Anni Voipio (1906–1983)

A biography on C.G. Mannerheim, known as "The Marshal of Finland" and the man responsible for in 1918 shaping the first army of the recently independent Finland, leading the "white" section of the civil war against the "red" one the same year, and being the military leader during the two wars when Finland was threatened by the Soviet Union (the Winter War of 1939-40 and the Continuation War of 1941-44).

His life span covers the most important period in the history of Finland, and his significance as a skilled military leader and diplomat can't be over-estimated. For example, Finland needed the help of Germany against the Soviet Union during World War II (because of which Finland was diplomatically isolated) but we had to fight the same Germans out of Northern Finland at the end of the war.

The book is fascinating because of its fascinating subject but although reasonably written as a who
le, the book is flawed by Anni Voipio's hopeless over-use of heroic adjectives whenever describing the Baron. It however serves as a sympathetic flea market find and will in my case be followed by more serious books on the wars mentioned and, if I come across such, the man's own autobiography.… (más)