A Frozen Hell

This is a book of battles -- savagely fought, often with great heroism on both sides, under brutal, subarctic conditions. Guerrillas on skis, heroic single-handed attacks on tanks, unfathomable endurance, and the charismatic leadership of one of this century's true military geniuses -- these were the elements of Finland's short-lived victory. For all the epic resistance of the Finns, the outcome was foreordained. Belatedly the Russians realized that an expected easy triumph over a vastly outnumbered foe had become a slaughterhouse. Incompetent commanders were replaced, more and better troops…