The Polar Bear Expedition: The Heroes of America's Forgotten Invasion of Russia, 1918-1919

I looked forward to The Polar Bear Expedition for the better part of the year, hoping that it would be similar to The Winter Fortress, another tale of wartime exploits in the polar north. Unfortunately, after two attempts at this one, I think I'm calling it quits.

James Carl Nelson catalogued the 1919 expedition that saw 5,000 American soldiers - including the Michigan-based 339th - battling the newly-formed Soviet Red Army. Also, the Spanish flu. These men expected to be headed to the Western Front when they enlisted (or were drafted) late in World War I, only to be shipped north of the Arctic Circle and into the throes of the Russian civil war and General Winter, that frozen season that did in Napoleon and would later do in the Wehrmacht.

While this under-known episode of World War I(ish) history is interesting in its own right, I got bogged down in the writing and found the book difficult to read for more than 20 minutes at a time. This is a case of an author having conducted a tremendous amount of research, but needing to edit it down to a more manageable and cohesive whole.

For those who are interested in every.last.aspect. of World War I, this might be a worthwhile and fulfilling read. For those who prefer their history to have more of a narrative feel, The Polar Bear Expedition is harder to recommend.