WAR and PEACE; LEO TOLSTOY / A New Translation by Anthony Briggs / Afterword by Orlando Figes by Tolstoy, Leo - 2006

New York: Viking, 2006. First American Edition, 1st Printing. Cloth. As New/Very Fine. Thick & tall 8vo, white cloth with silver lettering on spine, Mylar-protected white lettered dust jacket (unclipped) designed by Herb Thornby, Afterword by Orlando Figes, 1412 pages. Weighs 4 lbs 1 oz. Count Lyov (also Lev) Tolstoy (1828 - 1910), usually referred to in English as Leo Tolstoy, was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest authors of all time. He is best known for the novels WAR AND PEACE (1869) and Anna Karenina (1877). Both are among Tolstoy's finest literary achievements and are universally considered masterpieces of world literature. In particular, WAR AND PEACE chronicles the history of the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society through the stories of five Russian aristocratic families.--Wikipedia adapted War and Peace centers broadly on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the best-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves behind his family to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman, who intrigues both men. As Napoleon's army invades, Tolstoy vividly follows characters from diverse backgrounds-peasants and nobility, civilians and soldiers-as they struggle with the problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming some of the most moving-and human-figures in world literature. War and Peace centers broadly on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the best-known characters in literature: Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearning for spiritual fulfillment; Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves behind his family to fight in the war against Napoleon; and Natasha Rostov, the beautiful young daughter of a nobleman, who intrigues both men. As Napoleon's army invades, Tolstoy vividly follows characters from diverse backgrounds-peasants and nobility, civilians and soldiers-as they struggle with the problems unique to their era, their history, and their culture. And as the novel progresses, these characters transcend their specificity, becoming some of the most moving-and human-figures in world literature. EXCEPTIONAL CONDITION internally & externally! As New! A superb translation. Anthony Briggs is a retired Professor of Russian at Birmingham University, who has translated more than 20 Russian texts. Professor Orlando Figes of the University of London is an expert on Russian history and culture.