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

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)

Long and wordy

I downgraded from 5 stars because for an Audiobook it's rather too wordy and long, IMO. Overall I felt the author tried to present a balanced point of view by alternating the perspective from Jewish to
Arab and vice-versa.

I agree with another reviewer that by missing some of the background conditions it give a slight Arab bias, but it's hard to present any history of such a hot topic without being accused of bias.

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!

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

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.

Moving reread in this day.

I would recommend this as a clear and moving portrayal of a generations-long conflict, which has been stirred up again even today.
The reader is excellent.

Everything

Beautifully written, detailed yet balanced throughout. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Such History ~ worth listening to.

Magnificent, well balanced and gripping

Theodore Bikel is an energetic narrator who does well with all the Israeli and Arab names. This is a truly magnificent account of the Israeli War of Independence