Synopses & Reviews
Baron Gustaf Mannerheim was one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century, and the only man to be decorated by both sides in the Second World War. As a Finnish officer in Russian service, he witnessed the coronation of the last Tsar, and was both reprimanded for foolhardiness and decorated for bravery in the Russo-Japanese War. He spent two years undercover in Asia as an agent in the 'Great Game', posing as a Swedish anthropologist. He crossed China on horseback, stopping en route to teach the 13th Dalai Lama how to shoot with a pistol, and spying on the Japanese navy on his way home. He escaped the Bolsheviks by the skin of his teeth in 1917, arriving in the newly independent Finland just in time to lead the anti-Russian forces in the local revolt and civil war. During Finland's darkest hour, he lead the defence of his country against the impossible odds of the Winter War. This major new life of Gustaf Mannerheim, the first to be published for over a decade, includes new historical material on Mannerheim's time in China.
Synopsis
Gustav Mannerheim was one of the greatest figures of the twentieth century and the only man to be decorated by both sides in both World Wars. He witnessed the coronation of the last Tsar, and he was both reprimanded for foolhardiness and decorated for bravery in the Russo-Japanese War. He spent two years undercover in Asia as an agent in the "Great Game," posing as a Swedish anthropologist, and then crossed China on horseback, stopping en route to teach the thirteenth Dalai Lama how to fire a pistol. After narrowly escaping the Bolsheviks in 1917, he arrived home to a newly independent Finland before leading the defence of his country in the Winter War.
Synopsis
The amazing life of Gustav Mannerheim, a life tragically and heroically intertwined with the twentieth century.
About the Author
Jonathan Clements is an author and scriptwriter whose works include An Armchair Traveller's History of the Silk Road. He has also written biographies of Kublai Khan, Marco Polo and Empress Wu, as well as volumes on China and Japan in the Makers of the Modern World series.
Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Note on Dates
Introduction: Cold Mountain
1. Mannerheim’s World
2. The Field of Vipers
3. The Baptism of Fire
4. The Tournament of Shadows
5. The Horse Reaches China
6. The Paper Dragon
7. The End of Empire
8. The White Devil
9. The House of the Four Winds
10. The Jaws of Peril
11. The Eye of the Storm
12. Marski
Afterword: Mannerheim in the 21st Century
Notes on Names
Notes
Sources and Further Reading
Acknowledgements
Index