Finland at War 1939 - 45 (Elite) [Paperback]

Philip Jowett (Author), Brent Snodgrass (Illustrator), Raffaele Ruggeri (Illustrator)

Book Description

Series: Elite | Publication Date: July 25, 2006

Osprey's examination of Finland's involvement in World War II (1939-1945). Finland's fight to defend her independence earned this tiny nation of just 3 million people a distinct place in history. Invaded by Stalin before World War II, Finland held out for months and inflicted huge losses on the invaders, but she was eventually crushed by the weight of Soviet numbers. When Germany invaded the USSR in 1941 the Finns fought alongside the Wehrmacht on the northern Russian Front, with great skill and courage in an attempt to regain their lost territories. When the German armies were forced to retreat in 1944, Finland managed to conclude a separate peace with the USSR – uniquely, without being forced to accept renewed Russian occupation. This book details the organisation, uniforms and equipment of this remarkable force.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Philip Jowett was born in Leeds in 1961, and has been interested in military history for as long as he can remember. His first Osprey book was the ground-breaking Men-at-Arms 306: ‘Chinese Civil War Armies 1911–49’. He has since published a three-part sequence on the Italian Army 1940–45 (Men-at-Arms 340, 349 & 353). A rugby league enthusiast and amateur genealogist, he is married and lives in Lincolnshire.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Osprey Publishing (July 25, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 184176969X
• ISBN-13: 978-1841769691
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.2 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,348 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #13 in Books > History > Europe > Finland
  • #48 in Books > History > Europe > Scandinavia

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Addition to Elite Series, November 5, 2006

By 

R. A Forczyk (MD, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Finland at War 1939 - 45 (Elite) (Paperback)

Finland at War 1939-45, # 141 in Osprey's Elite series, is an excellent introduction to the role of the Finnish Army in the Second World War. Authors Philip Jowett and Brent Snodgrass demonstrate a firm grip of this subject and provide a wealth of useful and hard-to-find information on the Finns. This volume belongs on the bookshelves of anyone seriously interested in the Eastern Front.

The opening section spends about 12 pages outlining the chronology of the three wars that Finland fought in the period 1939-45; the 1939-40 Winter War and 1941-44 Continuation War against the Soviet Union and the 1944-45 Lapland War against the Germans. However the chronology section actually has a fair amount of detail and provides a good introduction to the subject. The heart of the volume lies in the 25-page section which discusses the organization of the Finnish army, covering all the major branches as well as paramilitary formations such as the Civil Guard and Foreign Volunteers. A brief section discusses tactics, including the use of "motti" encirclement attacks and snipers. A final section discusses weapons, including small arms, machineguns, anti-tank weapons and artillery (unfortunately, mortars were omitted). Overall, there is a wealth of information in this thin volume and it is one of the better of Osprey's Elite titles.

Eight pages of color plates by artist Raffaele Ruggeri depict the Finnish military and para-military forces from 1939-45. The photographs in the volume are also very good and most have not been printed in English-language books before. Perhaps the only area that gets a bit skimped on is in the areas of training and higher staff functions at corps-level, but this is understandable given the size restraints. Overall, a superb volume.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Summary and Illustrations, December 11, 2007

By 

John M. Lane "statesman and philosopher" (Hardin, Montana, USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Finland at War 1939 - 45 (Elite) (Paperback)

This book has the best illustrations I've ever seen. It includes black and white photographs, colored illustrations, clearly defined timelines and some very taut, straightforward writing.

I'm not Finnish and my interest in it and its role in World War II was slow developing. I'd read bits and pieces about Finland's stand against impossible odds in military histories.

One thing led to another and I finally ended up buying some books and trying to figure out how this tiny Nordic nation managed to fight off the Red Army and survive the vicissitudes of World War II. Jowett and Snodgrass bring a clear, well-organized summary of this very complicated period of history.

When did the "Winter War" end? What was the "Continuation War" and the "Lapland War?" How did Finland manage to avoid being occupied by the Red Army like Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were?

This brief (64 page) book provides very clear answers to these questions. It's easy to read and organized so that it makes a great quick reference.

If you're interested in military history, Finland, World War II, Germany, Russia, 20th century European History, collecting militaria, or if you like a good David and Goliath story, this book's for you. I like it and gave it five stars.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great overview, February 21, 2008

By 

R. Scott - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Finland at War 1939 - 45 (Elite) (Paperback)

This book is very well written and easy to read. It gives a very good overview of the Finnish military during WWII. If you don't know about heroic little Finland, and their fight for survival against Russia, then you are missing some great inspirational history. I consider this book a must-have for the Finnish military history buff.