CrimeaCrimea by Orlando Figes is a masterful recounting of the tumultuous and devastating Crimean War that gripped the mid 19th century. This war, which resulted in the deaths of at least 800,000 men, saw Russia up against a formidable coalition of Britain, France, and the Ottoman Empire. The conflict was driven by multiple motives: territorial ambition, religious fervour, and the fear of Russian expansion. Should the Ottoman Empire collapse, Russia could