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Winter Sniper #1

The Winter Sniper

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November 30th, 1939 INVADED by the Soviet Union!

Finland must mount a desperate defense against overwhelming odds. Outnumbered and outclassed, the world expected the tiny Nordic nation to quickly succumb to the Communist juggernaut. Instead the saga of David versus Goliath was reimagined into Finnish farmers and woodsmen standing firm against Soviet steel.

This is the story of Hale’s war, a young man who grew up farming, and hunting the frozen forest of his northern home. Taught from a young age by his father to hunt and trap, Hale has grown into a master woodsman. Not yet eighteen summers in age, he is most at home in the wilderness. Utilizing his gifts, especially his uncanny aim with a rifle, he has helped put food on the table and to earn a living by selling valuable pelts.

When invasion threatened, he put his growing love for Nea on hold and answered his nation’s desperate call to stem the Soviet hordes. Now alone in Finland’s vast southern forest, his skills are being tested against prey of a different kind. Will his abilities and the rifle his father gave him be enough against the countless numbers, tanks, and aircraft of the Soviet Union?

If you enjoy fast-paced military action adventures, this is your next great read. Buy now.

233 pages, Paperback

Published December 17, 2019

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About the author

James Mullins

22 books8 followers
I was born into a military family in the United States. At a very early age I was able to travel the world. One of the first places my father was stationed at was Germany. Europe was a magnificent land dotted with castles and history. This invoked within me first a curiosity about history, and later a passion. I became captivated with tales of history.

After my experience abroad, history was filed in the back of my mind. We returned to the United States and went about our lives. School, a trip to Italy with my Grandparents to become acquainted with my Italian cousins, and finally my own tour in the military took me to more wondrous places full of history the Middle East and Iceland. These new experiences helped bring the love of history to the forefront of my thoughts once again.

As life always does, living life got in the way of my passion. More school, and several jobs later history came crashing back to the forefront of my thoughts. I read extensively of several authors here on Goodreads. Some of my favorites being Gordon Doherty, Simon Scarrow, and Griff Hosker to name a few, but my real inspiration was Harry Turtledove - a master of alternate history. This time was different. This time not only did I love reading, but tales of my own began to form in my mind. For my first book, Scourge of Byzantium, I combined my love of history with a more recent passion the walking undead.

My mind imagined a world in which the infection did not take place in the modern world, but during the later Roman Empire or Byzantium as that nation is known. Imagine how much better equipped a Roman Army is to deal with this problem. Now imagine how much harder it is to kill a zombie wearing armor! I hope you enjoy my first tale about Athos and his company of friends as they deal with changes to their world.

Thanks for Reading!

James Mullins

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5 stars
308 (43%)
4 stars
213 (30%)
3 stars
120 (16%)
2 stars
45 (6%)
1 star
24 (3%)
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
Profile Image for Metodi Markov.
1,768 reviews465 followers
August 22, 2023
Най-малко от такива "книги" има нужда подвигът на финландските войници и доброволци, сражавали се срещу агресивното болшевишкото чудовище по време на инвазията му през 1939 година! Има достатъчно документални материали, книги и свидетелства из нета, за желаещите да научат повече.

Ако са имали десетина "супер снайпери" като главния герой Хеле, фините като нищо можеха дори и да спечелят...

Разочарованието ми е голямо! Наивно, нереалистично и лигаво писание, не си заслужава да се дочете... :(
Profile Image for John Morris.
1,041 reviews95 followers
August 8, 2021
Uplifting and Emotional!

I knew very little of the Finnish/Soviet war but found this story to be an exhilarating read. The plucky Finns, outnumbered and outgunned, managing to hold their own against the Soviet aggressors. One fully committed farm boy proved he was worth 20 conscripted, and poorly trained, Russian peasants. I know that, at the end of the day, it was the Nazi invasion of Russia that helped save the Finns. God moves in mysterious ways.
12 reviews
January 30, 2022
different from other WW2 books

Another area of the war which has not received the coverage that it deserved. A great way to personalise a difficult war.
1 review
November 1, 2020
The Winter Sniper is a thrilling tale from a rarely visited corner of World War II, Finland. From the very beginning the author slams the accelerator and doesn’t slow down. As the main character is battling for his life, his back story is slowly revealed as he remembers back to his life before the war. I loved the way this was done, more authors need to do this instead of starting a book by filling in dreary back story to try and build connection with a character. As a veteran, I also enjoyed and appreciated the accurate portrayal of equipment used by both sides during the war. The author really did his homework when it came to how the weapons were described and used by character in the book.
2 reviews
Read
June 26, 2024
The book was well written and well edited. Each page lead to the next as the plot and plight of the Finnish sniper unfolded. The scenes were clearly and adequately described---it made the reader feel as though he were there for each circumstance. I definitely recommend this book and author to anyone interested in wartime history.
6 reviews
November 8, 2024
This is am engaging book, I believe based on the most deadly sniper of WWII who is Finnish citizen Simo Hayha. Hayha had over 500 confirmed kills during the Finland/Russia war in 1939/40, and he used a Mosin Nagant rifle with iron sights. Anyway I enjoyed this novel, written realistically and I look forward to reading more of Mullins's books.
Profile Image for gerry.
474 reviews5 followers
April 7, 2023
David and Goliath revisited

In 1939, Finland and Russia stopped fighting after four months, so there is a precedent in ending conflict where Russia is concerned.
Interesting and engaging, but it is a violent war story that some may find difficult to read.
2 reviews
January 9, 2024
Very descriptive and captivating!

I really enjoyed reading this novel, and I look forward to reading the second installment. Having just purchased my own Mosin Nagant, I could see myself in this Finns world, hiding behind trees shooting the bad guys.
32 reviews
June 16, 2024
Great Read with Great Characters!

Great Read with Great Characters! You’ll love this series. I’m definitely hooked and already bought the next book in this series. Can’t wait to start it.
1,015 reviews23 followers
September 20, 2021
Winter sniper

Stilted style of writing but good story of the scarcely discussed part of wwii. Interesting description of the difficulty of using a bolt action rifle in combat.
4 reviews
July 20, 2023
Excellent first book

The story line is believable and could be from real life. I shall be reading the rest of the series
10 reviews
February 14, 2024
good read

This was a good descriptive read where the story kept moving at pace and you were gripped from the very first chapter
5 reviews
May 29, 2024
Clever, enjoyable reading

A war not reported on enough. Very enjoyable. Will read the next chapter. Let's hope it is as good as this one.
1 review
December 30, 2024
story told !

Plain writing , but easy to follow.

It's a simple story of heroism, but an entertaining one to read.

Worth another book.
21 reviews
March 29, 2026
It's cold in Finland

A good story about a war seldom mentioned. However, the story line is a bit one dimensional, hence only 4 stars.
877 reviews3 followers
March 21, 2025
A good start
This series is about a different part of WW2. Russia, like Germany, was seeking to expand its dominance over Eastern Europe but the Finns were in the way. Much courage but few men and even fewer weapons will make it an impossible task.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews