War and Peace

Tolstoy's epic (1865–69) follows several Russian families through the Napoleonic wars, mixing private lives with history.

Author

Leo Tolstoy

First published

1869

Setting

Napoleonic Russia

Genre

Historical novel

Read it if you like

Sweeping history, many intertwined lives and long winter evenings.

On screen and stage

Soviet film (1966–67), BBC series (2016)

Overview

The novel opens in 1805 St Petersburg and follows Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky and the Rostov family through the Napoleonic Wars, including the French invasion of 1812. Tolstoy alternates between intimate scenes and sweeping battle chapters, and adds essays on how history works.

Themes

• War and ordinary life
• Free will and history
• Family and love
• The search for meaning

Background

Serialised from 1865 and published as a full book in 1869, it draws on Tolstoy's family history and wide reading about 1812. Its length and scope broke the conventions of the novel.

Why it endures

Despite its size, it is built from characters readers remember. Many modern readers start with a guide to the main families.