Finland at War: the Continuation and Lapland Wars 1941-45: 3

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

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1472815262 ISBN 13: 9781472815262

Publisher: Osprey Publishing, 2016

In the aftermath of the Winter War Finland found itself drawing ever closer to Nazi Germany and eventually took part in Operation Barbarossa in 1941. For the Finns this was a chance to right the wrongs of the Winter War, and having reached suitable defensive positions, the army was ordered to halt. Years of uneasy trench warfare followed, known as the Continuation War, during which Finland desperately sought a way out, German dreams of victory were dashed and the Soviet Union built the strongest army in the world. In the summer of 1944, the whole might of the Red Army was launched against the Finnish defences on the narrow Karelian Isthmus. Over several weeks of fierce fighting, the Finns managed to halt the Soviet assault. With Stalin forced to divert his armies to the race to Berlin an armistice agreement was reached, the harsh terms of which forced the Finns to take on their erstwhile German allies in Lapland. Featuring never-before-seen photographs and first-hand accounts, this second volume of a two-part study details the high price Finland had to pay to retain its independence and freedom.

Review:

"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

"This book has all the strengths of the its companion, detailed accounts of action, excellent illustrations, and good maps. Together these two books round out the story of Finland's war experience." - WWII History Magazine

"Lavishly illustrated with period photos and maps, [Finland at War] tells how Allies ignored the Finns, creating a delicate, dangerous Finnish balancing act between war and diplomacy with two powerful adversaries." - Military Officer

Book Description:

The follow-up to Finland at War: The Winter War, this is the astonishing David and Goliath story of Finland's' military history during World War II. Whilst the Soviet army flooded into Eastern Europe the Finns held firm, forcing the Red Army to a stalemate before forcing Nazi forces out of their sovereign territory through a combination of incredible determination, sheer mastery of warfare in Arctic conditions and the excellence and endurance of her armed forces.