Family near Harborough help republish 1941 book that has eerie echoes of the current war in Ukraine

A family near Harborough have helped to republish a book that was first written in 1941 because it has eerie echoes of the current war in Ukraine.

And all the royalties from the book will be donated to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal to help those in Ukraine.

The book, titled The Red Army Moves, is an account of Russo-Finnish War during the winter of 1939-1940, written by the late Geoffrey Cox, a foreign correspondent for The Daily Express.

Such are similarities with this and the Russian's invasion of Ukraine, that Geoffrey's daughter Ros Gallant, who lives in Ashley, persuaded publishers - who approached her about another of her father's books - to republish it.

Rose said: "In March, my family was approached by Francis Bennett, of Marble Hill Publishers, who wanted to republish another of my father’s books, Countdown to War, as part of his ‘Writing About War’ series.

"I explained that given the striking similarities between the war in Ukraine and the Russo-Finnish War, the book crying out to be republished was The Red Army Moves."

"Francis hadn’t read it, and as copies are almost impossible to get hold of, I lent him my copy. A week later I got a very enthusiastic email saying how impressed he was with the book and how he would like to republish it as soon as possible."

The Russo-Finnish War, often known as ‘The Winter War’, took place during the winter of 1939-1940. The Soviet Union invaded Finland without warning, believing that the Finns would capitulate within days before the overwhelming forces of the Soviet army.

Instead, they were met with fierce resistance from the Finnish troops, determined to defend their homeland. The expected ‘easy victory in a few days’ became a bitter conflict of many months.

And this has eerie echoes of Russia's current invasion of Ukraine.

Ros said: "When the first pictures of Russian tanks and armoured cars stuck in the snow after being destroyed Ukrainian fighters appeared in the newspapers in February this year, I thought, “they look just like the pictures in my father’s book”.

"When I told people about this, most said “I didn’t know there had been a war between Russia and Finland”."

Reflecting on the republishing, she added: "It has been a really interesting experience helping with the whole process of republication.

"I think my father, who died in 2008, would have been delighted with the result. The family decided to donate all the royalties to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, because we think that is what my father would have wished.

"He visited Ukraine in 1932 and witnessed the flight of Ukrainians forced off their farms by Stalin’s collectivisation programme, so I know he would have wished to support them in this present crisis.”

The Red Army Moves, based on Geoffrey Cox's experiences, was originally published in 1941 but has been out of print for many years. It is now being republished by Marble Hill Publishers.