Boys in Zinc

From 1979 to 1989 Soviet troops engaged in a devastating war in Afghanistan that claimed thousands of casualties on both sides. While the Soviet Union talked about a 'peace-keeping' mission, the dead were shipped back in sealed zinc coffins.

Boys in Zinc presents the honest testimonies of soldiers, doctors and nurses, mothers, wives and siblings who describe the lasting effects of war.

Weaving together their stories, Svetlana Alexievich shows us the truth of the Soviet-Afghan conflict: the killing and the beauty of small everyday moments, the shame of returned veterans, the worries of all those left behind. When it was first published in the USSR in 1991, Boys in Zinc sparked huge controversy for its unflinching, harrowing insight into the realities of war.

'A masterpiece of reportage' New York Review of Books

Winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature

Shipping

Please note that orders placed after 2pm on a Saturday will not be processed until the following Tuesday.

Local delivery

If your order is £35 or over and you live within 10 miles of our bookshop, then we offer free local delivery on all orders, just choose this option at the checkout.

Store pickup

You can also choose to pick up your order for FREE from our shop at:

1 Chaldicott Barns
Semley
SP7 9AW

Delivery Enquiries

If you're not sure which delivery option to select, please feel free to contact us at:

Email: anna@thetravelbookcompany.co.uk

Telephone: 01747898247

Opening Hours:

Tuesday: 10am-4pm
Wednesday: 10am-4pm
Thursday: 10am-4pm 
Friday: 10am-4pm 
Saturday : 10am-2pm

We would be delighted to hear from you so please do drop us a line using the form below or alternatively, give us a call on 01747 898247