In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19

 Chapter 11

Petya charges into his first battle.  He keeps trying to get to the exciting bits, but the enemies are all dead when he arrives.  Then Petya is dead, or at least gravely wounded.  It is very sudden.  Denisov and Dolokhov are dealing with that and their new Russian prisoners who, it turns out, includes Pierre.

Chapter 12

Nothing much has changed with Pierre since we last saw him, at least as far as orders from the French go.  They've basically just been travelling to this point, slowly losing bits of the French army and prisoners as they go.  Pierre has become more meditative and realised that, actually, being a prisoner really isn't any less free than being married to Helena.  He's managing to ignore the men who are being shot or dying of illness, and is quite content.

Chapter 13

We're still with Pierre, on the 22nd of October, strolling through Moscow.  There are rotting creatures "from men to horses" lying around everywhere.  Pierre is finding it harder to ignore the death around him, and finally has to face his dying friend and fellow prisoner.

Chapter 14

We're still with Pierre as a French marshal with a three-cornered hat goes past.  I associate that hat entirely with Napoleon, but I don't think it's Napoleon.  There's a gunshot.  Pierre doesn't understand its significance - and nor do I - but the French soldiers seem concerned.

Chapter 15

Pierre is reunited with the Russian army.  The soldiers and prisoners are very happy to see one another, even those who haven't before met in person.  Petya is being buried.  He was dead, after all.

Chapter 16

We're doing big picture stuff again now, on October 28th.  Mostly about how terribly the French are handling things.

Chapter 17

More big picture stuff.  Basically, the French were panicking and ran straight into the Russians.

Chapter 18

Tolstoy does not approve of historians describing any of this as if Napoleon planned it or as if the generals were great or clever.  "There is no greatness where simplicity, goodness and truth are absent".

Chapter 19

...and yet, why did the Russians fail to capture or cut off the French?  And, if this failure to be captured is a French victory, why did it lead to the defeat of France?  Because, according to Tolstoy, the Russians weren't trying to capture the French.  The French were running away, that's what Russia wanted.  And because you can't "cut off" an army.  It's not one thing, it's thousands of people who can each break apart and escape and get through the gaps.  Also, the Russians were out of vodka (that sounds like a joke, and I have phrased it more humorously than in the text, but I didn't make it up, it is in there).

Anyway, Tolstoy ascribes the difference between what happened and what historians wrote about to the fact that historians are writing about the beautiful words and plans the generals wrote, and not what actually happened.  For example, they never talk about the 50,000 men who dropped out of the war because they were old and sick and couldn't carry on.  He describes the Russian army as a whip behind a fleeing animal, held as a threat but not actually needing to strike.

This is the end of part 14!  I have three parts left, of 20, 16, and 12 chapters each.  We'll see how I get on with them.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapters 10

 Chapter 10

Petya returns to find Denisov waiting, very worried about him.  Petya's too excited to sleep, and goes exploring when Denisov drifts off.  Petya talks to his horse about all the exciting adventures they're going to have in battle and then is interrupted by a Cossack.  Petya asks the cossack to sharpen Petya's never-been-used sword and also asks after Vesenny, the little French drummer boy.  The narration reflects on how unaware Petya is of what's around him and the reality of the upcoming battle.  I'm pretty sure Petya's going to die.  He dreams of music.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapters 8 and 9

 Chapter 8

Dolokhov turns up, and Petya can't take his eyes of him because he's heard so many stories about Dolokhov being badass.  Dolokhov asks someone to come to the French camp with him, and Petya offers.  Denisov tries to stop him, but he will not be stopped.  Denisov and Dolokhov have an argument because Denisov insists no men have died on his watch - his motivation for not wanting Petya to go to the French camp - but Dolokhov points out that that's only because he sends them elsewhere to be killed.  Dolokhov wins the argument.  Petya doesn't fully understand that he's not actually immoral and prides himself on his lack of concern for his own life, so he's pretty happy about this.

Chapter 9

Disguised as French soldiers, Petya and Dolokhov set off.  Petya is very excited.  He insists he won't be taken alive if they're caught because he has a pistol.  Dolokhov do-you-know-who-I-ams his way through a sentinel and this works for a few minutes while they gather information.  They leave and Petya, high on the audacity of having gotten away with it, is even more impressed with Dolokhov.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapter 7

 Chapter 7

We've now gone back in time a little, to go over Petya's experiences since joining the army.  He's been feeling very grown-up.  He begged to be allowed to be the one sent to Denisov, but his commander has banned him from actually taking part in any of Denisov's actions because Petya went a bit off the rails when he last faced the enemy.  Since meeting with Denisov, Petya has decided that the commander is dumb and he, Petya, is going to ignore the explicit instructions he's been given.

Petya is delighted to be hanging out with Denisov and his regiment and goes around offering everyone shares of the little treats he's been buying himself, like raisins.  A French drummer boy, Vincent, has been caught by the Cossacks that day, and Petya tries to make friends with him in French, and considers offering him money.  The Russians have nicknamed Vincent Vesenny and Vesenya, because apparently even visitors aren't allowed to just go around in Russia without having multiple names.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Plans for tomorrow attack are finalised, and then Denisov and Petya ride off back to camp.  On the way, they run into Tikhon, who has found a tongue.  Well, he found two, but he took the first one back because he decided the first wasn't suitable.  And then he didn't quite manage to capture the second because he had back-up.  Tikhon doesn't understand why this angers Denisov, and says he'll get as many Frenchman as Denisov could want when it gets dark.  Petya at first finds this funny, and is then a little disturbed at the thought that Tikhon has killed a man.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapter 5

Chapter 5

We're still with Petya and Denisov.  They're hanging around the French camp looking out for Tikhon, the man they sent to find a "tongue".  He was picked up by the Russian army from a village they marched through.  He was the sole guerilla-warrior defending it, and had gotten quite good at it.  Unfortunately, it turns out, he's still guerilla-ing and has so far not been able to find a tongue.

In Which We Discuss War and Peace, Part 14, Chapter 4

I have now finished my degree.  I predict a 2:1, but I won't have the grades back for a while.  Last night I dreamt I completely failed a module I passed last year, so my judgement is probably not reliable.

Chapter 4

Denisov is wandering about, waiting for word from Dolokhov, when an officer arrives with news.  It's Petya Rostov!  Petya had vowed to behave like a proper officer, but rapidly reverts to childhood when recognised - since he is 15 - and asks to stay with Denisov over night.