Peace, war and peace

In the dungeons of abandoned Fort No.5 in Kaliningrad, a burnt manuscript has been discovered. Expert examination has confirmed that it is an unknown first volume of Tolstoys trilogy – a prequel to War and Peace. The action spans the years 1796–1805: the death of Catherine the Great, the horrors of Pauls reign, the assassination of Paul, and the hopes placed in AlexanderI. The reader will see the childhood of Natasha Rostova, the youth of Andrei Bolkonsky, the formative years of Pierre Bezukhov, and the first steps of the beautiful Hélène. For the first time, the world of servants, soldiers, coachmen – those who silently make history – is shown in such full measure. The m…