Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy, commonly known as Leo Tolstoy, was born on September 9, 1828, into a Russian aristocratic family. He is acclaimed as one of the giants of Russian literature and is best known for his voluminous masterpiece 'War & Peace' (1869), which offers a complex and vivid depiction of Russian society during the Napoleonic era. Through a seamless mix of historical chronicle and personal portraits, he wove a grand narrative that explores themes of war, peace, love, and human existence. His literary style combined a moral quest for truth and non-violence with an unyielding criticism of organized religion and state. His ideas on civil disobedience and passive resistance had a profound influence on figures like Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. Besides 'War & Peace', his magnum opus, 'Anna Karenina' (1877) also stands as a pinnacle in realist fiction, portraying the tragic consequences of a woman's passion against the backdrop of a rigid society. Tolstoy's later works became increasingly didactic and radical, reflecting his personal philosophic quest, as seen in 'The Kingdom of God Is Within You' (1894). Tolstoy died on November 20, 1910, but remains alive in the pantheon of literary geniuses, his works continuing to earn the fascination and admiration of readers worldwide.