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Birds Without Wings

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About this listen

Set against the backdrop of the collapsing Ottoman Empire, the Gallipoli campaign and the subsequent bitter struggle between Greeks and Turks, Birds Without Wings traces the fortunes of one small community in south-west Anatolia - a town in which Christian and Muslim lives and traditions have co-existed peacefully for centuries.

When war is declared and the outside world intrudes, the twin scourges of religion and nationalism lead to forced marches and massacres, and the peaceful fabric of life is destroyed. Birds Without Wings is a novel about the personal and political costs of war, and about love: between men and women; between friends; between those who are driven to be enemies; and between Philothei, a Christian girl of legendary beauty, and Ibrahim the Goatherd, who has courted her since infancy. Epic in sweep, intoxicating in its sensual detail, it is an enchanting masterpiece.

Read by Hugh Bonneville.

 Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Feel-Good Ottoman Empire War Imperialism

Critic reviews

A more ambitious novel than Captain Corelli, and a better one
A mesmerising patchwork of horror, humour and humanity
A magnificent, poetic, colossal novel... Superbly written... It is, in every sense, a sublime book
His most serious and ambitious achievement to date
Pleasurable... Like Steinbeck, de Bernières deserves praise for his imaginative sympathy
All stars
Most relevant
My wife and I have both read the full unabridged book. This abridged version is excellent, but for the sake of brevity has sacrificed details and chapters that frames the story differently.

It was lovely to revisit moments from the book while on holiday in Turkey and while visiting Kaya Koy- the town on which Eskabache is based. For this purpose this audiobook was perfect.

I'd recommend a newcomer to the story to discover the full unabridged version first. You will have a deeper appreciation of the history and tragedies, you will learn more about the enigmatic Mustafa Kemal and you will be taken on a more intense emotional journey.

A perfect accompaniment to a holiday in Turkey

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I read the novel years ago and wanted to hear it again. Although l really enjoyed it, l found that too much of the story had been cut out making it very patchy and difficult to follow. The narration was excellent, l would love to hear HB tell the whole story or a better abridged version.

An abridged too far for me!

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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Disappointed as I didn't realise I had bought the abridged version. I have now purchased the unabridged version. Make sure you purchase the right one. Never noticed this before.

Good book but not unabridged

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