Now read the original version of Russia's most famous novel which never made it to publication in Tolstoy's lifetime. A closely guarded secret for a century and a half, this version with its different emphases and dialogue,and a new ending.

A sweeping, romantic saga of two noble families and their intertwined destiny, and a panoramic portrait of Russian society at the time of the Napoleonic Wars, Tolstoy's unforgettable masterpiece has inspired love and devotion amongst its readers for over a century.Now read the original version of Russia's most famous novel which never made it to publication in Tolstoy's lifetime. A closely guarded secret for a century and a half, this version with its different emphases and dialogue,and a new ending - is essential reading for devotees of Tolstoy and new readers alike: it is fiction in its most vivid and vital form.

INTRODUCTION

A NOTE ON THE TRANSLATION

TABLE OF RUSSIAN WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Part VII