I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this book. Initially, I thought that it would be useful mainly just for Finnish nationalists, since Elias Simojoki in this collection of speeches concerns himself primarily with Greater Finland. However, it is indeed a book that attracts anybody with a strong nationalist belief system. In short, Simojoki is a passionate speaker whose love of God and Fatherland powerfully hits you with each speech. There was no point in my reading of this book where it seemed like the author’s message was not applicable to me, too. Any nationalist dissident will feel enormously encouraged after reading this book: indeed, Simojoki’s struggle is our struggle as well, just magnified on a larger scale and in a different century. Among the many themes of this book are two that stand out to me: 1) Love of his people and 2) The readiness to sacrifice. Simojoki didn’t just talk the talk: he fought in many wars for Finland’s independence and paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Winter War of 1940. As a Lutheran Christian, I found Simojoki’s example as a devout Lutheran clergyman and nationalist to be most inspiring: for him, there is no separation between faith and heritage, rather, the two complement each other and bring ultimate meaning to life. The modern Lutheran church would do well to pay attention to his example, since many of its leaders even deny that race exists (there are many exceptions, however, and dissident Lutheran voices seem to be growing). Throughout my life I have heard the phrase “Fatherland” used frequently. It was not until I read this book that I realized that it means ‘the place where my ancestors dwell and are buried’. That hit me hard and reminded me of my own commitment to the ideology of blood and soil. Simojoki was a great man who inspires our people today. I highly recommend that dissident Rightists buy this book. For Lutherans, Simojoki serves as an example that there are strong men in our past who celebrate faith and heritage. His example shows us that we do not have to be cucks or race deniers, ala Jordan Cooper.
