Description: "The extraordinary true story of America's forgotten invasion of Russia: one-thousand miles north of Moscow, five-thousand brave U.S. troops from Michigan fought the Red Army during the winter of 1918-1919 in brutal arctic conditions."--Provided by publisher.
Brief description:
James Carl Nelson received the 2017 Marine Corps Heritage Foundation's Colonel Joseph Alexander Award for Biography. He is the author of three acclaimed histories of the American experience in World War I: I Will Hold: The Story of USMC Legend Clifton B. Cates, from Belleau Wood to Victory in the Great War; Five Lieutenants: The Heartbreaking Story of Five Harvard Men Who Led America to Victory in World War I; and The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War. A former staff writer for the Miami Herald, he lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Review Quotes:
"Urgent. ... A wild ride through an American military campaign few know much about. ... Nelson does yeoman's work in telling the stories of these men and their exploits." - Booklist
"The Polar Bear Expedition is a fascinating, vivid exploration of an erased moment of U.S. military history. Nelson tackles the material with expertise and clarity." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"The Russians invaded the United States [in 2016], but the Americans invaded Russia first. ... How'd that happen? Nelson's thorough history of the 3rd Battalion, 339th Infantry Regiment, empathetically explains the unexpected, unusual duty station." - Military Times, "Spring Reading List: Top Nonfiction"
"James Carl Nelson deserves an A for his excellent book, The Polar Bear Expedition." - Wall Street Journal
"Fast-paced. ... Intimate. ... Vivid, well-researched." - Kirkus Reviews
"[An] engrossing narrative. ... Crisp, character-driven." - Publishers Weekly
"[A] heartbreaking story of bravery. ... Exhaustively researched and full of vivid detail." - LeeWoodruff.com
"Nelson's well-written and well-researched history brings this often overlooked war to life. ... Intimate. ... Heartbreaking. ... The Polar Bear Expedition is more than a great celebration of this little-known conflict." - New York Journal of Books
"James Carl Nelson masterfully tells the incredible story of 'Detroit's Own' Doughboys, who were sent a thousand miles north of Moscow to battle the Bolsheviks in minus-60 degree winds. How most of these unsung heroes survived, how five 'Polar Bears' returned to reclaim those who didn't a decade later, and how the ripples from that conflict washed right up to the 2016 election, are all mysteries Nelson solves. You'll wonder why you've never heard of this amazing story before." - John U. Bacon, author of The Great Halifax Explosion: A World War I Story of Treachery, Tragedy, and Extraordinary Heroism
"I love untold stories and James Carl Nelson serves up a great one by bringing to light a forgotten period of American history. Using primary sources, he skillfully weaves together the story of the Polar Bears and their unsung expedition to Russia. The Polar Bear Expedition is an exceptional book that vividly evokes the drama, chaos, and stench of battle." - Patrick K. O'Donnell, bestselling author of The Unknowns: The Untold Story of America's Unknown Soldier and WWI's Most Decorated Heroes Who Brought Him Home
"A master of narrative history, James Carl Nelson brings to light a long-forgotten story of America's involvement during the Russian Civil War. The Polar Bear Expedition is exhaustively researched and rich in detail. A very fine book." - Mitchell Yockelson, author of Forty-Seven Days: How Pershing's Warriors Came of Age to Defeat the German Army in World War I
"With exceptional research and his proven story-telling brilliance, James Carl Nelson has brought us the gripping, untold true story of American soldiers fighting not on the Western Front but on the frozen battlefields of the Russian Civil War. The Polar Bear Expedition shines a long-overdue spotlight on one of the most neglected chapters of the First World War." - Matthew J. Davenport, author of First Over There: The Attack on Cantigny, America's First Battle of World War I