'A book that you don't just read, you live' — Simon Schama

Tolstoy's magnificent epic novel of love, conflict, fate, and human life in all its imperfection and grandeur.

War and Peace begins at a glittering society party in St Petersburg in 1805, where conversations are dominated by the prospect of war. Terror soon engulfs the country as Napoleon's army marches into Russia, changing the lives of three young people forever.

The stories of the quixotic Pierre, the cynical Andrey, and the impetuous Natasha intertwine with those of a vast cast of characters, from aristocrats and peasants to soldiers and Napoleon himself.

Translated with an introduction and notes by Anthony Briggs, with an afterword by Orlando Figes.