In the second half of Tolstoy's masterly novel War and Peace Napoleon's dramatic military invasion of Russia seems to overwhelm the private lives of all the characters. But it is precisely these private lives which in the end survive the clash of armies and emperors. Tolstoy sets out to show that however momentous the events of history it is the finer details of day-to-day existence encompassing joys sorrows and surprises that engage and fascinate the reader and provide the book's narrative power.
