Provides in-depth analysis of the literary work War and Peace, as well as its importance and critical reception. Includes a chronology of the life and works of the author.

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.

In Tolstoy's timeless epic of love and loss, a circle of aristocrats finds their glittering world crumbling as war threatens imperial Russia. Set during the years of Napoleon's invasion of Russia, War and Peace follows the changing fortunes of brooding hero Prince Andrej, his bookish friend Pierre, and the spirited but naive Natasha. As Napoleon's armies menace their privileged lives, the horrors of the battlefield reach into the elegant ballrooms...