War and Peace, Volume 2

War and Peace is one of the greatest monuments in world literature. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, it examines the relationship between the individual and the relentless march of history. Here are the universal themes of love and hate, ambition and despair, youth and age, expressed with a swirling vitality which makes the book as accessible today as it was when it was first published in 1869. Count Leo Nikolaievitch Tolstoy, novelist, was born on 28 August 1828, at Yasnaya Poliana in the government of Tula. He studied at Moscow and Kazan, joined the army of the Caucasus, was attached to the staff Prince Gortschakoff in Turkey, and was at the storming of Sebastapol in 1855. The first of his two great works, War and Peace (1865-68) gives a vivid picture of the Napoleonic campaigns against Russia and the national defense. Neville Jason trained at RADA where he was awarded the Diction Prize by Sir John gielgud. He has worked with the RSC, as well as in films and musicals. In television he has appeared in popular serials such as Maigret. He is frequently to be heard on radio. His work for Naxos AudioBooks spans an impressive range of genres.