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Birdy

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About this listen

An extraordinary story of war and friendship from one of America’s most revered authors of the 20th Century.

Two teenagers form an unlikely friendship in pre-War Philadelphia. Al is obsessed with lifting weights, looking good and chasing girls. Birdy is obsessed with flight.

Birdy’s passion becomes all-encompassing. Birdy wants to fly.

A few years later these young men find themselves emotionally and physically scarred by Word War Two. Al is called to an army psychiatric hospital to help the doctors there treat his friend, who he finds squatting on the floor of his cell and acting like a bird.

This haunting and brilliant novel has electrified readers the world over. It has truly become a modern classic.

In 1984, Birdy was turned into an award-winning movie directed by Alan Parker and starring Nicholas Cage and Matthew Modine

©1980 William Wharton (P)2012 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Historical Fiction Fiction Feel-Good Friendship War

Critic reviews

‘Wonderful’ DORIS LESSING

‘Will become a classic’ PATRICK WHITE

‘Most memorable… Wharton is exceptionally gifted’ JOHN FOWLES

‘It is as good as Ken Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest… and perhaps it is better’ GUARDIAN
All stars
Most relevant
that's the kind of story ill be reading every so often till the end of my days

my favourite book ever.

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Read it years ago and was excited to find it in an audio version. it's a beautiful story of friendship, war and the obsession of learning how to fly. for me it was one of those books you cant put away. Listened three times just to prolong the pleasure.

Amazing story

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