Product Description
Under the rubric from Lord Byron, this book offers a unique comparison of three sets of British volunteers who left their homes to fight in the Greek War of Independence, the Spanish Civil War and the Russo-Finnish War. From Lord Byron's journey to Greece, to the legendary International Brigades of the Spanish Civil War, to the strange sojourn of a contingent of British misfits during a bitter Finnish winter, Elizabeth Roberts examines the passions, ideals and ideologies that motivated these individuals to take up arms, as well as their experiences of warfare, the rhetorical and discursive cultures they encountered in the volunteer contingents, and the problems they faced when - and if - they returned home. The author traces the political consequences of the volunteers' participation in these foreign wars in the context of the evolving concept of 'neutrality' in foreign relations and challenges to the state's control over the use of violence. Of the three wars, it was the Spanish Civil War that most caught the public imagination and generated the most controversy.The volunteers' defiance of the British state, the ideological, social and cultural imperatives that sent them to Spain, and the nature of the war in which they fought, give rise to a number of issues explored in this work, including the imposition of Communist Party discipline on the British Battalion in the International Brigades; the fate of the British volunteers who sided with the Spanish revolutionaries and the dissident Left; the manner of dress ('the politics of appearance') of those involved; and, the ways in which volunteers sought to 'perform' war and revolution in an ideological environment. In considering these themes, the book establishes the 'soldier of conscience' as a discrete category of historical actor, in Spain and elsewhere. ... Read more

Product Description
Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Finland," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Finland in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Finland when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Finland, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

Product Description
Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Finland," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Finland in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Finland when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Finland, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

Product Description
Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Finland," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Finland in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Finland when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Finland, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

Product Description
Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Finland," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Finland in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Finland when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Finland, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A Very Straight Forward History
If you like your history to be a description of battle and war, don't bother with this book.If on the other hand you like your history to tell you the story of a 'people', their triumph over adversity then you should like this book.Each of the three sections, is written by a Finnish professor who is an expert in their field.The sections are: Finland as a Russian Grand Duchy, Finland as a new republic up to the end of their participation in WW2, Finland since WW2.

Because all the translations are done by the same husband and wife team there is little difference in the feel of the narrative from one section to the other. But there are a multitude of grammatical errors and misspellings that make some of the book unfathomable (that's why only four stars).

All of the contributors do a good job in not just describing what happened but in many cases who was at odds with who or who's personal problems (i.e. alcoholism) caused certain political problems.I did get the feeling that the handling of Marshall Mannerheim and President Kekkonen (who are both Finnish Icons) was done in an overly "kid glove" way.But this is Finnish history written by historians who work in the state university system.

For anyone looking for a short, concise history, this is the ideal place to start.

Zeb Kantrowitz
zbestblogaround.blogspot.com
... Read more

Product Description
This volume traces the political history of Finland from 1809 to 1998, a history that has been dominated by the country's geopolitical situation as a country that lies between Eastern and Western Europe. ... Read more

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The Finnish economy is a victory over hardship, a success story with few equivalents. During the period 1860-2000 the gross domestic product grew 21-fold, while EU nations on average achieved 11-fold growth. Today, Finland is known for its competitiveness, high educational standards, negligible corruption, expertise in creating and using high technology, and successful companies, most notably Nokia. This book tells how Finland astonishingly evolved from an internationally insignificant agrarian economy to the affluent, knowledge-based, welfare society that it is now. "The Road to Prosperity: An Economic History of Finland" offers an overview of several centuries of economic progress - with a keen eye on negative effects of growth. The articles in this beautifully illustrated work contain long-term analyses of business, foreign trade, agriculture, and employment. In addition, there is coverage of the development of banking, the public sector, income distribution, the advance of the information society, and welfare. And the Finnish story is woven seamlessly into the tapestry of international economics.The contributors are prominent scholars of Finnish economic history and economics; the foreword being a product of distinguished American economic historian Joel Mokyr, winner of the Heineken Prize for History 2006. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a paperback edition of Engle and Paananen's authoritative account of the Winter War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Not worse than Trotter's book, just with different emphasis
A few reviews have unfavorably compared this book with Trotter's Frozen Hell, but they have missed the point. Trotter's book is an exhaustive look at the military aspects of the Winter War.If you are only looking for such a treatise, then buy Frozen Hell. But if you are looking for the humanitarian aspects of that conflict, then Winter War may be better for your needs.For instance, Winter War contains a photo of one of the many Finnish children who were tagged and shipped to Sweden for safekeeping, as well as a description of that tragic episode. Trotter not only omitted a photo on that subject, he does not mention it at all in the narrative.

