The novel by one of the greatest Finnish writers, V. Linna, is the most outstanding anti-war work of Finnish literature. Everything about this novel was unusual: its unprecedented readership success, the intensity of the struggle around it, and the depth of its impact on public opinion. Its very name also caused controversy: V. Linna contrasted the “known” image of a patriotic warrior from militaristic propaganda with an “unknown” one, far from national-chauvinist ideals, such as the soldier was in reality. Recommended to a wide range of readers.