Tolstoy's War and Peace and Anna Karenina are considered two of the greatest novels ever written. This title offers a fresh perspective on his extraordinary life and times. It helps you discover a remarkable and long life in one of the most fascinating and turbulent periods of Russian history, straddling the 19th and early 20th centuries.Tolstoy's War and Peace and Anna Karenina are considered two of the greatest novels ever written. This title offers a fresh perspective on his extraordinary life and times. It helps you discover a remarkable and long life in one of the most fascinating and turbulent periods of Russian history, straddling the 19th and early 20th centuries. Long-listed for BBC Four Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2011 (UK).