This website complements the book
White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian
By Jamie Bisher
An illustrated chronicle of revolution & civil war in the Russian Far East 1918-1922
Available from Amazon
ISBN 0714656909,
552 pages, 20 photos and maps
Author's Note about the Book
I wrote this book to add to the body of knowledge about a forgotten, tragic episode in history, and illuminate the many lessons in diplomacy, terrorism, peace-keeping, nation-building and foreign technical assistance this episode offers. I was excited to find a rich lode of untapped, long forgotten primary sources in the US National Archives, and frustrated that no single English-language book focused on the maelstrom in the Russian Far East after World War I.
White Terror was never intended to be an overpriced 'scholarly book' at all, but a book for the common reader (military and Russian history enthusiasts mostly) with 100 wonderful photographs from the Army Signal Corps collection, Army Military History Center and Library of Congress... But the giant Taylor & Francis swallowed Frank Cass, my original little publisher, branded White Terror as 'scholarly,' and slapped a breath-taking $125 price tag and bland textbook-like cover on it. Recently, however, Taylor & Francis has begun publishing a more economical paperback version of White Terror in recent years which is available online for under $50. j.b.
White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian
By Jamie Bisher
An illustrated chronicle of revolution & civil war in the Russian Far East 1918-1922
Available from Amazon
ISBN 0714656909,
552 pages, 20 photos and maps
Author's Note about the Book
I wrote this book to add to the body of knowledge about a forgotten, tragic episode in history, and illuminate the many lessons in diplomacy, terrorism, peace-keeping, nation-building and foreign technical assistance this episode offers. I was excited to find a rich lode of untapped, long forgotten primary sources in the US National Archives, and frustrated that no single English-language book focused on the maelstrom in the Russian Far East after World War I.
White Terror was never intended to be an overpriced 'scholarly book' at all, but a book for the common reader (military and Russian history enthusiasts mostly) with 100 wonderful photographs from the Army Signal Corps collection, Army Military History Center and Library of Congress... But the giant Taylor & Francis swallowed Frank Cass, my original little publisher, branded White Terror as 'scholarly,' and slapped a breath-taking $125 price tag and bland textbook-like cover on it. Recently, however, Taylor & Francis has begun publishing a more economical paperback version of White Terror in recent years which is available online for under $50. j.b.
Book Reviews of 'White Terror'
Journal of Slavic Military Studies, Dr. Michael Parrish, 2010 - "The magnificent study by Jamie Bisher is mainly about the Cossack warlords, primarily Atamans I.P. Kalmykov, G.M. Semenov, and the more interesting Baron Ungern-Shternberg (Sternberg), but it is also a detailed history of the civil war in Siberia... The stories about these individuals are woven into a detailed mosaic in this magnificent book that should serve as the standard historical guide to the subject. This reviewer disagrees with the author's statement that the book was not intended to be a 'scholarly book,' since it fits this description most admirably."
Kritika, Dr. Willard Sunderland, 2008 - "Of the four books [reviewed] here, Jamie Bisher’s provides the broadest overview of the general landscape, focusing on the 'rule of the atamans' (atamanshchina) identified with Semenov’s power in the Trans-Baikal and the work of his partners in Mongolia, Manchuria, and the Russian Far East, in particular Ungern-Sternberg and Kalmykov."
Revolutionary Russia, Dr. Shane O'Rourke, 2011 - "Overall, this book does add to our knowledge of the [Russian] civil war, particularly to our understanding of foreign perceptions of the conflict in Siberia."
LibraryThing, Shrike58, 2012 - "This is one of those books where the sub-title is an example of truth in advertising, as the author examines the reign of terror wrought by men such as Roman Ungern-Shternberg and Grigorii Semenov (among others) who, once freed from their obligation of service to the Czarist throne, could think of nothing better to do but prey on the Russian society of the Far East with no vision greater than personal aggrandizement. Call this part of the explanation of how the weakness of Russian society possibly made Bolshevik victory inevitable; barring a really major intervention by outside powers. ...There's really nothing else like this book on the subject."
