The Great American Read on PBS has chosen this book as one of the nation's favorites. In general, War and Peace focus on Napoleon's invasion of Russia in 1812 and follows three of the most well-known literary characters: Prince Andrei Bolkonsky, who leaves his family behind to fight in the war against Napoleon; Natasha Rostov, the stunning young daughter of a nobleman who intrigues both men; and Pierre Bezukhov, the illegitimate son of a count who is fighting for his inheritance and yearns for spiritual fulfillment.