a brief history of The Crimean War
the causes and consequences of a medieval conflict fought in a modern age
   by Alexis Troubetzkoy

Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do or die.
              Alfred, Lord Tennyson

The war and its causes was a colossal comedy of errors in which at every moment the question was asked, "Who is being swindled here?"
              Frederick Engels


a conflict I'd heard about (Charge of the Light Brigade, and Florence Nightingale) but knew nothing about.
the whys, wheres and whats are explained here in a reading which really points out the absurdity of war, and the anguish of the men (and women) of those who were 'lead' into the fighting.
interestingly, it was from what I gather, one of the first times England and France were allies.