O Jerusalem

Day by Day and Minute by Minute the Historic Struggle for Jerusalem and the Birth of Israel

By: Larry Collins, Dominique Lapierre

Narrated by: Theodore Bikel

Length: 23 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

O Jerusalem! is the epic drama of 1948, when Arabs and Jews fought for control of the city of Jerusalem. This story traverses centuries and continents, covering the time between WWII and the creation of the independent state of Israel. Based on five years of intensive research and thousands of interviews, this is a story of courage, terrorism, heroism, and ultimately, war.

©1972 Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre (P)2003 New Millennium Audio, All Rights Reserved

Critic reviews

"A history that not only clarifies the military and political events of the war but brings its human dimensions vividly to life." (The National Observer)
"A story as dramatic, as miraculous, as full of wonder as any ever told." (New York Times Book Review)

Good

The story is great. It took me several tries to really get into it; this is not a book you can listen to in small intervals and expect to follow along. Once I put it on for a road trip and had about two hours of uninterrupted listening, I was all in.

Definitely would recommend.

enjoyable retelling of Jerusalem's history

the narrator of this audio book was excellent. the book was very long, and because of that the style can become repetitive. but the facts covered were so interesting and the human element involved so moving, it kept my attention throughout the course of the book.

great book

This is a very detailed, but interesting book. The point of view is pretty unbiased,just historical.

Outstanding History of Jerusalem

What made the experience of listening to O Jerusalem the most enjoyable?

I felt like I was part of the history, day by day, sitting in on the war room meetings that changes the course of Jerusalem history

Just Amazing!

Beautifully written and narrated this book is packed with insight into the struggles of the people that live in the area surrounding Jerusalem. The research required must have been phenomenal!

can't stop listening

This book is a rare gem - educational and extremely interesting. I can't put it down (or rather turn off my player), and yet it also provides a great and unbiased overview of the founding of the state of Israel and the tragedy of the people of Palestine (both Jew and Arab). I highly recommend it, you'll enjoy it no matter your political leanings.

History that reads like a novel

After hearing the first few chapters, I realized I was in for more than I wanted. I thought the book would start back in ancient times and cover the big picture historically. I realized that this book was starting in the 1940's for the most part. 23.5 hours of modern history!? The first few days of listening on my commute, I kept thinking, who cares about all these details? The amount of detail is amazing, but who could remember all these names and places? After a few days, I realized how hooked I was. The narrator does a great job and gives you the feeling he was there watching it all happen. You'll get pulled into the story (although it is hard to keep track of all the names).

The book is very engrossing and I find myself wondering why the author would write such tragic outcomes. Where is the hero with guns blazing comming to save the day? I have to keep reminding myself that this was all real, not fiction.

This also seems very unbiased, as hard as that is to do. At times you think the author is on the side of the Jews, and then later it seems that he is pulling for the Arabs. The author presents both side as very human, with real emotions. You'll feel the loss of people on both sides, and wonder at the stupidity of both sides.

Wow!

This book was so richly detailed that it is hard to believe that it is non-fiction, and yet a quick check for names, places, and objects on the web revealed everything just as dictated in this terrific saga. Absolutely incredible! This was the longest audiobook I've attempted so far and I found myself yearning for long drives and hikes to justify listening to it at length. Thankfully the Mountain Loop Highway outside of Seattle provided just the trick! Be ready to spend late nights huddled up to your bedside speakers cursing and cheering on the various protagonists and antagonists.

Fascinating History!!!

"O Jerusalem" is a great telling of the formation of the nation of Israel and the war that followed, focusing on Old Jerusalem. This is a story no one could make up! It is rather a long listen but is easy to stick with. Middle East history is such a timely topic, and this book is a great resource. Great narration, too.

O Jerusalem

An enlightning look into the day-to-day events leading up to the Isreal's War of Independence with insights into both sides of the war. There are many fascinating personal accounts as well as the strategies that both sides attempted to execute.