#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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Unbroken is one of the best books I have ever read!
It was tragic to read about what he had to go through during the war.
Loved this book. The true story of an Olympic athlete runner, Louis Zamperini, who, during WWII endured a plane crash, being lost in the Pacific Ocean, a Japanese internment camp, lack of food, clean water and abusive treatment. He persevered through it all with grace and grit. This book inspires the reader to be braver and count your blessings.
First hand account of a Japanese POW camp. Told with humor along with the raw facts
Great book
great book
Everyone should read this book
Wonderful book. I knew Louis, and this is very true to what he told me about his life.
This epic story captures the heinous nature of war but the human will to not give in to death….
wonderful true story of a captured soldier in WWII held in a Japanese POW CAMP and the tortures he endured after staying alive on a lifeboat for months.
Truly inspirational…a wonderful story of how he overcame the haunting obstacles which led to alcoholism and the final savior
Great history lesson. Amazing and heartbreaking
Not many men would have survived these life experiences. What a wonderful read, and an amazing life.
Too wordy, the book could have easily had the same impact with 100 fewer words. The author definitely did her research but she didn’t need to include everything she learned… I didn’t need to know what he was wearing as he walked the street as a teen. If it doesn’t add to the plot of the story line, leave it out!
I don’t think many people could read this book and not be somehow touched by the sheer grit, courage and pain suffered by POWs during WWII. This biography spans a lifetime, which couldn’t possibly fit into the time frame of a movie. So if you’ve seen the movie (or even if you have not), read the book. You won’t be the same person by the end.
A well told story of an incredible human being.
One of the best WW II books I’ve read.
Best book I have ever read. I hope Laura recovers and writes another book. Best author ever.
One of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. When you think your done reading all the tough parts of his life your smacked in the face with another even more unimaginable event and yet in the end his character remains. This man is my hero. Amazing!
A harrowing account of POW’s experience. But like all the author’s books, so well written and engaging. I have a lot of respect for this man.
This book is so slanted to glorify the hero that I can’t fully appreciate him for the real strength and grace he showed. I have Japanese friends and hate anything that reopens any wounds about the Japanese people and causes any bad feeling about the millions of innocent ones. This books shows such a narrow sample of them and makes them all look …