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The Fate of Admiral Kolchak

Peter Fleming

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Mar 06, 2013 Feliks rated it really liked it

Shelves: international, good-nonfiction, classic-history, brit-lit-classic

There are some peoples who will never earn--nor merit-- the distinction of being labelled a 'nation'. Murderers --savages--brutal, lawless rabble--never deserve any such compunction. This is a horrifying episode in the history of such a people. That's the first impression I gain from this superb book.

During the latter stages of WWI--while attention (then and now) was focused much more so on the trenches in Belgium and France; similar primitivism and barbarism were being brought to a high pitch i There are some peoples who will never earn--nor merit-- the distinction of being labelled a 'nation'. Murderers --savages--brutal, lawless rabble--never deserve any such compunction. This is a horrifying episode in the history of such a people. That's the first impression I gain from this superb book.

During the latter stages of WWI--while attention (then and now) was focused much more so on the trenches in Belgium and France; similar primitivism and barbarism were being brought to a high pitch in the far-away reaches of the East. Did you know that America, France, Japan, & Britain all landed troops in Siberia during the Bolshevik uprising?

Assembling the facts of the various debacles that took place there--scrutinizing them--evaluating the men who took part in them, summing up their decision-making, their actions, their honour or lack of honour--that's the purpose of this entertaining work of nonfiction. It's a worthwhile task; sobering and mortifying at the same time...to review what men are capable of when the chips-are-down.

The story of this one particularly odd individual--Admiral Kolchak--is very singular indeed. A lodestone for his age, perhaps. He was stamped with the emphatically foolish heroism of the 1800s. This is a man who --of his own volition, out of his own strange sense of gesture--cast himself willingly among various bands of brigands and cutthroats. The lesson he exemplifies is this: never volunteer for anything. Never trust other men's word. He allowed himself to be used as a figurehead and was --as figureheads always are--dashed to the ground. But all that being said: what a man. His is a stirring story, and an indictment of the men around him in the early 1910s.

Written in the classical manner of historical nonfiction by Peter Fleming, intrepid adventurer and reporter--older brother of young Ian Fleming--this rich tale is immensely readable, entertaining, and sagacious. It is sumptuous but also economically told--it exemplifies the great lineage of historical journalism.

There's just no denying that its a very handsome book. I'm proud to own it; proud to have it on my bookshelf. It possesses many merits (and all of them in heaping measure): author's preface, author's dedication, list of illustrations and maps, brief sections of 'just photos only', footnotes, index, bibliography, glossary.

The prose is eloquent and exquisite; in the best British format. Fleming's pace is deliberate, perspicacious, and thoughtful. He takes intricate bits-of-history and makes them lucid and marvellous. I can think of no one else better than this gentleman to investigate this terrible wartime episode and deliver--as he does--the subtlest and finest verdict on it.

It's extremely likely that I will continue to read further works by this author. Bravo! ...more

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May 05, 2016 KOMET marked it as to-read

Shelves: europe-1900-to-1989

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