The Life of Tolstoy: First Fifty Years / Fifth Edition

The author traces Tolstoy's family background and upbringing, follows his formative years and military experiences in the Caucasus and the Crimean War, and charts his literary maturation in Petersburg and abroad. It recounts his return to his estate and involvement with rural schooling, friendships with contemporary writers, marriage, and an intensifying moral and spiritual crisis leading to a public confession and reorientation of his beliefs. The work also surveys his major writings to a mid-career point and provides chronological material, illustrations, and commentary to illuminate the first half of his life.