The School of War

About the Book

Alexandre Najjar was eight years old when bloody and brutal hostilities erupted in Lebanon; he was twenty-three when the guns at last fell silent. After seven years of voluntary exile spent trying to escape the nightmare of civil war, he is now back amongst his family and friends, and the past is quickly catching up with him.

As he reacquaints himself with his bullet-riddled city, Alexandre is haunted by vivid memories which he sets down with extraordinary imagination and humour. Sometimes nostalgic, and sometimes brutal and shocking, The School of War offers unforgettable insight into a child’s experiences during times of conflict.

 

About the Author

Alexandre Najjar was born in Lebanon in 1967. A lawyer, novelist and literary critic, he has won many prizes for his writing. His books include Kahlil Gibran: A Biography (Saqi Books), The School of War and The Silence of My Father (both Telegram), as well as several books in French. He lives in Beirut and Paris.

About the Translator

Laurie Wilson also translated The School of War by the same author and Young Girl by Anne Wiazemsky, (both Telegram). She lives and works in Lyon, France.

Reviews

'A marvellously affecting memoir of the war in Lebanon: perfectly pitched and intensely evocative, and all the more powerful from being seen through the eyes of a child.'
William Boyd

'Heartrending and at the same time heartwarming. The war in Beirut may have stolen Najjar's childhood, but it did nothing to cloud his vision or silence his singular voice'
Dava Sobel, author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter