War And Peace is one of the earliest known works of Leo Tolstoy and is considered to Leo Tolstoy’s finest work. It describes in great detail the French invasion of Russia through the eyes of five aristocrats, and is one of the longest novels ever crafted.

The principal character of the novel is Pierre Bezukhov, who is the son of a Russian grandee. He is wealthy and that makes him desirable in most social gatherings, but he still finds his own presence awkward owing to his benevolent nature. Bezukhov is the character through which Tolstoy often offers his own views on struggle and other political ideas. The book takes a look at the impact of the Napoleonic era on the Tsar and the autocracy that prevailed back then. The book is profound in its depth and accuracy of description of the times.

The book was received extremely well by most critics and a lot of critical essays were floated as critiques of the book. The description of war scenes and battlegrounds was considered artful and well ahead of its time by many people from the armed forces.