Birds Without Wings

By: Louis de Bernieres

Narrated by: John Lee

Birds Without Wings traces the fortunes of one small community in southwest Turkey (Anatolia) in the early part of the last century—a quirky community in which Christian and Muslim lives and traditions have co-existed peacefully over the centuries and where friendship, even love, has transcended religious differences.

But with the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire and the onset of the Great War, the sweep of history has a cataclysmic effect on this peaceful place: The great love of Philothei, a Christian girl of legendary beauty, and Ibrahim, a Muslim shepherd who courts her from near infancy, culminates in tragedy and madness; Two inseparable childhood friends who grow up playing in the hills above the town suddenly find themselves on opposite sides of the bloody struggle; and Rustem Bey, a wealthy landlord, who has an enchanting mistress who is not what she seems.

Far away from these small lives, a man of destiny who will come to be known as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is emerging to create a country from the ruins of an empire. Victory at Gallipoli fails to save the Ottomans from ultimate defeat and, as a new conflict arises, Muslims and Christians struggle to survive, let alone understand, their part in the great tragedy that will reshape the whole region forever.

Great entertainment with a bit of history

This was one of the moste enjoyable titles I've listened to in quite a while. The book skips from the first-hand, fictional stories of the major characters to an omniscient narrator who puts the stories in a hard historical context. Its initial vignettes reminded me of Chaucer, Twain and even Garrison Kieler. Like the Great Powers, the listener is subtly pulled into the horrors of war and the ethnic cleansing which has plagued the Balkans for centuries. The narrator, John Lee, is superb. His suite of seamless voices and accents believably convey and elaborate each character's nuance.
Buy it.

John Lee was phenomenal

For a fantastic book, a fantastic narrator. What a wonderful book! I'm going to be checking out some of his other works as well.

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!

Excellent Antidote for Bigotry

The author not only wrote an engaging story about the waning days of the Ottoman Empire, but an excellent antidote for bigotry. As you get to know the characters, it matters little whether they are Christian or Muslim -- they are just parts of the village we come to know and love. Honor and integrity are shown by both sides as are dishonor and perfidy. Battle scenes are revealed as horrible rather than glorious. His storytelling method reminds me of Faulkner's, 'As I Lay Dying'. The narrator was superb with distinct voices for each character. This was one of my favorite audiobooks.

More than a story

De Bernières captures the soul of humanism in his telling of events before, during, and after WWI from the rarely considered perspective of both non-western and non-powerful actors on the scene. With his graphic descriptions of the atrocities of war (and yes, as other reviewers have commented - it is not for the faint-hearted) and the consequences thereof for regular, peaceful citizens of the world, the author weaves a thought-provoking web that is much, much more than a story.
Yet a story it is and a damn good one, and brilliantly related by the narrator, John Lee.