Jääkärin päiväkirja [Finnish]

By Aarne Mustasalo

A teacher leaves Russian-ruled Finland in secret and begins the difficult transformation from civilian to soldier. Told as a first-person war diary, this historical novel follows an unnamed volunteer from Rauma as he joins the Finnish J gers, driven by the struggle for national independence. His clandestine journey through Sweden to Germany places him among men crossing borders not only between countries, but between ordinary life and military service. Training, discipline and trench warfare are recorded through the observant eye of a man accustomed to thought as well as action. Detailed accounts of fortifications, patrols, bombardments and winter combat sit beside humour, songs, speeches and multilingual exchanges. The diary form keeps public events close to individual experience, capturing homesickness and sacrifice without losing sight of the practical demands of service or the solidarity forged across social and linguistic divisions. Political argument runs through the military routine, particularly the charged question of whether the battalion should fight on Finnish soil. The teacher-soldier weighs identity, duty and independence while serving on the Eastern Front, where debate and comradeship persist amid danger. Combining the immediacy of a soldier memoir with political reflection and precise observation, the narrative presents war as both lived experience and a contest over Finland's future. This book was out of print for decades and is now republished by Alpha Editions. It has been restored for today's and future generations. This edition is not just a reprint - it's a collector's item and a cultural treasure.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: Finnish
• ISBN: 9377786312
• ISBN13: 9789377786311
• Release Date: November 2026
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 156 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"