A West Michigan Polar Bear Confronts the Bolsheviks: A War Memoir

Name: A West Michigan Polar Bear Confronts the Bolsheviks: A War Memoir
Price: 26.55 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780802865205

By: Geofrey J. Anderson

Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. / 2010 / Paperback

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Product Description

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* During World War I, Anderson found himself in a horrific situation when he joined a 5,000-man American contingent sent to northern Russia to prevent materials from falling into Bolshevik hands. In this compelling memoir, he shares his harrowing experience and leaves readers to wonder when---or if---interference in the affairs of other nations is justified. 192 pages, softcover from Eerdmans.

Product Information

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Title: A West Michigan Polar Bear Confronts the Bolsheviks: A War Memoir
By: Geofrey J. Anderson
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 192
Vendor: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Publication Date: 2010

Dimensions: 9.00 X 6.00 (inches)
Weight: 12 ounces
ISBN: 0802865208
ISBN-13: 9780802865205
Stock No: WW865205

Publisher's Description

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When he was drafted for duty in the United States Army during World War I, Godfrey Anderson had no idea he was about to embark on a horrific adventure that would find him doing battle with Bolshevik revolutionaries in the frozen reaches of northern Russia. He became one of a 5,000-man American contingent assigned to join British troops in an effort to prevent Allied war materials from falling into Bolshevik hands. / Realizing that this compelling story was lost in the larger story of World War I, Anderson decided to offer this memoir so that succeeding generations would know and learn from his experience. And although he chooses not to pass judgment on the policy that sent him to Russia, his story still leaves readers to wonder when — and if — interference in the affairs of other nations is justified.

Author Bio

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Godfrey J. Anderson was a Word War I veteran who served as a Polar Bear in the battle with the Bolsheviks.

Gordon L. Olson (1943–2024) was an expert in Grand Rapids history. He held the position of assistant director of the Grand Rapids Public Museum and was later appointed to the role of Grand Rapids City Historian. He also served on the board of the Historical Society of Michigan and was a founding member of the National Council of Public History. Additionally, he taught history at Grand Rapids Community College and Grand Valley State University. Olson was the author or editor of more than forty books, including Thin Ice: Coming of Age in Grand Rapids, A Michigan Polar Bear Confronts the Bolsheviks, and The Notorious Isaac Earl and His Scouts.

Editorial Reviews

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“In this first-rate first-person account of a Michigan farm boy’s adventure during World War I, expertly enriched and set in historical context by Gordon Olson, Godfrey Anderson gives a soldier’s-eye view of battling the elements and the Bolsheviks in the Russian Arctic. He clearly and honestly tells about the Americans’ first clash with the Red Army, an expedition that became a prelude to the Cold War.”
— Frank N. Schubert
Historian (ret.), Office of the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

“Godfrey Anderson, a Michigan farm boy who became a “Polar Bear,” wrote a richly detailed and highly readable account of his World War I experiences in Russia. Thanks to Gordon Olson for making available a well-illustrated and thoughtfully edited version of this valuable primary source.”
— Perry D. Jamieson
Senior Historian (ret.), U.S. Air Force
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