Leo Tolstoy

Aylmer Maude spent much of his life in Russia and was a personal friend of Tolstoy’s. Together with his wife Louise, he translated many of Tolstoy’s works and sought to create a unified, authoritative collection of Tolstoy translations. Since many of Tolstoy’s writings had already been translated into English, sometimes very badly, this task had some difficulty, especially because Tolstoy had waived his rights over translation. Maude’s biography tells the story of Tolstoy’s life, from his aristocratic upbringing to his military service, his spiritual awakening, critical success, and break with the Russian Orthodox Church. Also discussed are the implications of Tolstoy’s “Christian pacifism” philosophy, and portraits of the Tolstoy family in their final years. Based on many private conversations with the great author, Maude’s biography of his friend offers an indispensable look into the life of the Russian writer.