Polish rights sold for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN by Prof. Kimmo Rentola!

We are thrilled to announce that the Polish rights for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN: From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950 by Professor Kimmo Rentola (orig. Stalin ja Suomen kohtalo, Otava) have been acquired by REBIS! The deal was closed by Sten-Erik Tammemäe at Elina Ahlback Literary Agency. Previously, the World English rights were sold to Yale University Press for publication in November 2023 and the Greek rights to Papadopoulos Publishers. Full English manuscript is available!

The Polish publisher REBIS praised the book for being a timely and highly informative title:

“A brilliant and original analysis of the political side of Finnish-Soviet relations under Stalin’s rule, based on excellent knowledge of diplomatic and intelligence sources. Important and alarmingly timely in the context of the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the revolutionary decision of the Finns to join NATO.”
– Tomasz Szponder, co-founder and president of the board, REBIS, Poland

Praise by Yale University Press:

‘I am thrilled to be publishing Kimmo Rentola’s important work on Finland and Stalin. As the leading scholar on Soviet-Finnish relations, his intimate understanding of the intelligence history during this crucial period makes for a uniquely fascinating and revelatory read. And of course this story has huge resonance at the present time, with Finland joining NATO and the parallels between the Winter War and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Yale University Press will be proud to publish Kimmo’s book in English in November 2023.’ 
– Julian Loose, Editorial Director Trade & Academic, Yale University Press London

Download the full English manuscript for HOW FINLAND SURVIVED STALIN here!

How Finland Survived Stalin: From Winter War to Cold War, 1939-1950

Kimmo Rentola

A dramatic and timely account of Stalin’s failed invasion of Finland in 1939, and the decade of wars and fraught relations that followed.

✓  Winner of the Lauri Jäntti Prize for non-fiction literature! 
✓  Full English manuscript with updated introduction available!

How did Finland evade Joseph Stalin’s crosshairs three times? Did Stalin have a special relationship with Finland and the Finns? Why didn’t he continue the Soviet onslaught on Finland during the Winter War in 1940? Why did the dictator back down from his aspirations and demands towards Finland during the peace negotiations in 1944? Why did 1948 remain the year of an unfulfilled coup in Finland?

The answers lie in the relations between Finland and Russia. Joseph Stalin has been one of the individuals with the most influence on the history of independent Finland. The book focuses on the decisions of Stalin in which the entire existence or, at the very least, the essential nature of that existence, of Finland was at stake.