![Item #210 [FIRST BOOK BY TOLSTOY] Voyennyie rasskazy [i.e. The War Stories]. L. N. Tolstoy.](https://bookvica.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/210.jpg?width=768&height=1000&fit=bounds&auto=webp&v=1483923726)
[FIRST BOOK BY TOLSTOY] Voyennyie rasskazy [i.e. The War Stories]
St. Petersburg: Tipografiya glavnogo chtaba e.i.v. po voenno-uchebnym zavedeniyam, 1856. Item #210
[4], 382, 1 pp. 19,5x13 cm. Contemporary quarter leather. Raised bands, the title, author’s name and previous owner’s initials gilt on the spine.
The first book by the author. Rare.
According to N. Smirnov-Sokolskii it took him ‘quite a while’ to find this book for his collection. The collection of stories were written by Tolstoy when he was serving in Sevastopol during Crimean War. The short story Sebastopol in December of 1854 quickly became popular among the readers in Russia and even Emperor Nicolas I asked to «take care of the talented officer». That was the beginning of recognition on national level for 28-year-old author. Tolstoy’s impressions during this war later were used in 'War and Peace'. The roots of the pacifist and anti-patriotic ideas that he formulated later in his life also lie in this book.
The last copy that was sold at auction went for 34850 GBP (Christie’s, Nov 21, 2012).
Smirnov-Sokolskii. 1190; not in Kilgour.
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