Mika Toimi Waltari (pronunciation (help· info)) (September 19, 1908 – August 26, 1979) was a Finnish historical novelist, best known for his magnum opus The Egyptian (Sinuhe egyptiläinen in Finnish) . Image File history File links Fi-Mika_Waltari. ... is the 262nd day of the year (263rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1908 (MCMVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... is the 238th day of the year (239th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1979 by Smashing Pumpkins. ... For discussion of historical romance novels, see historical romance. ... Magnum opus (sometimes Opus magnum, plural magna opera), from the Latin meaning great work,[1] refers to the best, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an author, artist, or composer, and most commonly one who has contributed a very large amount of material. ... The Egyptian (in Finnish Sinuhe egyptiläinen) is a historical novel by Mika Waltari. ...

Early life

Waltari was born in Helsinki and lost his father, a Lutheran pastor, at the age of five. As a boy, he witnessed the Finnish Civil War in Helsinki. Later he enrolled in the University of Helsinki as a theology student, according to his mother's wishes, but soon abandoned theology in favour of philosophy, aesthetics and literature, graduating in 1929. While studying, he contributed to various magazines and wrote poetry and stories, getting his first book published in 1925. In 1927 he went to Paris where he wrote his first major novel Suuri illusioni ('The Grand Illusion'), a story of bohemian life. In terms of style, the novel is considered to be the Finnish equivalent to the works of the American writers of the Lost Generation. (In Waltari's historical novel The Adventurer, taking place in the 16th century, the hero is a Finn who goes to Paris during his twenties and lives there a rather bohemian life.) Waltari also was, for a while, a member of the liberal literary movement Tulenkantajat, though his political and social views later turned ultra-conservative. He was married in 1931 and had a daughter, Satu, who also became a writer. Location of Helsinki in Northern Europe Coordinates: , Country Province Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki Charter 1550 Capital city 1812 Government  - City manager Jussi Pajunen Area  - City 187. ... The Lutheran movement is a group of denominations of Protestant Christianity by the original definition. ... Combatants Whites: White Guards, German Empire, Swedish volunteers Reds: Red Guards, Russian SFSR Commanders C.G.E. Mannerheim Ali Aaltonen, Eero Haapalainen, Eino Rahja, Kullervo Manner Strength 80,000–90,000 Finns, 550 Swedish volunteers, 13,000 Germans[1] 80,000–90,000 Finns, 4,000–10,000 Russians[1... University of Helsinki is not to be confused with Helsinki University of Technology. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... The philosopher Socrates about to take poison hemlock as ordered by the court. ... The Parthenons facade showing an interpretation of golden rectangles in its proportions. ... Old book bindings at the Merton College library. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1925 (MCMXXV) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... The term bohemian was first used in the nineteenth century to describe the non-traditional lifestyles of marginalized and impoverished artists, writers, musicians, and actors in major European cities. ... For other uses, see Lost Generation (disambiguation). ... The Adventurer (Original title Mikael Karvajalka) by Mika Waltari is a fictional tale of young Finnish man, Mikael Karvajalka, set in 16th century medieval Europe. ... Look up liberal on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Liberal may refer to: Politics: Liberalism American liberalism, a political trend in the USA Political progressivism, a political ideology that is for change, often associated with liberal movements Liberty, the condition of being free from control or restrictions Liberal Party, members of... Tulenkantajat was literature group in Finland, dunring the 1920s. ... Ths article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Waltari worked hectically as a journalist and critic, writing for a number of newspapers and magazines and travelling widely in Europe. He directed the magazine Suomen Kuvalehti. At the same time, he kept writing books in many genres, moving easily from one literary field to another. His busy schedule and strict work ethic often worsened his bipolar disorder, however, and he frequently suffered from insomnia and depression, sometimes to the extent of needing hospital treatment. He participated, and often succeeded, in literary competitions to prove the quality of his work to critics. One of these competitions gave rise to one of his most popular characters, Inspector Palmu, a gruff detective of the Helsinki police department, who starred in three mystery novels, all of which were filmed (a fourth one was made without Waltari involved). Waltari also scripted the popular cartoon Kieku ja Kaiku and wrote Aiotko kirjailijaksi, a guidebook for aspiring writers that influenced many younger writers such as Kalle Päätalo. Face The 1930s (years from 1930–1939) were described as an abrupt shift to more radical and conservative lifestyles, as countries were struggling to find a solution to the Great Depression, also known in Europe as the World Depression. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For other uses, see Bipolar. ... This article is about the sleeping disorder. ... Clinical depression (also called major depressive disorder, or unipolar depression when compared to bipolar disorder) is a state of intense sadness, melancholia or despair that has advanced to the point of being disruptive to an individuals social functioning and/or activities of daily living. ... Inspector Palmu, depicted as a gruff detective of the Helsinki police department is one of the most most popular characters created by Finnish writer Mika Waltari (who is, however, better known outside Finland for his historical novels). ... A cartoon is any of several forms of illustrations with varied meanings that evolved from its original meaning. ... Kaarlo (Kalle) Alvar Päätalo (November 11, 1919 - November 20, 2000) was a Finnish novelist, the most popular Finnish writer in the 20th century. ...

