A fascinating and intense account of Leonard Cohens time in Israel during the 19-day Yom Kippur War of 1973. A must for any Leonard Cohen completist, with excerpts from his unpublished manuscripts from that time. Soulful and thoughtfully done.Suzanne Vega
Who by Fire is a stunning resurrection of a moment in the life of Leonard Cohen and the history of Israel. Its 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
A short, symphonic book of remarkable stories of yearning, love, and war, whose leitmotif is a haunted artist bearing secret chords that enchant the world.Rabbi David Wolpe
Matti Friedman excels at finding the great significance in forgotten things: forgotten manuscripts, forgotten wars, forgotten spies. In this account of Leonard Cohens forgotten concert tour during the Yom Kippur War, not only is a hidden side of Cohen revealed but so too a hidden side of Israel. Who by Fire is a book about the change that happens when you come through the flames.David Bezmozgis
Although he could not have anticipated it when he was researching and writing, the symbolic timing and importance of Matti Friedmans latest book, Who by Fire, is particularly poignant. [ A] beautifully intimate portrait.Quillette
A revealing and absorbing account of those few short weeks when the fate of Israel was at the precipice, but its revelations will stay with the reader for much longer than it takes to read the slim volume. Friedmans compelling narrative of a pivotal war that left an indelible mark on a nation, the Jewish people and one musician draws readers in and doesnt let go of us until the last page has been finished.Jewish Journal
Friedman illuminates in this fascinating tale an extraordinary chapter in the career of singer and songwriter Leonard Cohen (19342016) that left a lasting impact on the state of Israel. This demonstration of the power of song will stun fans of the legendary artist.Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Compelling . Cohen fans will savor this little-known footnote in the singers life.Kirkus Reviews
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 authors craft, identity, and connection to Israel. A brief, audacious, thorough book turning a dream world unconventionally and surprisingly real.Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A word-of-mouth treasure. Offers vital insight into Cohens trajectory as a songwriter and the scope of his work.City Journal
An important hybrid work of music and war reporting.Mitchell Kaplan, Boca Magazine
Matti Friedmans impeccably researched and exquisitely written account of Cohens unlikely foray into the front lines of a nightmarish war answers the never quite explicated questionjust what in the hell did the reluctant scion of a prominent Montreal rabbinical family think he was doing on an Israeli warfront?... Who by Fire offers Cohen aficionados a welcome opportunity to get lost in their own longings.Hadassah Magazine
Fascinating.Times Literary Supplement
Who By Fire passed the most stringent test for readability of any book I can recall in the last two decades. ... Beautiful, haunting, and profoundly memorable.Mosaic Magazine
