The Winter Warriors

Winter, 1939. As WWII rages, the Soviet Union's Red Army invades Finland. They aren't expecting their tiny, defenceless neighbour to fight back – and win. The Winter Warriors is an unbelievable true story of resistance, heroism, and the best sniper the world has ever seen. An epic, extraordinary, richly imagined and researched thriller from one of France's most decorated crime writers.

"Impeccably researched and beautifully written, The Winter Warriors is perfect for fans of Ben Macintyre and Robert Harris" Paula Hawkins

"There are echoes of Vasily Grossman in this gripping, chillingly urgent story of the horrors and heroism of war" A.D. Miller

***More than 260,000 copies sold***

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A single man can change the course of history. At the heart of the harshest of its winters, at the heart of the bloodiest war in its history, Finland saw the birth of a legend. The legend of Simo Häyhä, the White Death…

Three months after the beginning of WWII, in November 1939, the Soviet Union invaded their tiny and relatively defenceless neighbour Finland. So began what is known as the Winter War. Against overwhelming odds the makeshift Finnish army not only resisted the Red Army, they forced it to offer terms for peace.

Olivier Norek's breathtaking novel is the story of one company at the heart of the defence of its country in the face of a horrific invasion. The Russians so far outnumbered their enemy that but for the almost unimaginable folly of their commanders and but for the heroism of the Finnish Army their neighbours would have been overrun. Nor had they taken into account the spirit of the defenders.

There are countless stories of courage and some of unmatched heroism – among them the record of Simo Häyhä, who became known as the White Death and whose skill as a sniper will perhaps never be matched.

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'The plot revolves around a small group of village lads who are conscripted together, one of whom, Simo, becomes the so-called White Death, one of the world's most deadly snipers … What makes it tick is the urgent, vital narrative as the Russians surge across the border and the Finns fight back with little more than grenades and rifles' Bookbrunch

"A masterpiece" Jean-Christophe Buisson, Le Figaro

"A dazzling success" Stéphanie Janicot, La Croix

"Exhaustively researched, subtle, sensitive, and set against the background of a war which resonates with the present day. There are more than a few similarities between this story and the current Russian aggression in Ukraine" Gilbert Chevalier, France Info

"Norek depicts with great humanity and profound empathy the courage and resilience of the Finns, fighting for survival in extreme conditions" Georgia Morisset, Actualitté

"Magificent" Mariann Payot, Express

***WINNER OF THE PRIX JEAN GIONO***

***FINALIST FOR THE PRIX INTERALLIÉ***

***Olivier Norek's thriller Between Two Worlds was The Times & Sunday Times Crime Novel of the Year 2024***