A companion to Leo Tolstoy's epic novel of Russia under Napoleon.
First published in full in 1869, War and Peace follows five aristocratic families — the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Rostovs, Kuragins, and Drubetskoys — across roughly fifteen years of Russian history, from the early Napoleonic Wars in 1805 through the French invasion of 1812 and its aftermath. Across more than 500 characters and some 1,200 pages, Tolstoy weaves private lives of love, marriage, and faith together with the public drama of empires at war.
The novel is famous as much for its philosophical digressions as for its narrative sweep. Tolstoy challenges the "great man" theory of history, arguing instead that historical events emerge from the countless small actions of ordinary people. Battles such as Austerlitz and Borodino are seen through the confused eyes of soldiers and commanders, not from the panoramic distance of later historians.
This site offers factual background on the book and chapter-by-chapter summaries to help readers find their bearings in Tolstoy's world.