
'...not a novel, even less is it a poem, and still less a historical chronicle'
- Leo Tolstoy
Striking a balance between philosophical discussion and compelling story-telling, War and Peace transcends the restrictions that Tolstoy perceived in the conventional novel.
Set in Russia during the Napoleonic era, this epic novel follows the fortunes of five aristocratic Russian families over the course of the French invasion. Tolstoy's timeless portrayal of the fates of families set against the backdrop of war is ultimately optimistic and life-affirming, with the educated, but socially awkward Count Pierre Bezukhov often giving voice to Tolstoy's own beliefs.
Weaving together the historical and the personal, this powerful work of Russian literature encompasses the entirety of human existence.
Count **Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy** (Russian: **Лев Николаевич Толстой**, 9 September 1828 – 20 November 1910), usually referred to in English as **Leo Tolstoy**, was a Russian writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential authors of all time. Tolstoy's notable works include the novels *War and Peace* (1869) and *Anna Karenina* (1878), often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction, and two of the greatest books of all time.

'...not a novel, even less is it a poem, and still less a historical chronicle'
- Leo Tolstoy
Striking a balance between philosophical discussion and compelling story-telling, War and Peace transcends the restrictions that Tolstoy perceived in the conventional novel.
Set in Russia during the Napoleonic era, this epic novel follows the fortunes of five aristocratic Russian families over the course of the French invasion. Tolstoy's timeless portrayal of the fates of families set against the backdrop of war is ultimately optimistic and life-affirming, with the educated, but socially awkward Count Pierre Bezukhov often giving voice to Tolstoy's own beliefs.
Weaving together the historical and the personal, this powerful work of Russian literature encompasses the entirety of human existence.
Count **Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy** (Russian: **Лев Николаевич Толстой**, 9 September 1828 – 20 November 1910), usually referred to in English as **Leo Tolstoy**, was a Russian writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest and most influential authors of all time. Tolstoy's notable works include the novels *War and Peace* (1869) and *Anna Karenina* (1878), often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction, and two of the greatest books of all time.