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      This is one of those books I'm glad I read, depressing as it was, for again, I learned a lot. The biggest take away? the stupidity of war. Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish winter War of 1939-40. Helsinki, 10:30 A.M., November 30, 1939. Soviet bombers drop from a cloud bank to unload their bombs on the capital city of Finland. In the weeks to come the world will watch admiringly as the tiny army of a small Baltic republic wages the kind of war that inspires legends against the military might of the Soviet Union. A forgotten war, until now. William R. Trotter Russian
       The central thrust of the book describes the horrible blood shed that cost ca., 220,000 Russian lives and ca. 65,000 Finnish deaths.  Had the Finn's acceded to Russian demands for accommodations to protect Leningrad it all could have been avoided and the Finns would have lost less territory.  Finland could also have avoided "The Continuation War" when they joined Nazi Germany to again fight Russia. When Finland sues for peace it's at the least moment before Russia was poised ton conquer all of Finland.
       A fascinating section of the book reports the machinations of France and Britain who attempted to foist the conflict with Germany off on Norway and Sweden. Had Finland appealed to these two countries for help late in the war France and Britain had plans to use that as pretext to seize Sweden's nickle mines that were supplying Germany. This they hoped would shift hostilities away from France and Britain.  The Finns never request help and the plotters were soon voted out of office.
       It's a very readable, if depressing book, and a valuable addition to the historical record. For the reader inclined to celebrate the destruction of "enemy forces" it's dehumanizing. Whole Russian Army companies drowned in frozen lakes, which is just one example of the terrible suffering in this war.

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