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 ...
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Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Uk Ltd
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780099484936ISBN:0099484935
Description: Good. Our aim is to create value for our customers through the provision of low cost, affordable products and an overall satisfying buying experience. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Random House Uk Ltd
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780099484936ISBN:0099484935
Description: Good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! read more
Edition: First English Edition; First Printing
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Secker & Warburg, London
Date Published: 2004
Description: Very Good in Very Good-dust jacket. Historical fiction. Attractive dust jacket, mapped endpapers and dark red hardcover. Hardcover and contents all in good order. A little movement to the spine but all is secure. Jacket has not been price-clipped. A little edge and shelfwear. Heavy book at over 1kg before packaging. Pictures available on request.; 9.5" tall; 625. pages. read more
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: VINTAGE
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9781400079322ISBN:1400079322
Description: Published by VINTAGE in 2005, paperback, medium size, covers good, internally good, spine creased. Shipped from UK. Delivery is usually 2-3 working days from order by Royal Mail, International Delivery is by Airmail. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Knopf
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9781400043415ISBN:1400043417
Description: Good in Good jacket. First Edition. 28-W. 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
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
Binding: Softcover
Publisher: Random House Inc
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9781400079322ISBN:1400079322
Description: Fair. Paperback. All text is legible, may contain markings, cover wear, loose/torn pages or staining and much writing. All text is legible, may contain markings, cover wear, loose/torn pages or staining and much writing. SKU: 25134711 All orders shipped within 1 business day. 14 day money back guarantee ISBN: 9781400079322. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2005-06-28
ISBN-13:9781400079322ISBN:1400079322
Description: Fair. Water stained on top edge of pages, creased plus tanning to pages, reader copy in poor condition, fast shipping with tracking. read more
Edition: NEW ED
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: VINTAGE Country = UNITED KINGDOM
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9780099478980ISBN:0099478986
Description: BRAND NEW PAPERBACK. 640 pages. (640 pages) 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. philothei, a christian girl of legendary beauty, and ibrahim the goatherd who has courted her since infancy are but two of the many casualties. edition new ed (Paperback) read more
Binding: Audio Cassette
Publisher: Books On Tape
Date Published: 2004-12
ISBN-13:9781415903810ISBN:1415903816
Description: Good. This audio cassette has been used, and shows medium wear. This is an Ex-library audio cassette with the usual stamps/labels, with medium wear on the cover. Email sent when item shipped. We ship promptly in tear resistant mailers and promise you excellent professional customer service. Delivery confirmation available on all shipments. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Vintage
Date Published: 2005-06-28
ISBN-13:9781400079322ISBN:1400079322
Description: Good. All books in Acceptable-Good condition. Books may NOT include Online Access Codes (InfoTrac, MyEconLab). Books MAY contain highliting/bent pages. We ship M-F. read more
Binding: Trade paperback
Publisher: Vintage Books USA
Date Published: 2005
ISBN-13:9781400079322ISBN:1400079322
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 553 p. Audience: General/trade. Book in very good condition with FAST SHIPPING! read more
Edition: First Edition
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Alfred a Knopf Inc, Westminister, Maryland, U.S.A.
Date Published: 2004
ISBN-13:9781400043415ISBN:1400043417
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. Ex-Library 1st American ed. Interior clean. Boards in good shape. dj very good in mylar. read more
"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)."
"This is an engaging history of the the founding of the Republic of Turkey, beginning with the events leading up to WWI. The story is mingled between a straightforward biography of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and the winding narratives of a group of Turkish villagers. The story explains the political atmosphere that led to the events alongside their results as witnessed by the village. During the war for independence, the story becomes a little war-heavy, as the dwindling population of the village makes it difficult to carry a meaningful storyline, but on the whole, the book is a wonderful read and an easy look at the history of Asia Minor.
I recently read Middlesex (Jeffrey Eugenides), and I remember being confused while I read the first chapters, because I didn't know anything about the Asia Minor Greeks. I kept wondering where this was taking place, and what the Greeks were doing in Turkey, and why the area apparently kept changing hands. When I read Birds Without Wings, it was like all of those questions were being answered! The timeline of the two books aligns almost perfectly, with Birds Without Wings ending at the same point in history that Middlesex begins. I really wish I'd read Birds Without Wings first, so that I could have understood the context of early Middlesex better. In fact, I did go back and reread a few segments of Middlesex later, since I could understand them better."
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