#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE • Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when World War II began, the athlete became … World War II began, the athlete became an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived, adrift on a foundering life raft. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.
Unbroken is an unforgettable testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit, brought vividly to life by Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand.
Hailed as the top nonfiction book of the year by Time magazine • Winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for biography and the Indies Choice Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year award
“Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic.”—The Wall Street Journal
“[A] one-in-a-billion story . . . designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring.”—New York
“Staggering . . . mesmerizing . . . Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page.”—People
“A meticulous, soaring and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life.”—The Washington Post
“Ambitious and powerful . . . a startling narrative and an inspirational book.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Magnificent . . . incredible . . . [Hillenbrand] has crafted another masterful blend of sports, history and overcoming terrific odds; this is biography taken to the nth degree, a chronicle of a remarkable life lived through extraordinary times.”—The Dallas Morning News
“An astonishing testament to the superhuman power of tenacity.”—Entertainment Weekly
“A tale of triumph and redemption . . . astonishingly detailed.”—O: The Oprah Magazine
“[A] masterfully told true story . . . nothing less than a marvel.”—Washingtonian
“[Hillenbrand tells this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter’s pace.”—Time
“Hillenbrand [is] one of our best writers of narrative history. You don’t have to be a sports fan or a war-history buff to devour this book—you just have to love great storytelling.”—Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
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Very good WW2 book showing a lot of personal fortitude.!
I had to stop reading this at night because it gave me nightmares. Way better than the movie!
This distrubing tale of one man’s heartbreaking jouney through WWII is sometimes hard to read but holds nothing back. When Louis Zamperini’s plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean, he is taken to a Janpanese proson camp where he endures unspeakable horrors. Having trained as a olympic athelete, he is made of tough stuff and somehow manages to …
Great book about human perseverance against overwhelming odds.
This is a story that should have been told decades ago. Laura Hillenbrand tells it in a way that your emotions are aroused over and over again. You root for the main character to the point of wanting to jump into the pages to somehow rescue him.
Loved this book and have recommended it others.
“Unbroken”
This was a very historical and tragic book. I’m glad I read it; it’s easy to read and keeps you interested. I wished his running were connected later in his life – perhaps helping young boys or training them. But, it followed his life. – Marge Hartman
One of the best books I’ve ever read.
OMG. It’s possible the Japanese were worse than the Germans to their prisoners.
Such a great book ! Info about the war . Difficult to read at times but so glad I did .
Exudes courage and grit.
I feel that everyone should read this book. It was very informative regarding the ww1.
I’m glad someone wrote this book about a great man.
Unforgettable , gripping and inspiring
This book was fascinating. Also well researched. The details added to the telling of the story. It is amazing to realize a human being could endure as this man did – simply amazing and inspirational.
Outstanding book! Hard to read in a couple of places because of the realism.
Hillenbrand is great at convey real stories. Zamperini endured much as a troubled kid, tortured POW, and military hero. The Reverend Billy Gram’s role in Zamparini’s conversion to Christ creates an outstanding biography and wholeness to new life.
Amazing real story of a man whose life was saved to live a life worthwhile. Awesome experience to hear him speak in person at my son’s church. What a story of faith and its redemption.
Louis Z.’s experience inside a Japanese POW camp. Heart–wrenching descriptions of the treatment he received at the hands of the Japanese commandant.
A shocking book that you will remember for years