#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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And this is a true story! Very exciting and to think practically all our WWII soldiers are gone!
Fabulous!
a very good book. I loved reading it. Hard to put down.
This book shows what terrible circumstances our troops went through fighting for our freedom. I think more people should read this and appreciate what we have endured to stay free.
An inspiring true story of a flawed but talented man who overcomes obstacles. Have read it three times, excellent portrayal by a very skilled writer. Impeccable research
Not enough adjectives to describe. this book is based on real life action in WWII
This is one of the best books I have read. It is the amazing story about a remarkably strong willed man who survived imprisonment by the Japanese during WW 2 . Learning about how the Japanese treated POW’s is eye opening.
Inspiring read
It’s amazing what the person the book is about had to go through. A true testament to the strength of the human spirit. Whether reading this book or listening to it on Audible, you will enjoy it and be throughly entertained and inspired.
This story is about human perseverance and a strong will. A book everyone should read to help realize the trying and difficult times of our WWII soldiers. This is an incredible true story.
Outstanding book. Simply outstanding.
An unforgetable inspiring book. Have recommended it to many.
Unbelievable real life story about a veteran who has come past all odds of survival during the war and what effect it has cause on his mental state in his post-war life.
Actually this book is a hard read but worth going through the process but it is painful
A well written book about a real person.
I thought this was a fantastic book. Following a young man in to manhood, as he is tested as a soldier in WWII Many men suffered some survived some did not.
Couldn’t put it down. Unbelievable courage.
Very interesting and uplifting
amazing story
I admit that I forced my bookclub to read this book—–none of the ladies in my group had ever read a book involving war—-Louis Zamperini was an amazing man——-we all shed a few tears—-but the book was selected the best read of the year by my club—–