First published 1954

The Unknown Soldier

The Unknown Soldier (Tuntematon sotilas) is Väinö Linna's war novel, published in Finnish by WSOY on 3 December 1954. Following a machine-gun company through the 1941 to 1944 Continuation War, it became a Finnish classic; English editions followed in 1957 from Collins in the UK.

Editions tracked: 3
First edition: Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (WSOY), 1954
First published: WSOY, 1954
First UK edition: Collins, 1957

The first edition of The Unknown Soldier by Väinö Linna was published in Porvoo by Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (WSOY) in 1954. We track 3 editions.

Editions

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First edition

1st Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (WSOY)1954 Other I own The Unknown Soldier, Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (WSOY) 1954 Log in to want this

Later and other editions

We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.

About the book

Awards, adaptations and setting

Adaptations

The Unknown Soldier film, 1955
The Unknown Soldier film, 1985
The Unknown Soldier film, 2017
The Unknown Soldier stage play
The Unknown Soldier musical

Setting and characters

Set in: Finland (Continuation War)
Characters: Vilho Koskela, Urho Hietanen, Antero Rokka, Jorma Kariluoto, Kaarna, Lammio, Yrjö Lahtinen, Lehto
Genre: war novel

In print

Editions recorded: 4 on Open Library, 4 in English
Wikipedia: Articles in 18 languages

From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.

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Collecting guides

Know what you are looking at

All guides

7 min read

How to Identify a First Edition

To identify a first edition, check that your copy is the first printing of the first edition. Read the copyright …

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Book Condition Grading: Fine to Poor Explained

Book condition grading uses a six-step trade scale: Fine, Near Fine, Very Good, Good, Fair and Poor. Collectors grade the …

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Dust Jackets Explained: Why the Jacket Drives a Book's Value

For most books published since the 1920s, the original dust jacket carries a large share of the value, often most …

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Questions collectors ask

Frequently asked questions

Who published the first edition of The Unknown Soldier?

The first edition of The Unknown Soldier by Väinö Linna was published in Porvoo by Werner Söderström Osakeyhtiö (WSOY) in 1954.

How many editions of The Unknown Soldier are there?

We track 3 editions of The Unknown Soldier, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.

Has The Unknown Soldier been adapted?

Yes, including The Unknown Soldier (stage play), The Unknown Soldier (musical), The Unknown Soldier (film, 2017), according to Wikidata.

Sources

Where these facts come from

The Unknown Soldier (novel), Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
The Unknown Soldier (Q1788243), Wikidata (wikidata.org)

Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 26 October 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.