#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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Too much gratuitous violence for me. However sort of enjoyed Seabiscuit…tragic in a different way.
Liked the book very much. It caused me to think again about the cruelty of the Japanese toward their POWs. Louis’ story showed how we can overcome horrendous physical and mental abuse, even though horrific scars remain.
It is always a privilege to read trust stories about men and women overcoming such odds.
This book rocked. I was mesmerized from start to end.
Louis Zamperini is one of my hero’s. Word’s greatest generation indeed.
This is a true story of an American airman captured by the Japanese and interned in a prison camp for the duration of the war. This was an excellent, but haunting account.
Great story by a really good writer about a wonderful man.
This book is worth reading. Well written. The past we should never forget.
Unbelievable gripping true story. Everyone should read this. So many heroes.
Get it. Read it.
AAAAA!
This story is very powerful. There are actually two separate stories. The first of survival at sea and the second of survival as prisoners of war.
Louis Zamperini’s life is inspirational.
Excellent non-fiction book so well written and researched.
This is an excellent book. Some parts are a challenge because of the horror of his situation, but it is still a must read. Some things we NEED to know.
Absolutely amazing man and his story. I was awed and amazed at his life story. How he survived is unbelievable. I couldn’t put the book down and have recommended it to many, many people. I did not want to or see the movie.
What a great story! The book just kept getting better, chapter after chapter.
Very interesting and great page turner.
One of the 3 best books I’ve ever read!
At times this book was difficult to read because it was heart wrenching, man’s inhumanity to man. It was such an incredible story of survival and faith that it was worth the emotions . An author that can make you cry and than laugh is an incredible writer.
Unbelievable story – and it is true!
So inspiring.