Journal of Military Ethics, 2007 - In White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian, Jamie Bisher creates a fascinating account of the combat, brigandage, dirty politics and international intrigue which enveloped the far-flung reaches of Siberia and the Far East during Russia's Bolshevik Revolution and Civil War. Well documented and drawing heavily from period memoranda, reports, documents and memoirs, White Terror fills a clear gap in the historiography of modern Russia. The author well fulfills his stated goal of creating an accurate and coherent picture of the 'nasty lot' that plagued the railways of Siberia... In this impressive first book by Bisher, flourishing elements of style and exposition often give more of a feel of a docudrama than a history, making for a very engaging read."
Other Recommendations
Pygmy Wars, 2010 - "For those interested in the far east, there is ‘White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian’ by Jamie Bisher, covering the exploits of Semenov mainly, but also Kalmykov and Ungern-Sternberg. Recently out in paperback, this is a ‘must buy’ if you have any interest in the theatre at all ."
Goodreads, 2016 - "This is history writing at its best. There is a mass of detailed information, with excellent footnotes, and yet it is marshalled so well that we don't feel lost in the forest. The style is both lucid and vivid."
Goodreads, 2016 - "A truly excellent book which it seems never got much circulation. Few books on this topic exist in English and no others I have seen go into such detail. Some great stuff here..."
Journal of Slavic Military Studies, Dr. Michael Parrish, 2010 - "The magnificent study by Jamie Bisher is mainly about the Cossack warlords, primarily Atamans I.P. Kalmykov, G.M. Semenov, and the more interesting Baron Ungern-Shternberg (Sternberg), but it is also a detailed history of the civil war in Siberia... The stories about these individuals are woven into a detailed mosaic in this magnificent book that should serve as the standard historical guide to the subject. This reviewer disagrees with the author's statement that the book was not intended to be a 'scholarly book,' since it fits this description most admirably."
Kritika, Dr. Willard Sunderland, 2008 - "Of the four books [reviewed] here, Jamie Bisher’s provides the broadest overview of the general landscape, focusing on the 'rule of the atamans' (atamanshchina) identified with Semenov’s power in the Trans-Baikal and the work of his partners in Mongolia, Manchuria, and the Russian Far East, in particular Ungern-Sternberg and Kalmykov."
Revolutionary Russia, Dr. Shane O'Rourke, 2011 - "Overall, this book does add to our knowledge of the [Russian] civil war, particularly to our understanding of foreign perceptions of the conflict in Siberia."
LibraryThing, Shrike58, 2012 - "This is one of those books where the sub-title is an example of truth in advertising, as the author examines the reign of terror wrought by men such as Roman Ungern-Shternberg and Grigorii Semenov (among others) who, once freed from their obligation of service to the Czarist throne, could think of nothing better to do but prey on the Russian society of the Far East with no vision greater than personal aggrandizement. Call this part of the explanation of how the weakness of Russian society possibly made Bolshevik victory inevitable; barring a really major intervention by outside powers. ...There's really nothing else like this book on the subject."
Journal of Military Ethics, 2007 - In White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian, Jamie Bisher creates a fascinating account of the combat, brigandage, dirty politics and international intrigue which enveloped the far-flung reaches of Siberia and the Far East during Russia's Bolshevik Revolution and Civil War. Well documented and drawing heavily from period memoranda, reports, documents and memoirs, White Terror fills a clear gap in the historiography of modern Russia. The author well fulfills his stated goal of creating an accurate and coherent picture of the 'nasty lot' that plagued the railways of Siberia... In this impressive first book by Bisher, flourishing elements of style and exposition often give more of a feel of a docudrama than a history, making for a very engaging read."
Other Recommendations
Pygmy Wars, 2010 - "For those interested in the far east, there is ‘White Terror: Cossack Warlords of the Trans-Siberian’ by Jamie Bisher, covering the exploits of Semenov mainly, but also Kalmykov and Ungern-Sternberg. Recently out in paperback, this is a ‘must buy’ if you have any interest in the theatre at all ."
Goodreads, 2016 - "This is history writing at its best. There is a mass of detailed information, with excellent footnotes, and yet it is marshalled so well that we don't feel lost in the forest. The style is both lucid and vivid."
Goodreads, 2016 - "A truly excellent book which it seems never got much circulation. Few books on this topic exist in English and no others I have seen go into such detail. Some great stuff here..."
Copyright 2018, J. Bisher