Sample

Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

War and Peace

By: Leo Tolstoy
Narrated by: Frederick Davidson
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $27.26

Buy for $27.26

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Often called the greatest novel ever written, War and Peace is at once an epic of the Napoleonic wars, a philosophical study, and a celebration of the Russian spirit. Tolstoy's genius is clearly seen in the multitude of characters in this massive chronicle, all of them fully realized and equally memorable. Out of this complex narrative emerges a profound examination of the individual's place in the historical process, one that makes it clear why Thomas Mann praised Tolstoy for his Homeric powers and placed War and Peace in the same category as The Iliad.

War and Peace was translated by Constance Garnett.

Public Domain (P)2009 Blackstone Audio

Featured Article: Essential Russian Authors to Know in Audio


Don’t be daunted by the towering reputations of Russia’s literary giants. Listening is the perfect way to appreciate the masters. Russia is a sprawling country with a rich and complex history, which is reflected in its literature. Whether you’re keen on brushing up on classic Russian literature or you want to find a new author to explore, we’ve rounded up 13 of the best Russian authors, classic and contemporary, whose work you should know.

What listeners say about War and Peace

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,658
  • 4 Stars
    1,009
  • 3 Stars
    562
  • 2 Stars
    264
  • 1 Stars
    335
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,298
  • 4 Stars
    703
  • 3 Stars
    364
  • 2 Stars
    183
  • 1 Stars
    312
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,362
  • 4 Stars
    738
  • 3 Stars
    419
  • 2 Stars
    143
  • 1 Stars
    137

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

It was long.

Glad I listened to it, but Leo diving a bit more into the relationships of those on the battlefield, as well as those at home would have made this 147+ y.o. novel more satisfying.
His writing style in this story was superficial on the relationships, and had depth on philosophical matters.

phil·o·soph·i·cal
ˌfiləˈsäfək(ə)l/
adjective
1. relating or devoted to the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge, reality, and existence.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read

enjoyed immensely. whould recommend to all. captures the essence of humanity in many diverse characters

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Indeed a great novel

This is a book of many facets: family histories, romance, world history, drama, war theory and battles… it’s got it all.

Many questions will be forever unanswered: how critical was the author towards Tsarism? What would he have made of the Bolshevik Revolution? How would the Bolshevik have gotten along with him, gad he still been alive then?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

An epic novel in the true meaning of the word.

Three attempts from the beginning over a 12 year period such it the length of this novel to get through it.
Thank you Leo Tolstoy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Effective conveyance of moral philosophy

We've all heard of great leaders such as Napoleon, but Tolstoy calls into question the historians who like to paint him (and other great leaders as well), as the puppeteer of world events. However N- as well as you and me are all subjects of events and circumstance. Try as you might your own nobility and reason may hinder your effectiveness, and to be effective is on occasion at the expense of your own humanity. What is rightness if it leads to ruin. These are questions we must ask ourselves in war and also in peace.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Audible & Pevear’s versions have different number of total chapters

Book One, Part One of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky’s Kindle version has 25 chapters. This Audible version has 24 chapters, merging chapters 24 and 25 of Pevear’s version. Not sure which is right, but would be helpful if this Audible version at least included the Book and Part numbers so one could quickly jump from Audible to print versions and not need to work it out oneself needing to reconcile the differences of total number of chapters.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Milestone Achieved

In the beginning this book was difficult, too slow and uninterestintg to me, however I stuck to it, and I am glad I did. After about the 10th hour the book became interesting and after I had become familiar with it, I enjoyed listening to it very much. It is amazing to think that one man could have put so much thought and time and research into one book. As a bonus, the reader is absolutely phenomenal!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I loved this!

I never had the courage to attempt reading W&P so I was pleasantly surprised how much I loved every bit of the book and this reading.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

free will vs physical laws

enjoyed the book, story, and characters. deep thinking at the end worth the read

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Book, Worthy Performance

I tried listening to this book before, and i thought it was impossible. Listening to this performance, I was captivated from the beginning and practically finished it in three days. I knew this was a must-read, and so i expected to clench my teeth and get through it, but the wonderful performance by Davidson and the excellent prose left me speechless.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!