Crimea

By: Orlando Figes

Narrated by: Malk Williams

The terrible conflict that dominated the mid-19th century, the Crimean War, killed at least 800,000 men and pitted Russia against a formidable coalition of Britain, France and the Ottoman Empire. It was a war for territory, provoked by fear that if the Ottoman Empire were to collapse then Russia could control a huge swathe of land from the Balkans to the Persian Gulf. But it was also a war of religion, driven by a fervent, populist and ever more ferocious belief by the Tsar and his ministers that it was Russia's task to rule all Orthodox Christians and control the Holy Land.

Orlando Figes' major new book reimagines this extraordinary war, in which the stakes could not have been higher and which was fought with a terrible mixture of ferocity and incompetence. It was both a recognisably modern conflict - the first to be extensively photographed, the first to employ the telegraph, the first 'newspaper war' - and a traditional one, with illiterate soldiers, amateur officers and huge casualties caused by disease. Drawing on a huge range of fascinating sources, Figes also gives the lived experience of the war, from that of the ordinary British soldier in his snow-filled trench to the haunted, gloomy, narrow figure of Tsar Nicholas himself as he vows to take on the whole world in his hunt for religious salvation.

©2010 Orlando Figes (P)2018 Audible, Ltd

Solid Book on the Subject

Not knowing much about the conflict, I was interested in finding out all the details I could on the subject in one book. Orlando Figes, certainly does that and leaves no stone unturned on the subject. From great descriptions of all the historical actors and their stories. To setting up the historical and regional context for both before and after the war, which I personally found as interesting and if not more than the conflict itself. The war, is broken down into all it's events and stages in great detail, gives the reader not only a general's view but also that of the enlisted soldier. Very detailed but not enough to bore you with figures. Last of all, the book is well written and so will most certainly be given anther read. ​

marvelous insight into this forgotten conflict

Very well composed and quite easy to follow, one of the things I appreciated most about this book was it's emphasis on providing context. it's not just the Crimean conflict you're learning about here... no, you're taken into the many origins and far-reaching consequences of the war on both sides aswell. would highly recommend it!

Interesting but slow

I knew little about this war and its antecedents, so I learned a lot. The pace seemed to drag a times, so I think I could have done with a little bit less.

Amazing account of a forgotten war

Orlando Figes has provided a stirring account of an all but forgotten war. The Crimean War is the epitome of war where nothing was truly gained or lost by either side. His description of “Russo phobia” is right on target in regards to the west, and that is what essentially threw the French and British into the heat of battle. But no one won, and thousands upon thousands of lives were lost before Russian capitulation. Malk Williams narration is just right for the pacing of the story.

Excellent detailed history of a forgotten war

Very well researched. Delivery was first rate. I learned a lot from this book. Highly recommend.

recommended

I think the author has done a great job covering the lead-up of the war, the war itself, as well as the long-term consequences. it covers military, political, and cultural topics. The narrator was well suited to the book and did not sound monotone to me. When quoting sources, he adds a subtle inflection or accent to his voice which some may find distracting, but adds clarity to who is speaking at a given time

Very detailed account

Great in-depth story of the Crimean War. The Author did and excellent job also of detailing the events leading up to the war and of the consequences of the war.

A brilliant linking of great events.

Crimean War unfortunately remains unknown even to some of the modern theory bound historians. With his usual vigourous and insightful holistic analysis of a local historical event, Orlando Figes links it to the shattering global changes the Great War brought about. As usual when it comes to all so-called great events, it was precipitated by the hypocrisy, gross incompetence and the pusillanimity of the 'Great Powers'. Documentary evidence of this has not been forthcoming largely because most historians were all too keen to explain historical events in terms of some putative intensions of the decision-makers involved and dragging in the unpredictability of its outcome when an event has been initiated. Professor Figes illumines the past by drawing our attention to the foibles and frailties of the historial 'greats', and one sees clearly how unwise it is to expect integrity and competence either from the democratic or the autocratic unless those two qualities are embodied in our 'leaders'. Alas! Then as now, we can be depended on to make wrong choices, going for the packing and wrapping rather than the content. The only difference being that the buffoons of yore often had impeccable manners while their modern counterparts are mere cunning yokels.

The reading is good, and I am delighted to recommend this wonderful book to anyone who would care to see how today is shaped by the past events. It is nothing short of a revealation to anyone with a modicum of curiosity, and such an illumination
cannot be achieved in a few pages, nor without offering the reader ample background material. I am very happy I bought this book, and shall read it many times.

Excellent and highly detailed reassessment

Figes provides a much needed reassessment of the origins, conduct, and aftermath of the Crimean War. His work provides badly needed perspective from Russian, French, and Turkish sources, which helps address the anglophile bias that plagues most studies or book chapters on the subject in most other English language histories. While the title probably hopes to draw readers interested precedents for Putin's aggression against Ukraine, the cautionary tale hits closer to home. First, Western powers convinced of their greatness and unconcerned with their ignorance of the rest of the world should be very cautious about choosing a foreign policy advocated by the loudest chicken hawk in the press or politics. Second, the assumption that a middle eastern country is a hotbed of tolerance and freedom only needing a war to unleash it is a mirage. Third, if a country has created a crisis and wants you to join it in war in response, then that country is not an ally worth having. The origins of this war are hardly perpetual Russian aggression, but that does not mean Russian foreign policy is never aggressive. Russia's urgent need for modernization and representative government are there too, but not something one needs this book to discover.
The narrator is quite good overall, but made an odd choice to read certain figures in a generic "not Western" accent, but one that is definitely not Russian or Turkish. I'm not sure that reading Russian leaders' writings with a Russian accent would have enriched the reading, but the miscellaneous one did not help.

Easy read for a first time history book.

Only thing missing is a map, which would help a lot when learning the specific geographical locations of all these battles, which of course you don't get in an audio-book. I found Google helpful for moments like that.

The book perfectly sums up the motivations of the most influential figures of the parties involved and how disputes among these parties led to the Crimean War. The battles are so descriptive and immersive and gives you a nice window into military strategy and tactics of the time (mostly from British, French, and Russian accounts, with less information from the Ottoman and muslim Caucasian tribes of whom were also war participants, but with lesser documentation) and how advancements the British and French made in thise military tactics won the ultimate prize of peace by which the western powers would use to strengthen their global positions against a technologically backwards and now-defeated Russia.