[libstripper]

I've read it and Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. W & P is essentially two books in one. The first half runs essentially from about 1805 to 1812 and is basically a giant complex Russian soap opera. Then, in 1812, Napoleon invades Russia and Tolstoy compellingly tells the story of that invasion and its defeat. All in all it's a great read that's we'll worth the time. The invasion and its total defeat are one of the greatest stories of world history, probably only exceeded by Hitler's invasion of the USSR in 1941 and its defeat. Yes, I was a history major in college, got bitten by the bug, and read both works on my own volition.

[gr8eman]

Yeah...the most I got out of Tolstoys description of the Russian royals was how removed they were from average Russians, but the soap opera-ish bit was a great insomnia cure!