Combining history and analysis, Petroff traces the course of the Russian Civil War that was waged east of the Volga River in Siberia. He asserts that the Russian Civil War in the east was not solely a Siberian experience, but rather influenced by various anti-Bolshevik military uprisings that acted independent of Siberia's "White" army. Utilizing biographical portraits of protagonists from both sides of the conflict, Petroff examines the coup that brought Kolchak to power, the social and political synthesis and military strengths of the White and Red armies, the popular uprisings that plagued both White and Bolshevik governments and the benefits and misfortunes of allied intervention. Also included is a complete accounting of the Russian gold seized by the Whites and the Czechoslovak Legion, as well as a commentary on the poor leadership and strategic disadvantages that led to the demise of the White army.