#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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One of the best books I have ever read! Highly recommend
One of the best books I have ever read
Outstanding. Well researched true story. Proves that truth is at least as good as fiction. Runners will long to get back on the track.
I was out of the country and very ill. I had taken this book overseas with me and it was excellent.
One of the best books I’ve ever read. Just goes to show what the human spirit can endure.
One of the best books I’ve read. Very inspirational of human survival. Very difficult to put down.
Solidly reported and written by Laura Hillenbrand, the author who also gave us “Seabiscuit,” another great book. She gained the trust of her inspirational World War II main character here and he totally opened up to her. It’s an amazing story of one man’s course and why his generation is indeed the greatest.
A remarkable story of endurance and forgiveness!
I did not enjoy the author’s style of writing – it just wasn’t for me. I still finished the book because the story is an amazing story; I was just not a fan of the author’s writing style. For example of what I didn’t like what I mean the author paints the picture that Louie was always getting into trouble, but just gives way too many examples. …
Good book…lost me with some of the religious aspects at the end, but overall a good read.
Great read
wonderful true book, should be required reading for ALL!
This true-life story is not to be missed. A talented and unusually lucky man endures imprisonment by the Japanese and a near-fatal escape into the Pacific. Skillful writing draws you into the astonishing story and shows you what heroes are made of: innate physical gifts, unrelenting study of the surroundings, and a strong will to survive,
This is a true story and it’s wonderful. Elicits emotion as it draws you into the story. Loved it and highly recommend.
This is one of my favorite books. Louis’s life is unlike any other
One of the best, most inspiring books I ever read.
Great World War II story – and true!
The most intriguing, exciting, page-turning story I have ever read. The history became real, and I grew to admire Louie Zamperini in every way. God bless him.
A gripping true story. I rate “Unbroken” as one of the best books I have ever read.
I can’t imagine the incredible strength it would take to endure the hardships these people and this man in particular endured. Truly, this is an inspirational story of endurance and finding a new meaning out of something so horrific.