One thing I always tell people about the model-building hobby is how blessed I feel about the people I have met who are now my good friends. At the 2025 IPMS-USA National Convention, I made another new friend. I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Lieutenant Colonel Dusty Finley, Retired, who hailed all the way from Alaska. He served as the Deputy Chief of Staff for the 11^th Airborne Division (Arctic) of the U.S. Army. During our conversation, he told me about a book he was writing and I was thrilled when he told me he would mail me a copy. I received it, and from start to finish, I was enthralled. I have even been telling my friends new things I learned as a result of reading it.

Volume I Selected Military Cold-Weather Operations is part of a five-volume series. The following volumes will be Volume II Historical Summary of Military Cold-Weather Operations, Volume III Historical Perspective of the U.S. Army in Alaska, Volume IV Military Cold-Weather Operations Information, and Volume V The Best of Heard Around the Headquarters 2015 to 2023.

The main chapters of the book are:

• The Aleutian Campaign
• Soviet-Finnish ‘Winter War’
• Soviet-Finnish ‘Continuation War’
• Battle of Chosin Reservoir
• Russo-Ukraine War

One of the things I appreciated most about this book is the way the author craft fully weaves the weather into a living, breathing antagonist. Throughout all of his descriptions, facts and figures, it is the weather itself which becomes an almost sinister force – one that humans – being the fragile beings we are – succumb to and a force which pushes the most mentally hardened man to his limits.

In looking at some of the photos in Volume I, I could only imagine the utter misery that had to be endured at that moment the image was captured. But it was not only the classic ‘Man versus Nature’ story which captivated me. Lt. Colonel Finley also tells the story about how machinery, equipment of all sorts, oil, fuel, radar were all affected by the cold. Fog, wind, and light (lack of) are all accomplices in the drama.

I have seen many winter-themed dioramas, but in my opinion, as a model builder, reading this highly informative book will make anyone’s winter-themed diorama better. To me, having a real sense of what the feeling had to be like can make the artistry of our storytelling through models even better.

I highly recommend this book! I am very much looking forward to the coming volumes. As he said to me in a recent email, “Military cold-weather operations are relegated to a footnote in history. My passion is to bring it to the forefront. We can’t afford to lose lives and treasure relearning hard-won lessons from the past.”

This book is for private sale. Should you like a copy, please contact at grayhog0034@outlook.com.

My sincere Thank You to Lieutenant Colonel Finley for providing me with a copy of his book and for bestowing the honor to write a review.