The Language of War

A stunning account of life in a time of war. If this doesn’t make you look up from your screen to reflect on Ukraine, then nothing will… often heart-rending… this is far more than history, invaluable as his detailed reporting is. As well as a reckoning with Russia, it is also a reflection on humanity in any war – Alec Russell * Financial Times *
What role for the artist in times of catastrophe? An important book and a painful piece of history… brilliant – Luke Harding * Observer *
A vivid account of invasion and the struggle to find the words to describe a new reality: war * Financial Times *
A harrowing recount of life as a Ukrainian during the first months of Russia’s invasion – a timely reminder of its ever-presence for the millions living through it. It is, in that sense, a book not about Ukraine but about Ukrainians… it will compel you to care * Independent *
In The Language of War, the author himself is the eyewitness… the book brims with horror… Mykhed wields a skilful, angry pen * Economist *
A detailed, on-the-ground account, reminding us of the atrocities that are changing life in Ukraine forever… The Language of War eats into the mind like phosphorus – Robin Ashenden * Spectator *
Mykhed focusses on how culture and, in particular, language have become important theatres of war… a clever, passionate book – Roger Boyes * The Times *
Before 24 February 2022, writer Oleksandr Mykhed and his wife, Olena, had an enviable life. In 2018 they’d bought a three-storey townhouse in Hostomel, a suburb of Kyiv. On Saturdays, they’d go out for brunch and walk their dog in the forest… Then came 24 February… Within less than a week, life had completely transformed… The Language of War is a book written in the moment, charting the first year of Russia’s invasion… scattering fragments of his exploded past through the brutal reality of a grindingly violent present – Charlotte Higgins * Observer *
Each piece of writing here helps us to understand a reality that we can and must repair. This book has helped me and will help anyone who wishes to understand war – Timothy Snyder
I admired it so much because of the language: the precision of it, the shock… so fresh… one would rather that the book was never written because of the circumstances, but it is such a superb book – Roddy Doyle

Oleksandr Mykhed is a writer. Until March 2022, he lived in Kyiv; he is now enlisted in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He is the author of nine books; selected essays and excerpts from his books have been translated into ten languages. He has participated in literary residencies in Finland, Latvia, Iceland, the USA, and France, and a virtual residency at Oxford University. He has written for publications including The Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, and The Guardian, and has appeared as a guest on CNN and NPR. He is a member of PEN Ukraine.

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