This edited book provides a multi-disciplinary approach to the topics of translation and cross-cultural communication in times of war and conflict. It examines the historical and contemporary experiences of interpreters in war and in war crimes trials, as well as considering policy issues in communication difficulties in war-related contexts. The range of perspectives incorporated in this volume will appeal to scholars, practitioners and policy-makers, particularly in the fields of translating and interpreting, conflict and war studies, and military history.

Juxtaposes historical and contemporary perspectives on themes such as intercultural communication, translating and interpreting in difficult circumstances

1. Introduction: Understanding Communication, Translation, and Language in Wartime (Amanda Laugesen and Richard Gehrmann).- Part 1: Experiences of Cross-Cultural Communication in Wartime.- 2. Cross-Cultural Communication and the Experiences of Australian Soldiers During the First World War (Amanda Laugesen).- 3. Unfamiliar Allies: Australian Cross-Cultural Communication in Afghanistan and Iraq During the War on Terror (Richard Gehrmann).- Part 2: Strategies of Communication and Language Teaching.- 4. The Implications of War for the Teaching of Japanese Language in Australian Universities, 1917-1945 (Jennifer Joan Baldwin).- 5. The Effectiveness of Intensive Courses in Teaching War Zone Languages (Yavar Dehghani).- 6. The Challenge of Strategic Communication in Multinational Military Operations: Approaches by the USA and Germany in the ISAF (Jasmin Gabel).- Part 3: Experiences of Interpreters in Wartime and After.- 7. 'Rediscovering Homeland': Russian Interpreters in the Wehrmacht, 1941-1943 (Oleg Beyda).- 8. Interpreters at Australia's War-Crimes Trials, 1945-51: From 'Ready-Mades' to 'Happenchancers' (Georgina Fitzpatrick).- 9. Interpreting the 'Language of War' During War-Crimes Trials (Ludmila Stern).- 10. Working with Australia Defence Force Interpreters in Timor 1999 and Aceh 2005: Reflections Drawn from Personal Experience (Matt Grant).- 11. Risk Perception and its Management: Lessons from Iraqi Linguistic Mediators for the Australian Defence Force in the Iraq War (2003-2009) (Ali Jabbar Albakaa).- 12. Conclusion: Cross-Cultural Communication and Language in Wartime: Reflections and Future Directions (Richard Gehrmann and Amanda Laugesen).