The White Death: The Epic of the Soviet-Finnish Winter War

Rating:
Summary: The Finnish Soviet War of 1939-40.
Review: This is a fairly old book written by a Professor in the University of Wisconsin system (where I might add I graduated from). Chew does detail the war very well and some of the writing is interesting. However, the writing is very, very dry and it took much time to plod through this book. I have no problem with the accuracy or detail of the book, but this is dry reading. Since this book was written in the late sixties/early seventies, much material from the Soviet side is also lacking in this book. If the reader is looking for what Finnish or Soviet units fought in what battle or part of the front, this is a great read. For those who just want the details of the war, perhaps Frozen Hell is a better(and more modern) book.
This is one of the first books about this war in English so I give credit to the author. Presently, there are better books out there on this war.

Rating:
Summary: Easy Read
Review: This is an easy read and is very imformative about a little talked about war. It deals with the peolple of Finland defending their homeland against an aggressive Soviet Union attempting a takeover during the winter of 1939-1940. This study is based on interviews with veterans who held significant posts, research in the official Finnish archives, and examination of the scant Soviet literature on the subject. While the true pictures of most wars are studies in shades of gray, this one is basically a contrast in stark black and white. I won't spoil it by telling you details of the war and how it ends. Let's just say it's worth picking up a copy.

Rating:
Summary: Easy Read
Review: This is an easy read and is very imformative about a little talked about war. It deals with the peolple of Finland defending their homeland against an aggressive Soviet Union attempting a takeover during the winter of 1939-1940. This study is based on interviews with veterans who held significant posts, research in the official Finnish archives, and examination of the scant Soviet literature on the subject. While the true pictures of most wars are studies in shades of gray, this one is basically a contrast in stark black and white. I won't spoil it by telling you details of the war and how it ends. Let's just say it's worth picking up a copy.