War and Peace. By Leo Tolstoy. Translated by Louise and
Aylmer Maude, with an introduction by Aylmer Maude. (Macmillan and Oxford University Press. 12s. 6d.) THERE is an interesting story behind the joint production of this new edition of what, in the unanimous opinion of most good writers, is the greatest of all novels in any language. Tolstoy's masterpiece, which incidentally is quite as much about peace as war, has emerged duririg the present struggle as one of the few novels that serious, intelligent people find worth reading. For the last year or two it has been practically unprocurable either in the World's Classics or the Everyman Library, and the Oxford University Press were faced with a serious shortage of paper when contemplating reprinting their well-known edition in three volumes. Messrs. Macmillan— blessed by an exceptionally good quota owing to the enormous s; it of a popular work of ephemeral fiction before the war—came to tie rescue and hence this joint edition, which is on good paper, in o it volume of pleasant format. The publishers - announce that in edition of 30,000 copies has been printed, but that booksellers have sent in orders for 79,000 copies, so they are preparing a second edition which, however, will not be ready for about five months. Those who wish to procure a copy of War and Peace will therefore do well to give an order to their bookseller now, and thus if they cl.) not get a copy of the first impression they will be in time for the later issue.
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