ONE OF WORLD'S LONGEST BOOKS

In 1862, Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy began writing a book that would take six years to finish and eventually be called War & Peace. The epic story is considered to be one of the greatest novels ever written, remarkable for its dramatic breadth and unity. Its vast canvas includes 580 characters. Tolstoy's wife, Sophia, hand-copied as many as seven complete manuscripts before Tolstoy considered it ready for publication. Although writing kept him busy, he still found time to father 13 children.