Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy was born into the Russian aristocracy in 1828. After a licentious youth, he joined the army to serve in the Crimean War. It proved the inspiration for some of his greatest writing, including War and Peace. After the war Tolstoy married Sofia Behrs and returned to the family estate, where he fathered 13 children, ran a school for young peasants, and wrote Anna Karenina. In 1879, Tolstoy underwent a spiritual crisis, and denounced the Orthodox Church, private property, and the demands of the flesh. His extreme asceticism caused decades-long tension with his wife. In 1910, after an argument with her, he died while fleeing the estate.

Aylmer and Louise Maude are among the most respected translators of Tolstoy’s works into English and a favorite of the author himself. A close friend of Tolstoy’s, Aylmer Maude was chosen by the great writer to produce his official English language biography.