“guts”) the second, then you won’t be able to live without both volumes of Finland at War . . . Osprey deserves kudos for its first-class treatment of Nenye’s indispensable work." —World War II Magazine

"Osprey Publishing is known for its well-illustrated editions, and this work’s imagery is best described as lavish. Battle scenes, the home front, and media coverage of the war are all shown in photographs seldom seen outside Finland. This exhaustive history of the Winter War, the first in a two-volume set, gives the reader a very complete telling." - WWII History Magazine

From the Publisher