All 111 VC recipients of the Crimean War are profiled in this detailed military history—with forty-five portraits. In 1854, Great Britain went to war against the Russia Empire on the Crimean Peninsula. To honor the British soldiers who showed extraordinary valor in that conflict, the Victoria Cross was introduced. Now, drawing on four decades of accumulated research, historian James Bancroft tells the stories of these first VC recipients for the first time. Bancroft describes who the men were, how they gained the Victoria Cross, and their postwar lives. He also includes detailed information on burial places, memorials, and dates of awards and promotions. The 111 men profiled here performed deeds of exceptional courage. Among them are heroes who put themselves in mortal danger by picking up live shells that could have blown them apart at any moment; gallant troopers who took part in a cavalry charge they knew was doomed; and valiant individuals who had the audacity to sneak into unknown territory.