Russell's thorough 1865 review of the Russian military engineer Todleben's work emphasises its importance to historians of the Crimean War.This 1865 book began as a review in The Times of the five-volume work of General Todleben, the military engineer whose work in creating and continually adapting the land defences of Sevastopol in 18545 enabled the fortress to hold out against British bombardment for a whole year.This 1865 book began as a review in The Times of the five-volume work of General Todleben, the military engineer whose work in creating and continually adapting the land defences of Sevastopol in 18545 enabled the fortress to hold out against British bombardment for a whole year.The journalist William Howard Russell (18201907) is sometimes regarded as being the first war correspondent, and his reports from the conflict in the Crimea are also credited with being a cause of reforms made to the British military system. This 1865 book began as a review in The Times of the five-volume work of General Eduard Todleben (or Totleben), the military engineer and Russian Army General, whose work in creating and continually adapting the land defences of Sevastopol in 18545 made him a hero and enabled the fortress to hold out against British bombardment for a whole year. Russell added extracts from the original book to his review, and enlarged his commentary on the Russian text, producing a thorough and accurate synthesis, but always highlighting the central importance of the Russian work to any student of the history of the Sevastopol siege.Preface; 1. Our first victories; 2. The early and late histories; 3. The Russian history; 4. The march of Russia; 5. The ascent of the Czars; 6. Menschikoff's mission; 7. Declaration of war; 8. Siege of Silistria; 9. Defenceless Russia; 10. The Russian armies; 11. The forces of the Allies; 12. The condition of Sebastopol; 13. The state of Sebastopol; 14. Menschikoff surprised; 15. Selection of the Alma; 16. The choice of landinlÓ!