What is the title of Leo Tolstoy’s novel about the Napoleonic invasion of Russia?

War and Peace is Leo Tolstoy’s novel about the Napoleonic invasion of Russia.

Published in book form in 1869, War and Peace follows aristocratic Russian families during the years surrounding Napoleon’s invasion of 1812. Its characters include Pierre Bezukhov, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, and Natasha Rostova. The novel combines fictional lives with historical figures such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Tsar Alexander I.

Tolstoy presents battle, politics, family life, love, social change, and philosophical reflection on history. The book is often praised for its vast cast and unusually detailed portrayal of Russian society during the Napoleonic era.

The title is sometimes written with an em dash or translated in different ways, but “War and Peace” is the standard English title. It should not be confused with Tolstoy’s later pacifist and religious essays, which developed some of the novel’s moral concerns.