#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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Great story of tragedy overcome by perseverence and faith. The Boys in the Boat is the next book you should read if you enjoyed this.
Through the first third of this book I was wondering why I was reading this story about an un-admirable character and considered putting it down. Fortunately for me I’m fairly stubborn about finishing a book I’ve started and to my great benefit I finished this amazing story of courage, stamina, perseverance, fortitude, loyalty, and finally mercy, …
The best book I’ve ever read!
You must read this book! The movie offered zero justice to this incredible and intense true story that spans over decades. I’ve recommended this book to men who loved action books. Also, a great read for those who loved, “Boys in the Boat!” Louie Samperini is mentioned, but the story continues after the olympics, to when he enlists in the …
I liked the historical prospective and the amazing determination of the characters.
The biography of Louis Zamperini, one soldier of many who fought in World War 2. Yet his story stands out. Well written and true!
Simply an amazing story about an incredible human being. This is not an easy read, but one that should be required reading for anyone who thinks war is an answer.
What a story! And it is all true. The agony and despair of lost on the ocean, POW camp, rescue, but then to meet defeat from alcohol until God enters and redeems. I love this story!
Wonderful true story of a man who would have broken the 4 minute mile before Roger Bannister if there had been an Olympics that year.
Our history can be very painful to learn about.
Great storyteller!
One of the best books I’ve read in my lifetime. Laura Hillenbrand is a master storyteller and her subject was a brilliant pick on her part. This is a very important work, and we should never forget men like her main character.
What this man went thru…..I’m speachless! WOW!
This is an amazing book! The author does a wonderful job of making the reader feel as if he is witnessing the entire story.
Great book
I think every thing has been said. A must read
Truly one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Laura Hillenbrand is a terrific story teller and this is an amazing story of courage and endurance. The main character only died just recently and was still alive and in contact with the author.
Great story.
Any positive, glowing reviews for this book are well-deserved. Laura HIllebrand is a great author who puts a reader right in the scene. Louis Zamperini was a fantastic person, almost mythical in what he did. The change that Jesus made in his life could have been expanded a bit.