"An excellent read from a deeply knowledgeable author. This lively, often funny social history guides readers through Helsinki's past, never losing sight of the bigger picture. The city's story is skillfully interwoven with the dramatic wars and geopolitics of Finnish history.' -- Patrick Salmon, Chief Historian, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 'Rich in historical detail and full of color, this is a wonderful book for anybody wanting to understand how Helsinki grew from a little sixteenth-century village by the river mouth into a modern, globally networked Nordic metropolis." -- Kristina Spohr, Professor of International History, London School of Economics, and author of Post Wall, Post Square"Helsinki is one of those places simultaneously on the edge and in the middle of things. Meinander weaves a highly readable tale of this fascinating city of hidden depths." -- Dan Kaszeta, Fellow of the Royal Historical Society and author of The Forest Brotherhood"An absorbing, well-researched and immensely enjoyable introduction, full of vim and vigor. Helsinki is a fluent, pleasurable read for anyone wishing to explore the city; or to discover its history, and its important place in the Nordic and European story.

" -- David Kirby, author of A Concise History of Finland and Britain, 1947"[With this book,] Meinander has answered an eternal challenge. He is known as a master of the grand tapestry, his works elegantly combining the broad strokes of history with the world of lived experience as captured in the moment by eyewitnesses. Now, he has shifted his gaze closer and taken up the history of his own hometown . A vivid and diverse tale of Helsinki." -- Helsingin Sanomat"An engaging story of Helsinki from its foundation in 1550, through Swedish domination, Russian expansion and Baltic sea trade to the forging of a new country, the archetypal Cold War border state, and today's modernizing Eastern Baltic hub." -- Charles Clarke, former UK Home Secretary and editor of Understanding the Baltic States"The history of Helsinki has finally found a worthy author. Meinander talks about [the city] and its past with the sure hand of a professional historian, but also with warmth and empathy--as if telling a story about a friend." -- Kulttuuritoimitus.