A Michigan Polar Bear Confronts the Bolsheviks: A War Memoir - Paperback

by Godfrey J. Anderson (Author), Gordon L. Olson (Editor)

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 Biography

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.