Customer Reviews

War in the Woods

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"War in the Woods" by (current Estonian Prime Minister) Mart Laar is a spectacular retelling of a history many did no know existed. The book tells the story of the "forest brothers," partisan fighters in Estonia (and the other Baltic states) during the Soviet Occupation beginning 1944.

The book features countless narration from "forest brothers" themselves, taken in the late 1980s. Laar risked personal safety during this time collecting these stories, stories the Soviet Union never wanted people to hear.

The recounts conjure up difficult emotions and a sense of triumph, despite the impossible odds faced by the "forest brothers" against the occupying Red Army. Even for those not particularly interested in the history of the region, the book is a fascinating read. For regional history buffs, this is a must.

Some accuse Mart Laar of over-dramatising some of the sequences; however, the research which gives the book its meat brings forth the missing stories from a side that never had the chance to tell their story.

Now they finally have their chance, through the pen of the current Prime Minister of Estonia.

I found this to an interesting book. Most books covering this period gloss over the Baltic States and their history. The book covers a short history of the Estonians centuries of struggle for independence then leads into it's main focus, of the Estonian's struggle for survival and hope for western intervention after the Russians returned following a brief Nazi occupation. During the first occupation brought about by the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact many Estonians including the President and his cabinet were deported and later died in gulags if they weren't murdered outright. In fall of 1944, the Russians returned and recommenced their Russification policy, mass deportations and executions ensued while Russians were sent to fill in the lands where Estonians had been deported from. This spurred the guerilla movement. Many who went to hide in the woods were just waiting for the west to intervene as everyone thought that the Americans and British would not allow the Communists to stay in formerly independent territories. Unfortunately, the Russian occupation lasted until 1991. The book describes how collectivization was instituted to eliminate the small family farms which supported the guerillas and everything in Estonia was turned into an economic support system for Moscow.
A great read, well worth the money!!!

Written by the current Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar, this book gives many first-hand accounts of the Forset Brothers doomed struggle against the occupying Soviet forces in Estonia after WW2.(The Forset Brothers were groups of armed resistance fighters based in the woods of Estonia).

While some stories tell of heroic and unbelievable battles against the KGB, most are unfortunately tragic and sad stories of Soviets killing and raping innocent civilians. However these stories must be told to preserve Estonian history and to account for Stalins Holocost in the East.

Necessary reading for anyone of Estonian descent.

"War in the Woods" is a well-written and fascinating exploration of the topic of Baltic nationalist resistance to the Soviet annexation. While the book focuses on Estonia, the Latvian and Lithuanian Forest Brothers (the nickname for the Baltic rebels) are not neglected. The history, organization and tactics of the Forest Brothers are all addressed in some detail.

(btw, those interested in the ill-fated British and American attempts to aid the Forest Brothers should look at "Operation Rollback", which details the sorry history of the American anti-Soviet program of the late 1940s and early 1950s)

This book hit home with my Dad who lived through these times. He is currently reading it. Some areas are a little difficult to read because of the translation.

Gripping, absorbing. I can't put this book down for more than a few minutes. Very readable and a real eye-opener.

I visited Estonia at the end of the 1990s and learned a little of its history while there. I had been unaware that many of the Baltic people resisted their communist overlords for years after 1945 in the forlorn hope the the 'defenders of liberty and justice' in the west would come to their rescue. One of the last Estonian resistance fighters died in the forest resisting the KGB in 1977. When people in the west criticise the Baltic men who fought for the Germans against the Soviets they forget why they fought. In 1940, Stalin's armies rolled across the borders of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and were assisted at every turn by local communists, overwhelmingly Baltic jews. These countries had been peaceful, contented societies since they gained their independence in 1918, but now they entered a period of unrelenting terror. Tens of thousands of the leadership class were murdered in classic communist style, while hundreds of thousands were exiled to Siberia. It is hardly surprising that the people enthusiastically welcomed their German liberators in 1941 or that thousands of young Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians volunteered to fight against the Soviet system which had caused so much suffering to their lands. Unfortunately, they were on the losing side and they were reoccupied by the same terror system again in 1945. However, unlike in 1940, this time the Baltic people knew what to expect and prepared for long term resistance. The environment of that part of eastern europe is conducive to guerrilla warfare and Laar's book, which is a good translation, describes the progress of the Estonian arm of the resistance. They were known as the 'forest brothers' and were successful for many years, primarily because of widespread support from the civilian population. Many of these men were skilled at survival in the outdoors and there are many interesting descriptions of methods used to disguise their habitats in the forest. In addition, he describes the type of environment that the Estonians had to live under. The continuous unease which people experience under a communist system and the boredom and constant shortages of consumer goods. The book adds another piece to our knowledge of the history of the struggle against communism.

This book gives only one side of the story. Another side of it that most of these rebels were former Nazi soldgiers or served in German police forces. As such they were actively involved in Holocaust (Estonian officials still deny Holocaust existence on the territory of Estonia). While fighting with Soviets, "Brothers" also killed innocent citizens just to inflict the horror on them. Not to mention that the author, prime minister, came to power on the wave of nationalism and ruined an Estonian economy. It was under his leadership that political parties were able to use slogan "Estonia for Estonians".
The bottom line, this book as much politically twisted as books printed earlier by the Soviets about the guerrela movement.