About this title: Louis de Bernières's epic novel encompasses the history of Turkey from the late 19th century to the end of the Ottoman Empire and the rise of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in the 1920s. Narrated by a variety of voices (including a potter, a beautiful young woman in love with a goatherd, and a man whose adulterous wife is stoned to death), BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS is both the story of a rich culture and its people, and a meditation about the effects of nationalism and religion on the country's history.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. 1400043417 Copy has been read but remains in nice & clean condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or high-lighting. Spine is tight; a clean read. Some shelf wear to the cover. read more
Description: Reader copy. Ex-Public Library. COVERS AND PAGE CORNERS SHOW HEAVY WEAR. COCKED SPINE. TEXT IS GOOD. Library stamps & stickers. SAVE A TREE-BUY USED! ! read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf Inc
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9781400043415ISBN:1400043417
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. Ex-Library Hard Cover--VG/VG--Ex-Library--Book and dust jacket show only light wear. 553 pages. Stated First American Edition with original price of 25.95 present. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Large Print
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780436205514ISBN:0436205513
Description: Good. Paperback. Cover shows moderate wear to edges, notable spine and corner creasing. Pages are very lightly sunned to edges, no markings. Binding is intact. Location: MBP. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House Large Print
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780375434341ISBN:0375434348
Description: Good in Good jacket. Large Print-1: Ex-library. Books rated "Good" may have some notes, underlining, or highlighting. These books also may contain the previous owner's name, stamp, sticker, or gift inscription, or may be library discards. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House Large Print
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9780375434341ISBN:0375434348
Description: Good. Used item may show library stamps, stickers and marks. Buy with confidence-your satisfaction is guaranteed at B-Logistics! Due to the large scale of our operation, we do not have access to the specific contents/condition of our items. Please note that Expedited shipping is not available at this time. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9781400079322ISBN:1400079322
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Pages are clean; wraps have edge wear, particularly to the backstrip. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 553 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
Edition: 1st Edition 1st Printing PB
Binding: Pictorial Cover Trade PB
Publisher: Alfred a Knopf Inc, Westminister, Maryland, U.S. A
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9781400079322ISBN:1400079322
Description: NEW. No Jacket Issued. NEW and unmarked: no remainder marks. Delivery Confirmation included. read more
"de Bernieres, Louis. BIRDS WITHOUT WINGS. (2004). ****. I somehow missed this novel when it came out, but, luckily, have managed to get it from the library. De Bernieres is a marvelously inventive writer, which you soon discover upon reading any of his novels. I have read three of his earlier ones, the most famous of which is "Corelli's Mandolin." Although part of a trilogy, it is a stand-alone novel that will both charm and impress you and remain long in your memory. In this novel, the author takes us to a small village in the southwestern coastal area of Anatolia during the 1900s. The story spans the period from just before WW I to afterwards when turkish nationalism reared its ugly head. About halfway through the book, the battle of Gallipoli is painstakingly described. The small village is Eskibahce, based upon Kayakoy, where Greeks once lived in the early days of the century. They were later moved out of the village by the Turks in a mandated population exchange between Turkey and Greece following the Turkish war of independence. The story is told through the eyes of the villagers, primarily those of Philothei, the most beautiful girl of the village, and Drosoula, her best friend. Woven into the story of this village is the parallel story of the birth and rist of Mustafa Kemal, known as Ataturk, and his subsequent importance in the Turkish movement. The novel is both a historical novel and a romance. The author manages to keep us captivated throughout this massive book by his descriptive powers and the flow of his story. Recommended."
"This book shares much in common with the author's earlier masterpiece, "Corelli's Mandolin:" the fluid and often amusing prose, the deep compassion for his characters' struggles, and the satisfyingly righteous recounting of both the horror of war and the bravery of those who fight. It is, however, a sadder, more serious tale, describing the violent upheavals caused by nationalism and the first World War which upended the equable and tranquil mixed society of pre-war Turkey and caused whole populations of people to be force-marched to death or executed in the collective zeal to re-organize nations on solely ethnic grounds. Focusing on one small town and one small love affair within the town, "Birds Without Wings" stirringly depicts the innocence of the townsmembers and the friendly acknowledgement of their Islamic and Orthodox Christian differences, and yet paints with all the authentic colors of tragedy the ugly violence that came with war. A large portion of the book tells of the battle of Gallipoli from an Islamic soldier from the town, highlighting the nobility of the men who struggled their (especially the ANZAC soldiers), if not the nobility of the fighting itself. Overall this story achingly mourns the loss of innocence and beauty of a quiet corner of the world at the hands of larger powers while at the same time celebrating the vitality of humans in their various struggles. It is an amazing and memorable book."
"This novel of epic proportions is set in a small village in the Ottoman empire, on the brink of civil war. For generations, the peoples of the village have intermingled and intermarried. Even their religions have somewhat blended, with Muslims praying to the Christian saints, and Christians upholding some of the Muslims beliefs. It's a peaceful and quaint town that time has forgotten.
Soon great changes come to the region, in the way of war and destruction. The village and it's occupants realize that life, unfortunately, often changes even when you don't want it to.
I thought this book was extremely well written, and that the story very moving and sad. It's one of those books that really make you ponder just how unfair and random life can be."
"This is one I probably will read again. It is not Captain Corelli mark II and perhaps suffered in my eyes a little because of that. However, it opens a vista on some history that perhaps people from northern Europe are not so well aware of. The story opens in a village in Anatolia, where people who considered themselves as Greek and Christian lived in some harmony with their Muslim Turkish neighbours. The arrival of Ataturk and also the nationalist movements amongst those Greeks seeking a 'Greater Greece' led to a conflict that disrupted the lives of thousands and led to death and ruin of many.
As always with de Berniers, there are some descriptions and characters that just stay in your mind for ages after finishing one of his books. The nationalist Greek in the village, with his bird in a cage, is one. Another is the local pasha and the concubine he acquires.
This tale is full of humanity and sad with that sadness that springs from inhuman stupidity(or perhaps it is all too human)."
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