The White Sniper cover

The White Sniper

by Tapio Saarelainen

"Chronicles the life and military career of Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä, known as the deadliest sniper in history; he killed 542 Russian enemies in less than 100 days during the Winter War (the Russo-Finnish War) of 1939-40. The author draws on his own interviews with Simo Häyhä as well as archival materials. The first part of the book gives details from his official record of training, battles, accomplishments, honors, and medals. This section also describes his family origins and early life, his training and career in the military, and his life coping with a severe injury after the Winter War. Part 2 investigates the secrets of his success, with details on his rifle and his shooting style."--Provided by publisher.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?