• 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
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (637 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
O Jerusalem  By  cover art

O Jerusalem

By: Larry Collins, Dominique Lapierre
Narrated by: Theodore Bikel
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $38.00

Buy for $38.00

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

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
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History

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)

What listeners say about O Jerusalem

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    443
  • 4 Stars
    118
  • 3 Stars
    46
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    14
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    319
  • 4 Stars
    64
  • 3 Stars
    21
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    326
  • 4 Stars
    58
  • 3 Stars
    19
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    5

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

Distorted

The other reviewers are not correct when they say that this book is from the Jewish perspective, no doubt because it discusses Jewish persecution throughout history. But in its portrayal of the founding of modern Israel, the authors are clearly biased towards the Arabs. No mention is made that the final Balfour Declaration was a watered down version of the original under Arab pressure; no mention is made that original Palestine included most of the land that is now called Jordan. No mention is made of the infamous British white paper of 1939 severely limiting Jewish immigration and forbidding Jews from living east of the Jordan River; no mention is made that Palestine was a mere backwater, that it was never a national entity, but merely a terrorial part of what was usually called greater Syria. No mention is made that the vast majority of Arabs living in Palestine in 1948 were recent immigrants who came because Jewish industry had transformed in from a malaria infested swamp into a productive land, which created economic opportunities that had heretofore not existed; no mention is made of the Arab pogroms before 1948; no mention is made of the Jerusalem grand Mufti's visit to Auchwitz under the invitation of Aichmann, where he was an enthusiastic supporter of the mass murder of Jews. These are just some of the omissions that the authors make. Omissions are worse than lies.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

41 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book!

I downloaded this book because I realized I held strong opinions about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict but did not know the history behind the current state of affairs. This book has shown me the complicated chain of events, the passions of the people involved and the historical facts surrounding the emergence of Israel.

This book contains a good deal of information and narrative history concerning both Arab and Jewish actions leading to the emergence of the Israeli state. While it is obviously written from a Jewish perspective, it pulls no punches. It becomes obvious that terrorism upon civilians in Jerusalem was not a uniquely Arab creation, but rather a stradegy employed by both sides.

It is apparent when reading this that the road towards the present conflict was set long before the partitioning of Palestine. The Jews' struggle is framed as one of survival from the onset.

This is not a dry review of historical facts, nor is it written in a strict chronological format. While it's sequence jumps around alot, the historical facts are personalized by the accounts of people invloved. It tells their story (both Arab and Jew) and makes this a human struggle for the reader rather than a sterile walk towards present day.

This is a LONG narration and while I have 2 hours to spare each day during my commute, if you are not already interested in the story of Israel's emergence, you may be overwhelmed by the length.

Overall: I really, really liked this book. It was refreshingly absent of the rhetoric that dominates current analysis of the conflict.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

O Jerusalem

If you are interested in this area of history, this is a great piece of work! The detail given is exceptional. The amount of research necessary to put this book together must have been staggering. I highly recommend.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

29 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Utterly Gripping

What a compelling drama of human history. They tell the straight story, not pulling any punches, whether in dealing with the Jewish atrocities at Deir Yassin or the Arab brutality at Kvar Etzion. The war of Israeli Independence was a frightful, desperate struggle, and I had never contemplated the countless tragedies and victories that it contains.

If you want to better understand the current conflict in the Holy Land, this book will benefit you.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

O Jerusalem - a review and reminiscences

Some books about history and places, and their true hidden gist can be grasped only after you touch the stones, breath the air, toddle through its streets. That was my experience about "O Jerusalem !" by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Colins. The book describes the most contested part of Jerusalem history - the time of War in 1948 - the war launched by Arabs on the news of United Nations creation of Jewish State.
It is very detailed, epic, 600 pages of reading (or about 18 hours of listening). And it is great experience. You get deep into the individual people emotions, but you also get very good account of the global and regional history of the time.
Authors are really very objective. They did not write only black & white adoration of Jewish heroes of the time. They write about the dark sides as well. This dark sides resonated in my heart with the words and thoughts of my orthodox Jewish friend - though not in a direct simple way....
But above all it shows how incredibly difficult time Jerusalem had between 1947 and 1967, until it was reunited as a consequence of another war started by Arab countries.
It shows how precious is every stone, every inch of its streets. It weeps over all the victims of the tragedies...
It also tells a lot of amazing and incredible stories about the Jerusalem area - about Hebron and its Kfar Etzion, about Latrun and the heavy fights for this fortress, about famous Burma road and Tomb of Salomon....

It describes in a fascinating, almost like a thriller, the stories of arm purchases for young Israel in Europe, about Golda Meir fund rising for the new born state and so many other fascinating stories.
When it comes to the mood - it has a kind of melancholic-epic character, but - in a very positive sense of the world - it reflects the feelings you have there.

I recommend the book to everybody who plans to go to Jerusalem. I promise - you will look at its stone from a different perspective...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

I felt I was there

Bikel's wonderful narration brings this story to life. Listening to this book provides a birds eye view of the birth of Israel. Terrific detail on the personalities and day-to-day battles from both sides...Arab and Israeli.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

I have read many books on the Arab-Israeli conflict. But none has given the background of the personalities like this author has. I was completely enthralled throughout the telling of this story. It has the perfect blend of historical facts (that tend to bore one) and anecdotes (making it more interesting) that is rare in today's literature.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

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.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Highly Informative and entertaining

This is a fascinating account of the formation of Israel that puts the current Middle East crisis in some perspective. In short, this period of time was remarkable due to the clash of cultures, widely different approaches to war, superpower influences, and incredible stakes. The prelude to the British pullout was very interesting as each side positioned themselves for the start of a certain war. The narrator used to play Tevya in "Fiddler on the Roof," so his voice provides a strong reading with pronounciations that I'd never get on my own in the book format. Highly recommended.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Theodore Bikel is a GREAT Reader

Fascinating book.....and a great reading by Bikel!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

7 people found this helpful