Sevastopol

Before War and Peace, there was Sevastopol—Leo Tolstoy's vivid, unflinching account of war, courage, and the human cost of empire. Based on Tolstoy's own experiences as a young officer during the Crimean War, Sevastopol is a collection of three powerful sketches that take readers deep into the heart of the 1854–55 siege of the Black Sea port. With stark realism and moral clarity, Tolstoy depicts the chaos of battle, the quiet suffering of soldiers, and the haunting question of what it truly means to be brave. From the fog of war to the silent dignity of the wounded, these sketches marked a turning point in Tolstoy's career—offering not only a critique of military glory but a compassionate portrait of humanity in its most desperate hour. A searing anti-war classic, Sevastopol remains as urgent and resonant today as it was over a century ago.