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Quartered in Hell: The Story of the American North Russia Expeditionary Force 1918-1919 Paperback – January 1, 1982

4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

Americans fighting in North Russia and Siberia from 1918 to 1920. Illustrated cover with red and white lettering on spine. 11 x 8.5. 320 pp
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ G O S; First Edition (January 1, 1982)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0942258002
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0942258004
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2 pounds
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 9 ratings

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4.8 out of 5 stars
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2009
    I got the book years ago out of personal interest. My Grandfather was in the 337th Ambulance Co. and was one of the Polar Bears. He died before I was born & I wanted to learn about what he'd seen.
    Lots of first hand information taken from letters & accounts of the troops themselves. Easy to read, not a "dry" military history. At the price it goes for it probably wont end up in the hands of many casual readers, but it's worth the read if you're looking into the Polar Bears.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2009
    Wow. What a great story. Abuse of troops, command breakdown, supply problems, communications issues. All the things that normaly lead to the destruction of a fighting force yet these Army troopers carried on and served with great skill. To bad it was not a politically correct action for the time because more of them should have been awarded medals and more of the leadership should have been court martialed. A great read in words of the men who served would make a great movie.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2011
    My father was a volunteer with the Polar Bears and was in this campaign. I was encouraged to read this book by the adminidtrator of the Michigan's Own Museum. We attended the Memorial Day ceremony and Polar Bear family reunion in Troy, Michigan which is held annually. The Georgia marble bear at the cemetary is a beautiful tribute to the men who suffered so much in Russia. This book is not a dry military history but tells the story of the men from Michigan and Kentucky who courageously fought in an unoffical war moved by their Catholic faith.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2010
    A fascinating story of how the US Army fought the "Reds" in North Russia 1918-1919 in an undeclared war {For the record there was a parallel "Expedition" involving the US in Siberia 1918-1920 as well}. The "objectives" of the Allied Forces was a mishmash of conflicting policies-against a war hardened and experienced foe with a nearly 30 degrees below zero arctic tempretature {similar to
    Korea Xmas 1950}....
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2005
    "Somewhere in Russia" is how most letters to home from this frozen hell began...I know. The men who served in Russia, 1918-1919 were chosen specifically because of their upbringing in the frozen north country of the U.S. Thus, "Detroit's Own" Polar Bear Division was sent on a confusing, ill-defined, and semi-secret mission at the top of the world and stayed, AFTER the Armistice was signed. This odyssey, told in their own words, is magnificently laid out by Dennis Gordan and Hayes Otoupalik. It illustrates, with compassion, the suffering and privation our Doughboys endured there. My interest in this saga is personal: My grandfather was a Polar Bear. He went to Russia as a Private in "A" Company, 4th Platoon, 339th Infantry. "Quartered in Hell" is his story.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2002
    In this book, the face of war and political expediency are exposed like the Emperor in his "new" clothes. The photographs, diaries, reminiscences and letters of the soldiers who served in that Arctic backwater tell an authentic tale of unrelieved military mismanagement. Indelible images of suffering and death emerge that give credence to war as "Idiot's Delight." There's the young Russian girl bleeding to death from an arm torn from her body by a random shell burst. As her life flows away, she desperately clings to the hand of an American doughboy who shamelessly weeps. There's the two soldiers who have just finished their breakfasts and going on patrol. One saves part of his food and asks his partner why he hasn't saved any of his for later, to which his friend relies, "There might not be any later." The speaker is killed in battle two hours later. As the Americans abandon a position about to be overrun by Bolos, one of the rear guard hears loud prayers issuing from one of the bunkers. He finds a young soldier with both legs mangled by a shell burst. He stays with him and tries to comfort him before he died. And then, there's an account of the futile and pointless Battle of Armistace Day at Toulgas. This work is an account that can still draw tears of compassion.
    5 people found this helpful
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