#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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It isn’t like the movies! A 2 hour movie doesn’t convey the days, weeks, months and years it takes to servive an ordeal like this… great story. Great men and women done always start out great, but are the right person for the right time.
I enjoyed reading this because it was a true event. Always am overcome by what is suffered by so many . The cost of war!
Unbelievable, incredible, inspirational
Well researched book and precisely written.
Powerful, true story. I had not idea the horrors and atrocities that happened involving Japan. None of these details were in our school history books, almost as if the truth about Japan has been hidden. Incredible story of perseverance and hope through the most dire and amazing circumstances.
A wonderful story of a very tough World War !! time on the Pacific against Japan. This man was living when his book came out and how he survived is an incredible mircle. I learned so much about this time in history.
One of the best books I’ve read in years. I loved the inclusion of his transformation after becoming a Christian. That very critical part was not included in the film version.
A great story of survival during war. Everyone should read this book to get an idea of what veterans go through.
excellent
Great book to read
Everyone should read this book…
What doesn’t kill us makes us stinger could be a subtitle for this book. An amazing true story of survival and triumph. Every high school student should have this as requires reading. A really powerful book.
An amazing life portrayed in an amazing read.
So much better than the movie! Told the WHOLE story!
One of my favorite books and authors.
Great great story telling.
A story of amazing endurance and courage by an Olympic athlete captured by the Japanese during World War II.
Can’t say anything bad about this book Hard to read because it really happened but I highly recommend it!!!
Excellent!
Great book from a great author. Laura took nine years to research and write this book while she was suffering from ME/CFS – a woman as brave as the character in the book.