War and Peace, Book 12: 1812
by Leo Tolstoy
'War and Peace, Book 12: 1812' Summary
Leo Tolstoy's War and Peace chronicles the lives of five Russian aristocratic families during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. Many considered this book to be the best Russian work of literature of all time and it is massive in scale. The book is divided in four volumes and the chapters don't just contain the narrative of the plot to the novel but philosophical discussions as well. This may be intimidating to average book readers but they shouldn't be discouraged to try reading War and Peace. After all, this book was written for all and not just for intellectuals.
The five wealthy families followed are the Bezukhovs, Bolkonskys, Rostovs, Kuragins and the Drubetskoys in the early 19th century especially during the time when Napoleon invaded Russia. Like with Tolstoy's other novels, it also tells about the different social problems in Russian high society like the fathering of illegitimate children of wealthy Russians, financial ruin of some families due to incompetence, their vanity despite the poverty which surrounds them and so on. The lives of the main characters from the different families are intertwined in the novel with friendships and conflicting interests.
War and Peace is also a historical novel. Napoleon himself is one of its main characters and a huge part of the book was about him. It's very impressive that Tolstoy was able to depict him very accurately in this novel. Besides him, Tolstoy was also very accurate about his descriptions of the historical events during that time like the Battle of Borodino, Napoleon's invasion of Moscow and others.
This book doesn't just narrate the trials, problems and conflicts between the different characters in the novel but also provides philosophical insights to historical events. It's always interesting to learn about history from another point of view not just from what was told in history books.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
Russian, with some French and GermanPublished In
1869Author
Leo Tolstoy
Russia
Born to an aristocratic Russian family in 1828, Tolstoy is best known for the novels War and Peace (1869) and Anna Karenina (1878),often cited as pinnacles of realist fiction. He first achieved litera...
More on Leo TolstoyDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
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...
History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1B by David Hume
This is Volume 1B which covers the reigns of Henry III to Richard III. The History of England is David Hume's great work on the history of England (a...
Commentaries on the Laws of England. Book 2: Of the Rights of Things. by William Blackstone
Delve into the depths of legal intricacies as Blackstone guides you through a captivating exploration of property rights, ownership, and the foundatio...
Marie Antoinette and Her Son by Luise Mühlbach
Marie Antoinette lives a happy life in a glittering court as Queen of France, but that soon changes as the revolution begins. Her son is Louis Charles...
War and Peace, Book 07: 1810-1811 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 16: First Epilogue 1813-1820 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...
The History of England from the Invasion of Julius Caesar to the Revolution of 1688, Volume 1A by David Hume
The History of England is David Hume's great work on the history of England (also covering Wales, Scotland and Ireland), which he wrote in instalments...
Comic History of England by Edgar Wilson Nye
The Comic History of England was published posthumously in 1896 after the writer's tragic and untimely death half-way through the project. Hence it re...
War and Peace, Book 11: 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...
The Virginians by William Makepeace Thackeray
The Virginians: A Tale of the Last Century is a historical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray which forms a sequel to his Henry Esmond and is also l...
Reviews for War and Peace, Book 12: 1812
No reviews posted or approved, yet...