#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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Truly inspirational story and told wonderfully.
I had to start this book twice before I really go into it. The second attempt I was hooked and fully engaged. Very moving.
The true story of an American hero who survived shipwreck and capture during World War II.
Inspiring account of an indomitable spirit that enabled one man to endure incredible circumstances.
Amazing story of Louie Zamperini, who survived at sea for 47 days after his plane crashed over the ocean during WWII. Picked up by the Japanese, he was taken to a POW camp and cruelly tortured by a sadistic Japanese officer. through it all, he remained unbroken.
A great book. So glad I read it.
Wonderful true story of a true patriot
The book is SO MUCH BETTER than the movie. I highly recommend it!
Read this book. Forget the film–too bad. A true story. Very inspirational. My 15 year old grandson read it last year and still talks about it. He often says, “This is what Louie would do about this problem.” Someone who never gave up. Someone who stayed true to himself, no matter how dire the situation. You will never forget it.
Tells a true story. The real protagonist is a remarkable man who experienced horrific abuse as a prisoner of the Japanese in WWII. You should read this book, though it is not easy to read about such unrelenting pain.
A wonderful book . I passed it along to my son (I his 40’s) and he raves about it .
It is very inspirational.
I think everyone should have to read this book to understand just how lucky we all really are in life.
If you watched this movie, forget all about it and read the book. The movie missed half of the story and didn’t do it justice at all.
This is a story about a man who overcame so many obstacles in every stage of his life. A kid that would have …
One of my favorite books. I recommend it to men and women. So much we need to know about our history.
Highly recommend reading and hard to put down once you start reading.
amazing story
I read this book mostly while sitting in the park during the Summer. What a page-turner! I kept thinking, how much worse can this get!?! What an inspiring man. I highly recommend this book. IMHO, it’s better than the movie.
This book is outstanding, and really gets to how heroic and undaunted some people can be in the face of unimaginable adversity. If you saw the movie, please, please, do not skip the book because of how awful it was. The movie left out the most compelling parts of the story.
Very interesting and sad how people were treated during war time.
Unique! Couldn’t put it down.
Amazing story!