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Title: The Winter War: Russia's Invasion of Finland, 1939-40
ISBN: 1933648503
Author:
Robert Edwards
Publicate Date: 2007-07-01
Publish: 2007-07-01
List Price: $25.00
Average Customer Rating: 3.0
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $11.57
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $8.00
Amazon Merchant Price: $15.74
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Mr. Edwards tells a great story of mistakes, alliances, battles and outcomes
Russian foreign policy hasn't changed a lot since 1939. Author Edwards calls it "forward defense," while others call it "Finlandization," but simply defined as an attempt to exercise control the internal affairs of a neighboring nation without possessing it or colonizing it. The truth is, nothing much has changed since the winter war of 1939 with Finland and the August 2008 war with Georgia.
Russia's invading army, fresh from defeating Japan was thought by many to be the best in the world, outnumbered the Finish army nearly five to one in troop strength, and technical superiority, took 105 days in the cold of winter to put finis to the plucky Finns.
Much of Europe, already engaged in what we call World War 2, did not act upon the actions of Russia and Finland, but likely the weakness shown by the Russian military gave Hitler a chance to shelter and convert Finland to an ally. The Russian weakness against Finland likely led Hitler to attack Russia in 1941, in what we now call Operation Barbarossa, the German attack which ended at Stalingrad.
Mr. Edwards tells a great story of mistakes, alliances, battles and outcomes so well that when I finished Winter War I actually think I understand European politics prior to World War 2. This is a very readable book, well drawn conclusions and as an added bonus, it helps us understand forward defense in Georgia in another Olympic year 2008.
Richard N. Larsen
Reviewer
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2: Great Info - Poor Style
This books reads like a revised grad school thesis; full of great information but not written in an appealing narrative format. Random information jumps in from all sides, totally unexplained historical figures are referred to then disappear. Each chapter has numerous footnotes which make it exceedingly irritating to constantly refer to, almost all of these could've been written into the text or made into bibliography. The author pre-supposes voluminous knowledge of European history and politics, writing about many unexplained treaties, events, and figures. The book has some great first hand accounts and I give the author great credit for the depth of research on the subject, but the narrative is simply difficult to read and the maps are not very helpful. Far too much of the book focuses on British politics of the time, and far too little is included about Finnish daily life, politics, history, war stories etc. Many sentences are very awkward and make for difficult reading. Overall I've enjoyed the book for its content but it could be so so much better with a careful re-write.
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3: Quality of Writing is Shockingly Bad
I haven't finished Mr. Edwards' book. I'm not sure that I will. The writing in this book is atrocious-I counted 76 words in one sentence! Mr. Edwards isn't able to bring sentences to an end, and some of his sentences simply make no sense. Here's a verbatim excert from the first chapter-"However,the legacy of that war,a sulpherous resentment on the part of some elements of the working classes, enthusiastically supported by Soviet agitprop, of what they regarded as bourgeois represssion of a populist movement, had made for a delicate political tightrope upon which Mannerheim, in the judgement of a traumatized civil administration, had then been considered perhaps unsuitable to step after he had served briefly as regent." Good grief!That's over 65 words! Why would any editor alllow a book written like this to be published? I realize that this subject is long overdue for a re-examination. That's why I bought the book. I was wondering what newly released Soviet documents would bring to light. I'm not sure, given Mr. Edward's prose, that I'd know even if I read the entire book. Faulkner wrote prose like this, but he was writing fiction and trying to create a new style. Is Mr. Edwards trying to revolutionize the art of writing history? I advise against buying this book.
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4: Book description is flawed with amature's mistakes
Invasion of Soviet Union - July 22 1941, Battle of Stalingrad - July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943, mistakes that hopefuly do not reflect on the quality of the book, but you can't help but wonder. Gave it 3 stars, but have not read the book this post is about description.
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