Biographers have hailed Leo Tolstoy as a literary giant but have misunderstood or misrepresented what he regarded as his most important work, namely his attempt to formulate a consistent philosophy which took its inspiration from the Sermon on the Mount but addressed itself to the political and economic problems of the day. This is the first comprehensive treatment of this endeavour which occupied the last 30 years of his life. David Redfearn explains how Tolstoy came to realize that the state existed to protect and preserve the privileges of the few and that the Church connived at the situation. As the truth of this became more and more obvious to him, he abandoned his literary career and set out to explore the true meaning of Christianity and to devise a system for securing economic justice. Redfearn points out that this endeavour took many years and in the process Tolstoy went down a number of blind alleys, thus giving rise to inconsistencies. His own position as one of the privileged class exacerbated the situation, because he was torn between his desire to practice his philosophy and his duty to his family. It is therefore on his mature philosophy that this part of his life should be judged. One of the great influences of his life, one which helped him clarify his economic thinking, was the work of his contemporary, the American social reformer Henry George. He was so impressed that in 1902 he urged the Tsar to introduce the tax and land tenure reforms advocated by George - to no avail. The full text of his letter is reproduced in the book. In his foreword Dr. Gorelov reveals that Tolstoy's later works are once more being studied by reformers in Russia seeking an alternative social philosophy to Marxism and capitalism. David Redfearn argues that Tolstoy's work is equally relevant to the industrialised West and the Third World for it was essentially a critique of the capitalist system.

About the Author

David Redfearn was a Quaker dedicated to the idea that war could be eradicated.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

Lowest prices with fast shipping.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

Marshall's books
IL, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Returns accepted.

Right of withdrawal

If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.

Information regarding the right of withdrawal

Statutory right to withdraw

You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.

The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.

To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.

To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.

Effects of withdrawal

If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).

We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.

We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.

We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.

We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.

You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Marshall's books, Ottawa, Illinois, U.S.A., +1 8154340806, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.

Exceptions to the right of withdrawal

The right of withdrawal does not apply to:

The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.

Shipping Terms

Media mail shipping

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 14 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	� 4.41	� 7.12

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.