
War and Peace, Book 03: 1805
by Leo Tolstoy
'War and Peace, Book 03: 1805' Summary
Book Three
With the help of her family, and the stirrings of religious faith, Natasha manages to persevere in Moscow through this dark period. Meanwhile, the whole of Russia is affected by the coming confrontation between Napoleon's army and the Russian army. Pierre convinces himself through gematria that Napoleon is the Antichrist of the Book of Revelation. Old Prince Bolkonsky dies of a stroke knowing that French marauders are coming for his estate. No organized help from any Russian army seems available to the Bolkonskys, but Nikolai Rostov turns up at their estate in time to help put down an incipient peasant revolt. He finds himself attracted to the distraught Princess Maria.
Back in Moscow, the patriotic Petya joins a crowd in audience of Tzar Alexander and manages to snatch a biscuit thrown from the balcony window of the Cathedral of the Assumption by the Tzar. He is nearly crushed by the throngs in his effort. Under the influence of the same patriotism, his father finally allows him to enlist.
Napoleon himself is the main character in this section, and the novel presents him in vivid detail, both personally and as both a thinker and would-be strategist. Also described are the well-organized force of over four hundred thousand troops of the French Grande Armée (only one hundred and forty thousand of them actually French-speaking) that marches through the Russian countryside in the late summer and reaches the outskirts of the city of Smolensk. Pierre decides to leave Moscow and go to watch the Battle of Borodino from a vantage point next to a Russian artillery crew. After watching for a time, he begins to join in carrying ammunition. In the midst of the turmoil he experiences first-hand the death and destruction of war; Eugène's artillery continues to pound Russian support columns, while Marshals Ney and Davout set up a crossfire with artillery positioned on the Semyonovskaya heights. The battle becomes a hideous slaughter for both armies and ends in a standoff. The Russians, however, have won a moral victory by standing up to Napoleon's reputedly invincible army. The Russian army withdraws the next day, allowing Napoleon to march on to Moscow. Among the casualties are Anatole Kuragin and Prince Andrei. Anatole loses a leg, and Andrei suffers a grenade wound in the abdomen. Both are reported dead, but their families are in such disarray that no one can be notified.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
Russian, with some French and GermanPublished In
1869Authors

Leo Tolstoy
Russia
Leo Tolstoy was a significant figure in Russian literature, known for his novels "War and Peace" and "Anna Karenina." These works are celebrated examples of realist fiction, examining human experience...
Books by Leo TolstoyDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Brewster's Millions by George Barr McCutcheon
Brewster's Millions is a comedic novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. It was adapted in...

Ancestors: A Novel by Gertrude Atherton
Set in Victorian England, "Ancestors" follows Flora, the daughter of a clergyman, who grapples with her social position and the limitations it places...

Six Bad Husbands and Six Unhappy Wives by Ella Wheeler Wilcox
This collection of six short stories explores the complex and often unhappy nature of marriage. Each story delves into the lives of a different couple...

Billie Bradley and Her Inheritance by Janet D. Wheeler
This is an exciting and engaging book that takes readers on a thrilling journey filled with mystery, inheritance, and unexpected twists. Written by Ja...

War and Peace, Book 10: 1812 by Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869 in Russki Vestnik, which tells the story of Russian society during th...

War and Peace, Book 08: 1811-1812 by Leo Tolstoy
War and Peace is an epic novel by Leo Tolstoy, first published from 1865 to 1869 in Russki Vestnik, which tells the story of Russian society during th...

Burg von Otranto by Horace Walpole
Die Burg von Otranto erzählt die Geschichte von Manfred, dem Fürsten von Otranto, dessen Leben durch eine Reihe von unheilvollen Ereignissen und gehei...

The Heir by Vita sackville-west
In the secluded and enchanting countryside of Kent, secrets are woven into the very fabric of Sissinghurst Castle. A legacy of love, ambition, and bet...

Pierre, or The Ambiguities by Herman Melville
Pierre Glendinning is a young man from a wealthy family who is engaged to be married to Lucy Tartan. However, when he meets Isabel Banford, a mysterio...

pazos de Ulloa by Emilia Pardo Bazán
Los Pazos de Ulloa is a Spanish novel by Emilia Pardo Bazán, set in the rural Galicia of the 19th century. It tells the story of Nuño, a young man of...
Reviews for War and Peace, Book 03: 1805
No reviews posted or approved, yet...