Sir Niall Ferguson: War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy | The Book Club

The Book Club

PragerU

Books, Arts

4.4 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 July 2025

⏱️ 69 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How does war reshape not only nations—but the souls of those who live through it? In War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy sets Napoleon’s invasion of Russia as the backdrop for what many consider the greatest novel ever written. Michael Knowles is joined by renowned historian and author Niall Ferguson to explore how the chaos of war ripples through the lives of everyday citizens—from peasants and soldiers to aristocratic families. More than a historical epic, War and Peace is a powerful meditation on love, destiny, and the human spirit in times of upheaval.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Oh, that's my prime delivery.
0:01.6	What, already?
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0:09.7	Heads of state, that new action comedy with Idris Elber as the Prime Minister,
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0:23.0	$899 a month, join now. Content includes limited ads, subscription or to renews. For more information,
0:28.2	go to amazon.com.uk'm Michael Knowles. It has all led to this. This entire show has led to this moment. I was excited for it. I was dreading it. I have picked up this book multiple times in my
0:57.0	life, and until this show made me finish it, I had failed. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
1:05.0	We had to bring in a heavy hitter for this one. We brought in Sir Neil Ferguson, a former professor at Harvard, we don't
1:12.8	have to talk about that too much, the author of many books, the giver of many lectures,
1:17.3	and a man really who needs no introduction. Neil, thank you for being here.
1:21.2	It's my pleasure, Michael. It's great to be here.
1:23.1	On this show, I ask the guest to give a one-minute summary of the books.
1:31.0	If anyone can do it, it's you, but I won't hold it against you if you go to 62 seconds.
1:37.7	The plot of war and peace is in fact quite straightforward.
1:41.9	It is about the war between France and Russia that Napoleon Bonaparte starts.
1:50.0	And that culminates in 1812 with the French invasion of Russia.
	...

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