Oustanding introductory account to the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-40
Written back in 1973 by a husband and wife team, this small (200 pages) book is a good but relatively lightweight (compared to other books on the subject) introduction to the Russo-Finnish War of 1939-1940. It seems to be the most commonly seen book on the Winter War and is the one you can find in most libraries. Its well written, easy to follow and read and provides a clear broad (not detailed) outline of the causes and events leading up to the outbreak of the war, and then of the war itself. A lot of the diplomatics twists and lightly treated and the overall geo-political context of the war is more or less ignored. The book itself is very much a general outline and history of the Winter War, and this, it accomplishes well.

On the war itself, the writers use a lot of first-hand anecdotes (one of the books strong points - you will find a lot of first hand material here you will not see in any of the other books on the war) as well as a summation of Finnish tactics in the unequal struggle. The books well-illustrated with a good collection maps and an excellent selection of black and white photographes, as well as Finnish cartoons of the times (and having worked with a group of Finns at one time a few years ago and been introduced to some drinking games of theirs, the humor rings true to this reader). The writers do however seem to romanticise the Finnish struggle somewhat and play down somewhat the final weeks of the war where the Soviet forces reorganised themselves and launched a series of overwhelming attacks.

The Russo-Finnish war was both a prelude to, and a footnote in, the Second World War. The authors more or less make this clear and also do a good job of illustrating the vacillation of both the western countries and the other scandanavian democracies as Finland was faced with first the threat, and then the application of, overwhelming military force from the Soviet Union. This book is told from the Finnish point of view and the heroism of the Finnish Armed Forces is evident in every page of this book - the small and ill-equipped Finnish Army killed one million Russian soldiers at a cost of 25,000 Finnish dead and 55,000 wounded.

The book is very much an overview, the strategic military situation is not presented overly well, and the battles on the Karelian isthmus are covered far more lightly than the less strategic but more (from the Finnish point of view) successful battles elsewhere. The political negotiations leading up to the war are treated fairly lightly (unavoidable in a book of this length) as is the conclusion of the war. Don't let this put you off though - the book is a great and easy to read overview with some excellent photographes, some humor, and gives a very good portrayl of the Finnish attitude to the war - determined! Incidentally, one of the authors (Lauri Paananen) was a teenager at the time of the war amd served in the Finnish Home Guard.

As other reviwers have mentioned, I would reccommend following up this book with Trotter's "A Frozen Hell", and also with Edwards "White Death" as these cover the causes and politcal aspects of the war more thoroughly as well as providing a clearer strategic overview of the military situation. I would also mention that this book does not cover the Continuation War - where the Finns attempted to reclaim the land that the Soviet Union had stolen through aggression. To their credit, the Finns advanced only up to their borders and no further, refusing to join the German attack on Leningrad for example. In the end, Finland lost the war due to sheer disparity in size and resources, but they gave the Soviets enough of a bloody nose that at the end of WW2, Finland was the one country allied with Germany that was not occupied.

All in all, an excellent introduction to the subject and well worth reading.

The Finnish Spirit...Humor at it's best.
When the Soviets attack Finland in 1939, they were not expecting the Finnish welcome that they recieved. The Finns were not necessarily prepared but they were not caught unaware either. What resulted of this ill advised attack was shameful for the mighty Soviet military machine. First they were under equiped for prolonged war and severe weather. Second, they were fighting in a school book military campagin fashion. Both, were capitalized upon by the determined Finns, the first was in terms of weather, nature was at their side. Then secondly, the Finns fought in an un-orthdox gorilla type warfare that caught the Soviets by surprise. Eloise Engle and Lauri Pannanen's book is a joy to read. It is witty and fluent in prose and style. I have re-read this book often because it encourages me when things get hectic. The Finns never lost their sense of humor throughout this devestating invasion. They kept their wits about them and fought overwellming odds with good attitudes. This book is an excellent read for cold winter days, such as today. I recommend it for any would be military buff who wants to know about cold weather tactics or winter military campaigns. The depiction of the finns fighting spirit and humor in this book should make you smile. It is a modern daydepiction of David against Golith, well worth the price.

