Primary sourceBook1863–1869
War and Peace
Leo Tolstoy · 1863–1869
Tolstoy's epic novel of Russian society during the Napoleonic wars, exploring history as driven by countless individuals rather than great men.
Tolstoy wrote this novel, one of his two greatest works, expressing his view of history and society.
About this source
What it is
War and Peace is a long novel written by Leo Tolstoy, begun in 1863 and published in full in 1869. It follows several Russian aristocratic families through the French invasion of Russia, mixing fictional story with Tolstoy's own essays on history and war.
Why it matters
The book is regarded as one of the greatest works of world literature and shows how Tolstoy rejected the idea that history is shaped by great leaders like Napoleon, arguing instead that it is made by countless ordinary people. It reveals his deep interest in Russian society, philosophy and the nature of historical change.
Look closer
- Why might Tolstoy have mixed fictional characters with philosophical essays about real history?
- What does the title page, printed in Cyrillic, tell you about who could originally read this book?
- Why did Tolstoy reject calling it simply a 'novel'?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Leo Tolstoy on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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