WAR AND PEACE VOLUME 3: the GREAT and EXTRAORDINARY works of Leo Tolstoy

War and Peace is a novel by the Russianauthor Leo Tolstoy, first published serially, thenpublished in its entirety in 1869. It is regarded as one ofTolstoy's finest literary achievements and remains aninternationally praised classic of world literature.The novel chronicles the French invasion of Russia andthe impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist societythrough the stories of five Russian aristocratic families.Tolstoy said War and Peace is "not a novel, even less is ita poem, and still less a historical chronicle." Largesections, especially the later chapters, are philosophicaldiscussions rather than narrative. Tolstoy also said thatthe best Russian literature does not conform tostandards and hence hesitated to call War and Peace anovel.