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. "Thoroughly engaging." - The Wall Street Journal Ullr Award 2019, International Skiing History Association "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." - Choice "As fascinating as this text is, even more impressive is Frank's and Allen's annotations and commentary . . . Not only do they provide a brief overview of the place of skiing European history (Allen) and a biographical essay on Eimeleus (Frank) but around half the book is their end-notes annotating the text. This includes technical and historical explanations, discussions of possible sources both for Eimeleus and for further study by contemporary readers, biographical information about people he mentions, historiographical commentary and technical discussions of various ski styles and events . . . It is a reminder of the wonder of a good annotated text, and highlights Allen's and Frank's place as leading historians of skiing." - Malcolm MacLean, University of Queensland ". . . 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." - Slavonic and East European Review 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. -- David M. Glantz, founder and former director of the US Army's Foreign Military Studies Office, author of Operation Don's Main Attack 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 .