Skis in the Art of War

K. B. E. E. Eimeleus was ahead of his time with his advocacy of ski training in the Russian armed forces. Employing terminology never before used in Russian to describe movements with which few were familiar, Skis in the Art of War gives a breakdown of the latest techniques at the time from Scandinavia and Finland. Eimeleus's work is an early and brilliant example of knowledge transfer from Scandinavia to Russia within the context of sport.

Nearly three decades after he published his book, the Finnish army, employing many of the ideas first proposed by Eimeleus, used mobile ski troops to hold the Soviet Union at bay during the Winter War of 1939–40, and in response, the Soviet government organized a massive ski mobilization effort prior to the German invasion in 1941. The Soviet counteroffensive against Nazi Germany during the winter of 1941–42 owed much of its success to the Red Army ski battalions that had formed as a result of the ski mobilization.

In this lucid translation that includes most of the original illustrations, scholar and former biathlon competitor William D. Frank collaborates with E. John B. Allen, known world-wide for his work on ski history.

K. B. E. E. Eimeleus (Carl Bror Emil Aejmelaeus-Äimä) served at the highest levels of the Finnish government after independence until his death in 1935.

William D. Frank is the author of Everyone to Skis! Skiing in Russia and the Rise of Soviet Biathlon. His articles have appeared in The Boston Globe, The Journal of Sport History, Ski History Magazine and Pacific Northwest Quarterly.

E. John B. Allen is author of numerous articles, films, and books, including From Skisport to Skiing and Culture and Sport of Skiing from Antiquity to World War II.

Skis in the Art of War, along with its prefacing commentary, gives readers insight into the topic of winter warfare conditions, and ski culture and history, at the intersection of environment and technology studies. This fascinating source is sure to benefit a wide variety of readers, from historians of Europe, Russia, the Arctic, and the environment, to those broadly interested in ski and military history.

Thanks to this magnificent translation, the reader can enjoy this excellent work that would otherwise have been very difficult due to its original language. [T]he notes section, with comments provided by professors Frank and Allen, is simply masterful. [T]he bibliography is nothing short of a treasure.

Recently translated from the original Russian by William D. Frank and E. John B. Allen, and completed with commentary, explanations of technical terminology, and beautifully transferred sketches and images, this book is a work of passion for skiing and athletics by its author, and a substantial achievement for those who worked to bring it to a modern readership.

...an outstanding translation with commentary.... a superbly presented, brilliantly researched and readable book. All the original 119 illustrations, line drawings and photographs are reproduced with remarkable clarity.

Expert translation and commentary by ski historians Frank and Allen have produced this compelling version of a Russian manual of ski-based training and combat from 1912. [The] final sections of technical detail provide a fascinating glimpse into the international cooperation, civil society initiatives, and interwoven military-athletic culture of pre-1914 Europe.

With an approachable introduction by the justly celebrated ski historian E. John B. Allen, Skis in the Art of War offers advice, of course, on martial matters... [and] holds wisdom for the contemporary skier. Thoroughly engaging.

David M. Glantz, founder and former director of the US Army's Foreign Military Studies Office, author of Operation Don's Main Attack:

Impressive. Eimeleus's book appears to have been read and understood by the Red Army General Staff as they raised and equipped ski troops in the 1920s and 1930s and especially during their so-called Great Patriotic War.

Bruce W. Menning, University of Kansas, author of Bayonets Before Bullets:

This book embraces larger issues, including the history of sport, the history of local ingenuity in overcoming the challenges of climate, the history of adapting specialized skills and resources to military use, and the life history of a fascinating figure in the world of sports.