Alexis N. Tolstoy sketched the enigmatic figure of his ancestor, Peter, in the vast canvas of a Muscovy changing into Russia, which he unrolled in his epic historical novel Peter I. After swapping sides and abandoning the conservative party of old Moscow for the camp of Tsar Peter's followers, Peter Tolstoy rose to become one of the leading statesmen and was rewarded with the title of Count. His numerous progeny included the towering giant Leo, the talented poet and dramatist Alexis K., and several minor writers. So Alexis N. Tolstoy belonged not only to a titled family of aristocrats, but to a literary dynasty as well.

In April, 1944, a mutiny broke out in the land, sea and air forces of the Greek government-in-exile in the Middle East. This mutiny, although speedily suppressed, had far-reaching political repercussions. It forced the resignation of the Tsouderos cabinet and paved the way for the Lebanon Conference, out of which emerged a national unity government including representatives of the principal political parties and resistance groups. It was this government, headed by Premier George Papandreou, that returned to Athens in October, 1944, on the heels of the retreating German's.

Little was known about the mutiny at the time of its occurrence. Censorship restrictions forbade mention of the mutiny for a week after the outbreak, when for the first time a Tass dispatch revealed its existence.