The Crimean War

School Library Journal

Gr 8 UpThe Crimean War is a remarkably pivotal moment in history. It stands at the end of an era in warfare that reached its height in the Napoleonic wars and, because it was the first war to be extensively covered by the press, it is perched at the dawn of the modern age. This volume gives an easy-to-read, unbiased view of the causes of the war, the main parties involved, and important events. Bachrach begins with a chronology and an introduction that sets the stage. The prose is lean and engaging. The author's writing and the well-chosen quotes, maps, and black-and-white photographs and illustrations bring the story to life. Surprisingly absent from the works cited and the list of books for further reading is Leo Tolstoy's Sebastopol Sketches. The fact that one of the greatest writers who ever lived wrote an eyewitness account of an important siege and that Bachrach chose not to quote from or mention this work is an oversight. Despite this omission, this is a satisfactory addition. It won't frighten nonreaders with its bulk or insult young researchers by its tone. It's a good starting place for students looking for information on 19th-century warfare, Czarist Russia, or social and political factors that would later push Europe into World War I.Herman Sutter, Saint Pius X High School, Houston, TX