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Title: Birds Without Wings

Author: Louis de Bernieres

Narrator: John Lee

Format: Unabridged

Length: 22 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-18-04

Publisher: Books on Tape

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 369 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Birds Without Wings is the story of a small town in Anatolia in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire told in the richly varied voices of the men and women (Armenians, Christians, and Muslims) whose lives are intertwined and rooted there: Iskander, the potter and local fount of wisdom; Philotei, the Christian girl of legendary beauty, courted almost from infancy by Ibrahim the goatherd, a great love that culminates in tragedy and madness; and many more. When jihad is declared against the Franks and the young men of the town are conscripted, we follow Iskander's son, Karatavuk, to Gallipoli, where the intimate brutality of battle robs him of all innocence, just as the town he left behind is robbed of its centuries-old peace by the twin scourges of fanatical religion and nationalism that the war unleashed.

©2004 Louis de Bernieres; (P)2004 Books on Tape

Editorial Reviews:

Why You Should Download This Audiobook: Hard to put into words the effect of this powerful historical novel. British author Louis de Bernieres has essentially created a world of vivid, finely drawn characters, whose simple lives will change irrevokably in the wake of World War I. Like the best novels based on real events, de Bernieres' Birds Without Wings enriches the listener's understanding of a period in history while revealing with great sensitivity the impact of terrible events on human lives.

Members Reviews:

Not for the faint of heart

An intricate web of storytelling that brings an understanding to a part of WWI that has received such little attention. I am in awe of Louis De Bernieres' ability to impart through dialogue so much of the feeling, with such authenticity, the perspective of characters who are so foreign in every way. The one perspective that is not foreign, though, is their humanity, that which is common to us all. It is through the eyes and ears and hearts of these characters that we see the world in which they lived, the community that they shared, and the sometimes improbable lives that they led. De Bernieres weaves a complex story whcih demands much from his reader. If you can commit to that demand, he will deliver an unforgettable tale full of history, humanity, and humor. A masterpiece!

Truely Excellent

The imagery, the characters the complex web of plots and themes is really quite overpowering. From the first line to the end of the book John Lee had me captivated and transported to such an unusuall reality that I couldn't stop listening.

The emotional depth is palpable, and even though it has been months since I have read this book I can't stop thinking about the characters: their innocent ignorance, sincere love and afection, and in some cases the bullheaded hatred. You cannot get them out of your head.

This isn't a light read, and it isn't for the faint of heart but highly recommended. You will remember it for years to come.

Bird Without Wings

I so was moved by this book that I'm writing my first reader review. I previously read Paris 1919 and the two should read in sequence. Paris 1919 tell us of the machinations of rather stupid political leaders( Lloyd George, Wilson and Clemenceau) who in their effort to sort out national interests and greed for colonies, after WW 1 destroyed lives, nations and cultures. The Ottoman empire made many bad decisions such as joining the Germans in WW 1Turks as well as Greeks and Armenians paid a terible price.