About the Book: The Originals: War and Peace
War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy chronicles the French invasion of Russia and its
impact on Tsarist Russia, through the stories of five families—the Bezukhovs,
the Bolkonskys, the Rostovs, the Kuragins, and the Drubetskoys. The Russian
Messenger published portions of the manuscript, titled The Year 1805, as a
serial from 1865 to 1867. Dissatisfied with the published version, Tolstoy
extensively rewrote the novel between 1866 and 1869. After his wife, Sophia
Tolstaya, copied as many as seven 'separate manuscripts, the author considered
it for publication, again. Tolstoy finally changed the name to War and Peace; it
is believed that he