Rodric Braithwaite

The Crimean War spelt the end of hymns to heroism and glory

Writing from opposite sides, Leo Tolstoy and William Howard Russell exposed the horror of conditions in a quagmire war which seemed to have no meaning

Photograph of Sir William Russell Howard in the Crimea by Roger Fenton, 1855. [GHI/Universal Images/Getty Images] 
issue 28 September 2024
  • Comments

  • Crimean Quagmire: Tolstoy, Russell and the Birth of Modern Warfare

    Gregory Carleton

    Hurst, pp. 264, £27

GIF Image

Disagree with half of it, enjoy reading all of it

TRY 3 MONTHS FOR $5
Our magazine articles are for subscribers only. Start your 3-month trial today for just $5 and subscribe to more than one view

Read next

Trending

Druin Burch

What’s wrong with national stereotypes?

From Spectator Life
Saying that national generalisations have fallen out of fashion is an understatement. Stereotypes have become less common and less tolerated. But not all is unblemished improvement, and something of value has been lost. National generalisations – often misnamed racial – now veer close to thought crimes. A pity – national generalisations are a basic tool

More on 19th-century history

Also by Rodric Braithwaite

Latest

Comments

Join the debate for just £1 a month

Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.

Already a subscriber? Log in