With Snow on Their Boots - by Jamie H Cockfield (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

In 1916, in an exchange of human flesh for war material, the Russian government sent to France two brigades to fight on the side of their French allies. By the end of World War I, these two brigades had experienced their own form of the Russian Revolution, had been isolated at a southern training post in a discipline move by the French government, had battled against each other in what was one of the first confrontations of the Russian Civil War, and had emerged from the conflict as a single force, the Russian Legion of Honor, which would remain loyal to France until the end of the war. The remarkable story of these Russian soldiers has been overlooked by historians until now. Jamie Cockfield here explores the journey and transformation of these men, and in so doing, he examines the impact of the revolution on the Russians who were caught in the middle of wartime alliances and nationalist ardor.

Review Quotes

"Cockfield describes the ultimate fate of these hapless pawns with eloquence, compassion and analytical skill." --Booklist

"A sad and engrossing study." --Kirkus Reviews

"...a fascinating book...an exciting book that specialists and general readers will find most worthwhile." --Slavic and East European Journal

About the Author

Jamie H. Cockfield is Professor of Russian History at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia.