Gordon F. Sander : Off the map : a personal history of Finland

Finland was very much "off the map" when writer-photographer Gordon Sander first voyaged there in 1977—an exotic, misunderstood, defiantly unsophisticated place where bars held ladies’ night, “president for life” Urho Kekkonen had been in office for nearly a quarter of a century and the nation chafed under the weight of its relationship with its hereditary enemy-turned “friend”, the USSR, next door.

Suomi has come a long way since then and Sander has been along for the ride, through the break up of the USSR and the seismic changes in the Finnish economy and culture that ensued, through Finland’s emergence as a high-tech leader and fully-fledged member of Europe. The author recollects the highs and lows, along with his own adventures and misadventures in this incisive, witty and entertaining book.

Gordon F. Sander is a writer and photographer and the author of numerous books, including the 2010 international best-seller The Battle of Finland. He has written for over 50 publications on both sides of the Atlantic, including The New York Times and Financial Times.