World War II and international break-through

During the Winter War (1939–1940) and the Continuation War (1941–1944), Waltari worked in the government information center, now also placing his literary skills at the service of political propaganda. 1945 saw the publication of Waltari's first and most successful historical novel, The Egyptian. Its theme of the corruption of humanist values in a materialist world seemed curiously topical in the aftermath of World War II, and the book became an international bestseller, serving as the basis of the 1954 Hollywood movie of the same name. Waltari wrote seven more historical novels, placed in various ancient cultures, among which The Dark Angel, set during the Fall of Constantinople in 1453 is probably the best. In these novels, he gave powerful expression to his fundamental pessimism and also, in two novels set in the Roman Empire, to his Christian conviction. After the war, he also wrote several novellas, showing particular mastery in this genre. He became a member of the Finnish Academy in 1957 and received an honorary doctorate at the University of Turku in 1970. Combatants Finland Soviet Union Commanders Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim Kliment Voroshilov, later Semyon Timoshenko Strength 250,000 men 30 tanks 130 aircraft[1][2] 1,000,000 men 3,000 tanks 3,800 aircraft[3][4] Casualties 26,662 dead 39,886 wounded 1,000 captured[5] 126,875 dead... Combatants  Finland Germany  Soviet Union Commanders C.G.E. Mannerheim Kirill Meretskov Leonid Govorov Strength 530,000 Finns[1] 220,000 Germans 900,000–1,500,000[2] Casualties 58,715 dead or missing 158,000 wounded 1,500 civilian dead[3] 200,000 dead or missing 385,000 wounded... Soviet Propaganda Poster during the World War II. The text reads Red Army Fighter, SAVE US! Chinese propaganda poster from during the Cultural Revolution. ... The Egyptian (in Finnish Sinuhe egyptiläinen) is a historical novel by Mika Waltari. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... ... The Dark Angel (original title Johannes Angelos) is a novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari about the fall of Constantinople and a hopeless love story in a doomed city. ... Combatants Byzantine Empire Ottoman Sultanate Commanders Constantine XI †, Loukas Notaras, Giovanni Giustiniani †,[1] Mehmed II, ZaÄŸanos Pasha Strength 7,000[2] 80,000[1]-200,000[1][3] Casualties 4,000 dead[4] 10,000 civilian dead[5][6] unknown The Fall of Constantinople refers to the capture of... April 2 - Mehmed II begins his siege of Constantinople (Ä°stanbul). ... Motto Senatus Populusque Romanus (SPQR) The Roman Empire at its greatest extent. ... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... A novella is a narrative work of prose fiction somewhat longer than a short story but shorter than a novel. ... The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (Finnish Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia; Latin Academia Scientiarum Fennica) is a Finnish learned society. ... The University of Turku (Finnish Turun yliopisto, Swedish Ã…bo universitet), located in Turku in southwestern Finland, is the second largest university in the country as measured by student enrolment. ...

Waltari was one of the most prolific Finnish writers. He wrote at least 29 novels, 15 novellas, 6 collections of stories or fairy-tales, 6 collections of poetry and 26 plays, as well as screenplays, radioplays, non-fiction, translations, and hundreds of reviews and articles. He is also the internationally best-known Finnish writer, and his works have been translated into more than 40 languages.

Works translated into English

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Mika Waltari

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Novels

• A Stranger Came to the Farm (Vieras mies tuli taloon, 1937)
• The Egyptian (Sinuhe egyptiläinen, 1945)
• The Adventurer (Mikael Karvajalka, 1948)
• A Nail Merchant Nightfall (Neljä päivänlaskua, 1949)
• The Wanderer (Mikael Hakim, 1949)
• The Dark Angel (Johannes Angelos, 1952)
• The Etruscan (Turms kuolematon, 1955)
• The Secret of the Kingdom (Valtakunnan salaisuus, 1959)
• The Roman (Ihmiskunnan viholliset, 1964)

The Egyptian (in Finnish Sinuhe egyptiläinen) is a historical novel by Mika Waltari. ... The Adventurer (Original title Mikael Karvajalka) by Mika Waltari is a fictional tale of young Finnish man, Mikael Karvajalka, set in 16th century medieval Europe. ... The Wanderer is a book that is part 2 of 2 of Mikael Karvajalkas tale. ... The Dark Angel (original title Johannes Angelos) is a novel by Finnish author Mika Waltari about the fall of Constantinople and a hopeless love story in a doomed city. ...

Novellas

• Moonscape (Kuun maisema, 1953)
• The Tree of Dreams (Koiranheisipuu, 1961)

External links

• Introduction in English at WSOY