Easton Press leather edition of Leo Tolstoy's "War and Peace," a COLLECTOR'S edition, Illustrated by Fritz Eiichenberg, Translated by Louise and Aylmer Maude, Revised by Mr. and Mrs. Maude with a Special Introduction by them, one of the 100 GREATEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN series, published in 1981. "Anna Karenina," Translated by Constance Garnett, Introduced by Lionel Trilling, a COLLECTOR'S edition, one of the 100 GREATEST BOOKS EVER WRITTEN series, published in 1975. "War and Peace" is bound in burgundy leather, with tan French moire silk end leaves, a satin book marker, acid-free paper, Symth-sewn binding, hubbed spine, gold gilding on three edges---in near FINE condition. "Anna" is bound in burgundy leather, with camel tan moire silk end leaves, satin book marker, gold gilt on three edges, published in 1983---in near FINE condition---except for a 'blank' attached bookplate on inside fly leaf. Count Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy, who lived from 1828 – 1910, was a Russian aristocrat and writer. "War and Peace," is regarded as one of Tolstoy's finest literary achievements and remains a classic of world literature. The novel chronicles the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society through the stories of five Russian aristocratic families. The novel begins in July 1805 in Saint Petersburg, at a soiree given by Anna Pavlovna Scherer—the maid of honor and confidante to the dowager Empress Maria Erodorovna.  Many of the main characters are introduced as they enter the salon. Pierre Bezukhov is the illegitimate son of a wealthy count, who is dying after a series of strokes. Pierre is about to become embroiled in a struggle for his inheritance. Educated abroad at his father's expense following his mother's death, Pierre is kindhearted but socially awkward, and finds it difficult to integrate into Petersburg society. It is known to everyone at the soirée that Pierre is his father's favorite of all the old count's illegitimate progeny. Also attending the soirée is Pierre's friend, Prince Andrei Nikolayevich Bolkonsky, husband of Lise, a charming society favorite. He is disillusioned with Petersburg society and with married life; feeling that his wife is empty and superficial, he comes to hate her and all women, expressing patently misogynistic views to Pierre when the two are alone.  The plot moves to MOSCOW, Russia's former capital, contrasting its provincial, more Russian ways to the more European society of Saint Petersburg. The Rostov family are introduced. Count Ilya Andreyevich Rostov and Countess Natalya Rostova are an affectionate couple but forever worried about their disordered finances. They have four children. Thirteen-year-old Natasha believes herself in love with Boris Drubetskoy, a young man who is about to join the army as an officer. Twenty-year-old Nikolai Ilyich pledges his love to Sonya, his fifteen-year-old cousin, an orphan who has been brought up by the Rostovs. The eldest child, Vera Ilyinichna, is cold and somewhat haughty but has a good prospective marriage to a Russian-German officer, Adolf Karlovich Berg. Petya at nine is the youngest; like his brother, he is impetuous and eager to join the army when of age. At Bald Hills, the Bolkonskys' country estate, Prince Andrei departs for war and leaves his terrified, pregnant wife Lise with his eccentric father Prince Nikolai Andreyevich and devoutly religious sister Maria, who refuses to marry the son of a wealthy aristocrat. She suspects that the young man would be unfaithful to her. The second part opens with descriptions of the impending Russian-French war preparations. 1245 pages. "Anna Karenina" is a tragic story of a married aristocrat/socialite and her affair with the affluent Count Vronsky. The story opens when Anna arrives in the midst of a family broken up by her brother's unbridled womanizing—something that prefigures her own later situation, though she would experience less tolerance by others. A bachelor, Vronsky is eager to marry her if she will agree to leave her husband Karenin, a senior government official, but she is vulnerable to the pressures of Russian social norms, the moral laws of the Russian Orthodox Church, her own insecurities, and Karenin's indecision.  The novel explores an evaluation of the Russian feudal system and politics, not only in the Russian government but also at the level of the individual characters and families, religion, morality, gender and social class. These are two ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS books. "War and Peace" has 1025 pages and "Anna" has 935 pages. I offer Combined shipping.

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