Mannerheim: President, Soldier, Spy

by Jonathan Clements

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781907822575
Publisher:	Haus Publishing
Publication date:	08/01/2014
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	831,573
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Jonathan Clements is an author and TV presenter specializing in the history and cultures of the Far East. Previous books by him include A Short History of Tokyo, The Emperor’s Feast, Anime: A History, and a biography of Gustaf Mannerheim, Mannerheim: President, Soldier, Spy. He lives in Finland.
 

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations viii

Note on Dates xv

Introduction: Cold Mountain 1

1 Mannerheim's World 9

2 The Field of Vipers 32

3 The Baptism of Fire 51

4 The Tournament of Shadows 79

5 The Horse Reaches China 111

6 The Paper Dragons 142

7 The End of Empire 170

8 The White Devil 190

9 The House of the Four Winds 207

10 The Jaws of Peril 236

11 The Eye of the Storm 255

12 Marski 273

Afterword: Mannerheim in the 21st Century 285

Note on Names 289

Notes 293

Sources and Further Reading 320

Acknowledgements 332

Index 334

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"…[Jonathan Clements] has combined the knowledge of a historian with the accessibility of a novelist. I hadn't heard much about Finland's Gustaf Mannerheim before, but I am certainly intrigued to read more about his fascinating life."—Grrlscientist for The Guardian UK

Editorial Reviews

"…[Jonathan Clements] has combined the knowledge of a historian with the accessibility of a novelist. I hadn't heard much about Finland's Gustaf Mannerheim before, but I am certainly intrigued to read more about his fascinating life."—Grrlscientist for The Guardian UK

From the Publisher