Tolstoy (1828-1910) was a Russian writer who is regarded as one of the greatest writers of all time and best remembered for 'War and Peace' (1869), his epic novel chronicling the history of the French invasion of Russia and the impact of the Napoleonic era on Tsarist society as seen through the eyes of five aristocratic families. This collection of six stories is reprinted from an English translation published in 1887. The title story, sometimes translated as 'The Raid' and first published in the original Russian in 1853, is set in the Caucasus and takes the form of a conversation between the narrator and a military captain about the nature of bravery. It is based on Tolstoy's own experiences as an artillery cadet stationed in the Caucasus.