Preservation of Finnish Autonomy
Absolutely great book on a subject little known outside of Finland.Great battle recollections from participants along with historical background of both Finland, as a country, and the onset of war with Russia, make this a great read.

A little known war that could have drastically changed WWII
There are a number of books available on the Winter War between Finland and the Soviet Union, which was fought for a few months from Dec '39 to March '40.Even so, the war is little known in the west, coming as it did just after the Nazi/Soviet partition of Poland, during the Sitzkrieg, and just before the Nazi invasions of Norway and Denmark.Little Finland held off a Soviet onslaught for several months before superior numbers and equipment finally wore the Finnish defenders out.Meanwhile, the world debated whether to aid the Finns, occupied as they were with Nazi aggressions.

The book is written anecdotally, giving a flavour of the nature of the fighting in the war, rather than a strategic overview of causes and a tactical description of the campaign.This is a wise move as the Winter War was tactically simple - there were no fancy maneuvers, it was basically soldier-to-soldier fighting in the dark and cold, where the elements were at least as dangerous as the enemy.That's not to say that statistics and battles are not described, but they are not the important or interesting part of the book.

The authors are Finnish and the story is told almost exclusively from the Finnish point of view.Originally written in 1973, they would not have had access to Soviet records.They do give a feel for the Soviet soldier's lot, however, based on interviews with POW's.I am satisfied that, with the information available at the time, the facts are accurate - the Finns DID wipe out entire divisions (with the help of the cold and snow), the Soviets DID curl up into defensive positions and lose the initiative, and the guerrilla tactics used by the Finns (much like those used in current-day Iraq and in Vietnam) rubbed the invaders' nerves raw and sapped morale.Most interesting, however, is the analysis of the political situation from the Finnish point-of-view: would acceptance of foreign aid, for example, actually extend the war and/or hamper negotiations during the peace talks?

Unfortunately, the story is incomplete.At 200 pages, there's ample room to include the Continuation War (after Finland formally allied itself with Nazi Germany and tried to reclaim their lost territory).Also, the writing style is almost juvenile, compared to the smooth and precise prose of Keegan, Churchill, etc.English is probably not the first language of at least one of the authors.Therefore, the book is interesting and useful, as far as it goes, but it is too short and not written well enough to be called a classic. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

First Impressions?
I purchased this book as a gift for my father of who is a carpenter with Finish ancestry.Upon receipt I was concern that it was just another old book off of a dusty old library shelf.The book is in black and white and therefore does not do itself justice when it comes to architecture.My father says that he is enjoying the book but I cannot say that I had a chance to personally read it and speak about its relevance or insight into Finland's Architectural History.I wish that I could say more but my first impression was a let down.However, we cannot judge the book by its cover or just a quick flip through its pages. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Beautifully succinct account of the Winter War
Concise, to the point, well summarized, this is a great introduction to the Winter War. Best collection of B&W photos of any book I've read on the Winter War, Great Maps - easy to follow and well-placed in the book. Obviously it's not to the same level of detail as Allen Chew, William Trotter or Robert Edward's books but it's a very well written summary. Funnily enough, it also has odd bits and pieces of information that I hadn't picked up in other books on the Winter War which makes it worthwhile buying all on it's own.

It's easy to buy a 2nd hand copy of this via Amazon - if the Winter War interestes you, it's certainly worth paying a few bucks for this book.

Why do history books have to be boring?
This was written by a history professor, and you can tell.It is about as dry as can be, coldly intellectual.I know it must be accurate, and it is thoroughly researched, but it certainly doesn't "come alive".It's like your usual dry history textbook.If you want just facts, you get them here.If you want interesting reading, find another book!He could have quoted eye witnesses to help interest level - I'm sure there are still a lot of them who would share their perspectives.There is no clue how people reacted or how it changed their daily lives.It's about armies and battles but nothing about real people.History doesn't have to be so dull!

Excellent, thorough coverage of little known conflict
I was extremely impressed with this book. It is very detailed and the illustrations of weapons and the detailed maps really added to the text. An absolutely fascinating look at what determined, resourceful people can accomplish in defense of freedom. I would have liked a little more info and/or personal anecdotes from both sides but Russian narratives are no doubt hard to come by. Besides, it takes no great imagination to feel what the poor Russian soldiers went through as they were sent to the slaughter by their idiotic leaders-the tale of fighting men everywhere. If you are looking for a book on the Finnish war, look no further. This is a great example.

