The Crimean War

by Paul Kerr

Combining oral and visual history, this description of the Crimean War is compiled with the use of extracts from a considerable number of eye-witness accounts in the form of letters and diaries of soldiers, sailors, doctors, nurses, artists and reporters. They include views from all sides of the conflict - not only British, but French, Russian and Turkish. The war was the first to be photographed (by Roger Fenton and his colleagues), and the first to which professional war artists were assigned, and the book is extensively illustrated with images created by those photographers and artists.

Genres: History, War

272 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1997

Reviews

[Russ Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

a very readable account of the events of the Crimean War, the major battles, incidents, personalities & mainly the incompetence that led to the war lasting as long as it did, & killing so many. Basically the winners were the least incompetent...

[Wes · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well . . . if you know NOTHING about the Crimean War, maybe don't start with this book. Or maybe do so it forces you to dig up more info on the subject . . . I don't know. Personally, I don't really know all that much about the Crimean War. All I know is that it is a very significant war in terms of the shaping of the 20th century, so when I found this book, I was really looking forward to it. That being said, I don't really feel like I learned a whole hell of a lot from this book by the end.

The book kind of reads like a Cliff notes summary of the war actions and battles interspersed with little blocks of eye witness accounts. You never stay with an eye witness account for more than a couple of paragraphs before you are back to a general summary of events and never with one particular eyewitness through an entire chapter. To me, that makes this book more for someone who has a bit of foreknowledge on the subject but would like to read some eyewitness accounts from specific events.

The book is well written, but I feel like there are probably much better, much more informative books on the matter.

[Bill38silver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to this book fresh from reading the 137 letters of George Dallas, see "Eyewitness in the Crimea", mostly confined (literally) to the seige of Sebastopol. This encouraged me to read this well constructed account on the wider conflict of the Crimean War. I have not seen the companion Channel 4 TV programme but intend to seek it out as war in this location continues to fascinate and appall.

This is a straightforward narrative of the 1853-6 international conflict with suitably interesting first hand accounts from those living, fighting, writing, surviving, and dying in large numbers from the main players (Russia, Britain, France, Turkey but only third hand on the Sardinian involvement). The text is accompanied by numerous photos, many large and in atmospheric black and white that help imagine you are there.

The book was published in 1997. Its final lines are "Sebastopol remains a place, not only of strategic importance but also of patriotic emotion for the Russians. Let us hope there continues to be peace in the Crimea". Tragically, in 2023 that is not the case.

[Kevin Pease · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of interesting facts but too disjointed, not an enjoyable read. It's a Channel Four book so may be based on a television programme, which may explain the confused approach.