Who by Fire

Leonard Cohen in the Sinai

By: Matti Friedman

Narrated by: Matti Friedman, Andrew Polk

Length: 5 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

"An expedition into the troubled soul of one of the world’s greatest songwriters."—Haaretz

"Not only is a hidden side of Cohen revealed but so too a hidden side of Israel."—David Bezmozgis

The little-known story of Leonard Cohen’s concert tour to the front lines of the Yom Kippur War, including never-before-seen selections from an unfinished manuscript by Cohen and rare photographs

In October 1973, the poet and singer Leonard Cohen—thirty-nine years old, famous, unhappy, and at a creative dead end—traveled from his home on the Greek island of Hydra to the chaos and bloodshed of the Sinai desert when Egypt attacked Israel on the Jewish high holiday of Yom Kippur. Moving around the front with a guitar and a group of local musicians, Cohen met hundreds of young soldiers, men and women at the worst moment of their lives. Those who survived never forgot the experience. And the war transformed Cohen. He had announced that he was abandoning his music career, but he instead returned to Hydra and to his family, had a second child, and released one of the best albums of his career.

In Who by Fire, journalist Matti Friedman gives us a riveting account of those weeks in the Sinai, drawing on Cohen’s previously unpublished writing and original reporting to create a kaleidoscopic depiction of a harrowing, formative moment for both a young country at war and a singer at a crossroads.

Featuring a full-length rendition of the song “Who by Fire” performed by Leonard Cohen.

©2022 Matti Friedman (P)2022 Spiegel & Grau by Spotify Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"WHO BY FIRE is a stunning resurrection of a moment in the life of Leonard Cohen and the history of Israel. It’s the story of a young artist in crisis and a young country at war, and the powerful resonance of the chord struck between them. A beautiful, haunting book."—Nicole Krauss

"With remarkable insight, discipline, heart, scope, stunning reporting, and sometimes quite beautiful writing, Friedman has recreated those days of war and music, regeneration and humility, that freed Cohen to create some of his greatest works of art."—Mother Jones

"Compelling… [Friedman] beautifully ties together ideas about the author’s craft, identity, and connection to Israel…. A brief, audacious, thorough book turning … a dream world unconventionally and surprisingly real."—Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A gem of a book

I heard about this book on Bari Weiss’s podcast, Honestly (April 6, 2022). Both podcast and book are well worth a listen, whether you’re a Leonard Cohan fan, interested in history, or just want to get away from the clickbait of current events. The narration is excellent (and I don’t always say that about a book read by the author!) My only complaint is that even while I admire the way Friedman balances all the elements in his narrative, the book felt too short; I needed to listen to it all over again, just to let the experience sink in

Excellent account of a little-known history

I listened to this audiobook with my heart in my throat. Matti Friedman has done a wonderful job reporting on Leonard Cohen’s visit to the Israeli troops during the Yom Kippur War. From interviews with the soldiers who heard him perform, Cohen’s own writings (published and unpublished), and accounts of specific bases in the Sinai, Friedman does a masterful job weaving together Cohen’s journey with that of the young nation in crisis. One phrase that will stay with me is the soldier who said Cohen gave off an “aura of good-heartedness and unusual humanity.” A compelling, intense read (particularly on the eve of Yom Kippur) with excellent narration by the author.

PS One doesn’t need to be a huge Leonard Cohen to enjoy this book!

Well done!

great narrator.
Matti did a great mitzvah
I highly recommend
well worth every minute

Highly recommended

Wonderfully conceived, crafted, and delivered. An inspiring and moving reflection on a great artist and on a painful turning point in one nation’s history.

Fantastic!

Portrait of a modern day prophet. Anyone who likes Leonard Cohen lyrics and music will be moved. Anyone who has worked to find the spiritual in Judaism will be blown away.

Wonderful in every way

Movingly narrated, brilliantly crafted. One of the most unique and wonderful stories you could imagine.

Redemptive

Powerful story of the power of the Yum Kippur War which changed Leonard Cohen’s life. Beautifully read.

Deep and moving book about the singer and the war

Matti Friedman wrote a very engaging book about a broken artist who pulls himself back together through a very challenging war.

What a beautiful book

I am not Jewish, and know little to nothing about Israel, but to me, this book is so well-written, with so much life in it, and so much that is meaningful and profound. War, tragedy, sadness, but also beauty and poetry and love and history. I think this author’s caring for the story comes through in his narration.

Brilliant account of Leonard Cohen's time at war.

Told mainly through Cohen's own words and interviews with fellow musicians and soldiers at the concerts, this is a brilliant gem of investigative reporting. An easy and fascinating read.