Book Review of
The Winter War 1939-40
Author: Philip Jowett
Casemate Illustrated
Men-Battles-Weapons Series
Men-Battles-Weapons Series
ISBN: 978-1-63624-238-5
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: $28.95
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2023
MSRP: $28.95
HISTORY:
When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in late 1939, what transpired was a true “David & Goliath” conflict. When Finland refused a number of Soviet demands, including the ceding of substantial border territories ostensibly to enable the Soviets to protect Leningrad. The Soviets responded by launching an invasion. The invasion involved a large Soviet army, with several thousand tanks, and a large air force.
But to the world’s surprise the Finnish Army – many of them reservists without proper uniforms and limited communication – and air force battled overwhelming odds, and managed to resist Russian attacks for over two months, inflicting serious losses. Geography played its part as much of the Finnish –Soviet border was impassable, meaning that Soviet numerical superiority was of less import.
Operating in the winter, with temperatures ranging as low as -43f, the Finns determined resistance won them an international reputation. Although hostilities finally ended in a peace treaty that saw Finland cede 9% if it's territory. Soviet losses had been heavy and Finland retained its sovereignty,
THE BOOK:
Casemate is both a publisher of their own line of books and distributor of other companies books. They are located in Havertown. PA.
This new book is of soft-cover of 128 pages in 7” x 10” page format. It has flaps on the front and back that fold over.
The book contains 144 black and white wartime photos (including the front and back covers), 2 color illustrations, 2 color battle maps of Finland, a color Soviet propaganda poster, 4 color Finnish propaganda posters, 2 color illustrations, a color photo and 9 color side-view profile illustrations.
This fully illustrated text covers the forces involved and all stages of the Winter War.
The front cover shows 3 black and white wartime photos.
The photo at the top shows a Finnish soldier, wearing an all-white uniform and steel helmet. He is in a forest and is aiming a sub machine-gun.
Below, at the left is a snow-covered road in Finland with damaged and abandoned vehicle on it.
On the right is a photo of 2 Finnish soldiers, out in the snow, dressed in white uniforms and steel helmets, firing rifles.
Below that, on the right too, is a photo of Stalin and a general.
On the back cover of the book, at the upper left, there is a black and white photo of two Swedish volunteers of the Svenske Frivillig Karen in the forest of Finland, armed with British-made Boys 14mm Model 37 anti-tank rifles. They are in a forest and are both dressed in all-white quilted uniforms a cloth hats.
The black and white photo on the upper right, shows 2 Finnish infantrymen throwing grenades in a snow-covered forest. They wear quilted all-white winter uniforms with hoods and black gloves.
At the bottom of the page there is a black and white photo of a British supplied, to the Finnish Air Force, a Bristol Blenheim Mk. IV bomber on a snow covered airfield, surrounded by Finnish personnel.
Soviet and Finnish soldiers, officers, Finnish cavalry, howitzers, tanks, trucks and other vehicles, aircraft, pilots, ships etc. are shown.
This is one great picture album of the Winter War. It will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate book titles can be viewed on their website at:
When the Soviet Union invaded Finland in late 1939, what transpired was a true “David & Goliath” conflict. When Finland refused a number of Soviet demands, including the ceding of substantial border territories ostensibly to enable the Soviets to protect Leningrad. The Soviets responded by launching an invasion. The invasion involved a large Soviet army, with several thousand tanks, and a large air force.
But to the world’s surprise the Finnish Army – many of them reservists without proper uniforms and limited communication – and air force battled overwhelming odds, and managed to resist Russian attacks for over two months, inflicting serious losses. Geography played its part as much of the Finnish –Soviet border was impassable, meaning that Soviet numerical superiority was of less import.
Operating in the winter, with temperatures ranging as low as -43f, the Finns determined resistance won them an international reputation. Although hostilities finally ended in a peace treaty that saw Finland cede 9% if it's territory. Soviet losses had been heavy and Finland retained its sovereignty,
THE BOOK:
Casemate is both a publisher of their own line of books and distributor of other companies books. They are located in Havertown. PA.
This new book is of soft-cover of 128 pages in 7” x 10” page format. It has flaps on the front and back that fold over.
The book contains 144 black and white wartime photos (including the front and back covers), 2 color illustrations, 2 color battle maps of Finland, a color Soviet propaganda poster, 4 color Finnish propaganda posters, 2 color illustrations, a color photo and 9 color side-view profile illustrations.
This fully illustrated text covers the forces involved and all stages of the Winter War.
The front cover shows 3 black and white wartime photos.
The photo at the top shows a Finnish soldier, wearing an all-white uniform and steel helmet. He is in a forest and is aiming a sub machine-gun.
Below, at the left is a snow-covered road in Finland with damaged and abandoned vehicle on it.
On the right is a photo of 2 Finnish soldiers, out in the snow, dressed in white uniforms and steel helmets, firing rifles.
Below that, on the right too, is a photo of Stalin and a general.
On the back cover of the book, at the upper left, there is a black and white photo of two Swedish volunteers of the Svenske Frivillig Karen in the forest of Finland, armed with British-made Boys 14mm Model 37 anti-tank rifles. They are in a forest and are both dressed in all-white quilted uniforms a cloth hats.
The black and white photo on the upper right, shows 2 Finnish infantrymen throwing grenades in a snow-covered forest. They wear quilted all-white winter uniforms with hoods and black gloves.
At the bottom of the page there is a black and white photo of a British supplied, to the Finnish Air Force, a Bristol Blenheim Mk. IV bomber on a snow covered airfield, surrounded by Finnish personnel.
Soviet and Finnish soldiers, officers, Finnish cavalry, howitzers, tanks, trucks and other vehicles, aircraft, pilots, ships etc. are shown.
This is one great picture album of the Winter War. It will be of great interest to modelers and military historians alike.
I sincerely wish to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All Casemate book titles can be viewed on their website at:
Highly recommended.