Good books about war not only describe military battles and great battles with talent and truth. Truly deep stories about the war, which are shown through the perception of them by a person, be it Andrei Bolkonsky, Grigory Melekhov or Andrei Sokolov. How do these people feel about the war, what they think and do.
A. Tolstoy's novel "War and Peace"
The book describes the Patriotic War of 1812, as well as the events preceding it: the secular life of Russian high society and the military actions of 1805-1807.
One of the main characters of the book, Prince Andrei Bolkonsky. He is rich, superbly educated, is an enviable groom. But social life is boring to him. He dreams of glory, no less than that of Napoleon or Kutuzov. And so he wants to go to war in order to become famous.
But in the battle of Austerlitz, he realizes that war is a dirty and anti-human affair. At the moment when he was wounded, he lies on the ground, and looking at the high sky, he realizes how insignificant the glory of Kutuzov or Napoleon is.
The battle of Borodino was the culmination in the life of Andrei Bolkonsky. In this battle, he was already mortally wounded in the head, and he suddenly realized that he did not feel hatred for the enemy, that compassion and love for all people were the main commandments that were worth living by.
Mikhail Sholokhov's novel "Quiet Don"
The book describes the life of the Don Cossacks against the background of the Civil War and the First World War.
Since childhood, these people are accustomed to working hard, growing bread, caring for horses. They honored the elders in the family, respected traditions.
The First World War began and the Cossacks were called upon to fight for Tsarist Russia. The atamans sent the best warriors. Grigory Melekhov, the main character in the book, also went to fight against the Germans.
A little later, a revolution took place in Russia, the tsarist regime was overthrown, and it became unclear for whom to fight. Gregory returned home with other Cossacks. And in the village it is restless: more and more often different people come to it, and they call to fight against the power of the "Bolsheviks".
But in the same village, Cossacks appear, who like this power, because the "Bolsheviks" promise freedom, independence, land.
A split ensues among the Cossack clans. Some go to fight for the new "red" power, while others for the tsarist power, for the "whites". And Grigory Melekhov, due to circumstances, finds himself first on one side of the belligerents, then on the other.
It comes to the point that a brother is fighting against a brother, a son against a father. And Gregory is sincerely trying to figure out who is right. How to be and what to do. And after a while, becoming an outcast for everyone, he tries to escape in order to save his own life, as well as the life of his beloved woman.
Vasil Bykov's story "Sotnikov"
During World War II, two soldiers of the Soviet army were captured. Both hated the Germans, but one of them, Sotnikov, tried at the cost of his own life to save the innocent inhabitants of the village, whom the Germans sentenced to death for harboring partisans. And another fighter with the surname Rybak decided to get out to the last.
He passionately wanted to live, and therefore agreed to cooperate with the Germans. When the condemned were brought to execution, Rybak, in front of the villagers, put a noose around Sotnikov's neck and knocked the support out from under his feet.
And then Rybak was ordered to join the ranks with the policemen together. He hates them as much as the rest of the fascists. But he realizes that there is no turning back. And the unfortunate man is at a crossroads: either die now, or continue killing people for whom he fought yesterday.
Mikhail Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man"
Russian soldier Andrei Sokolov was captured during the Second World War. He went through various tests and torments in a concentration camp, tried to escape from captivity several times.
As a result, he finally managed to return to his homeland, but at the site of his home he saw only burnt ashes. The wife and daughters died as a result of a direct bomb hit in their house. And the same "ashes" after that - in the soul of a tortured person.
After the war, Andrei meets a homeless boy, and becomes so attached to him that he adopts. And again in the life of Andrei Sokolov, a loved one appears, love and tenderness, hope for a better future.