David against Goliath
I've read a Spanish edition of this hard to find book.

This is a very interesting book covering the struggle for liberty Finnish people had to fight against the Soviet rolling machine.

A lot of maps and photos help a lot to show the hard conditions in which this war took place. It's amazing to see how heavy outnumbered but very valiant troops resisted and defeated time after time overwhelming enemy forces. Sadly, Finland was finally defeated, but its heroic resistance let them go on existing as a free and independent country. Was it worth? Well, they're still there while the Soviet Union has gone forever.

I missed some more info about orders of battle and foreign voluntary units participation in the Winter War.

Great photography regarding the Winter War
This is a very difficult book to find and I kick myself that I didn't keep my copy. The quantity and quality of the photography and maps in this book are the best of any book I've seen covering this heroic conflict between Finland and the Soviet Union. Very detailed but could have had more personal accounts to bring conflict down to the "average Joe" level. Great Book! ... Read more

Product Description
Helsinki is one of the world's most northerly capitals, but it is by no means a city frozen in northern wastes. Situated along the southern shore of the Gulf of Finland, magnificent lakes and forests reach into Helsinki's urban heart, a rare event in today's world of suburban sprawl. The city's natural beauty, emphasized by parks and islands, is matched by an extraordinary cultural richness, the result of fruitful foreign influences and home-grown creativity. The Finnish capital offers a spectacular display of architecture and design: from the neoclassical magnificence imposed by a Russian Czar to the modernist chic of Nordic functionalism.

Neil Kent explores the history and culture of the "Daughter of the Baltic," a small fishing village that became a powerhouse of design and technology. Tracing its dramatic past of conflict and conflagration, he explores the evolution of a national, and urban, identity through architecture, art and writing. Through such differing cultural phenomena as saunas, railway stations and tango, he explains why Helsinki is a distinctive mix of tradition and innovation.

THE CITY OF ARCHITECTS AND DESIGNERS: Engel, Czar Alexander I and the creation of an imperial metropolis; Alvar Aaalto and the birth of the modern; functionalism and high-tech innovation.

THE CITY OF MUSIC AND THE ARTS: Sibelius, the national composer; conductors and performers; art galleries and installations; National Romanticism and the Nordic aesthetic.

THE CITY OF HOSPITALITY: Art Nouveau hotels and cafes; sauna culture; famous visitors and refugees: Lenin and Hitler; multicultural Helsinki and a history of migration. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Another Ne Plus Ultra from Professor Kent
M. Voss must have just had a fight with his nearest and dearest when s/he wrote such a scathing Amazon review on Neil Kent's Helsinki!I can only assume that s/he was letting out the bile on Professor Kent, rather than kick the family cat.The alternative is that this reviewer read a different book to the one I devoured with growing admiration for the author's wit, erudition and range of knowledge upon Helsinki. Kent presents a meal of facts and figures with a piquant sauce of historical and cultural insight that is rare in all but the very best travel guides. There is nothing `pedestrian' in Professor Kent's articulation of the hum and buzz of the people and their glorious capital city. I raise my own `two or three glasses of "Koff" or "Lapin Kulta" beer' to the author for his high-brow, but accessible and amusing style. This is THE book for the connoisseur traveller to Helsinki - assuming one is interested in learning more than the opening times of the main department stores and the cutest alcoholic souvenirs to bring home to Portland, Oregon.

No imagination
This book is my nominee for "Dullest Travel Book of the Year 2004".Although the series title ("Cities of the Imagination") may promise otherwise, there is not a spark of imagination, no enthusiasm, no wit to be found here.The author, or, perhaps more apt, the impersonal compiler, has certainly done his work and sedulously excerpted the relevant literature, but Helsinki and its inhabitants stubbornly refuse to become alive.The book reads like a free brochure from the Helsinki Chamber of Commerce.There is endless name-dropping, statistics galore, but no going below the surface.The author remains an outsider, who might have compiled the book in any halfway decently-stocked library without ever having once set foot on Helsinki granite.Helsinki has certainly not deserved this pedestrian treatment.Do not buy the book and rather spend the money saved on two or three glasses of "Koff" or "Lapin Kulta" beer once you have made it to Helsinki.As for the author, he should do what he apparently does best and concentrate on exploring polar wastelands.Judging by this performance, dealing with a vibrant community such as Helsinki is beyond him. ... Read more