#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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A true story. He must have been a very strong man
This book will stay with me for a long time. Very well written.
This story stays with you a long time. Great writing!
What an absolutely amazing, well written, and heart-breaking book. This is not a book to read quickly and not one to rush through and ignore parts of. Every piece, every word should be taken in and contemplated.
My heart is heavy and tears fell often during this one. War is never an easy subject and this book will definitely leave you thinking …
This is based on a true story, so you have to be aware that the horrible things that are included in this book actually happened. You will get a renewed understanding of what resilience means. This story will make you grateful for the freedoms we have as Americans and force you to question why anyone would ever want to go to war.
a beautiful tribute to a grandfather who was also a war hero
Wonderful book. indomitable human spirit.
A wonderful, sad and amazingly inspirational story.
A true and original story describing how a man survived a plane crash in the ocean during World War II. His bravery was unbelievable and also his ability to survive
I doubt there are many who have had such a wildly interesting amazing life!!!
One of the hardest but best books I’ve ever read.
An inspiring story about WWII interment in Japan.
Absolutely the best book I have ever read. Louie Zamperini embodies the strength and resiliency of the human spirit. A really inspiring book.
Fun adventure tale, a biographical narrative. easily engages the reader and illuminates life on a backpacking trail
Simply undreamable,unbelievable, and intense an absolute must read.
Hard to believe that Hillenbrand was also the author of Seabiscuit…but then it proves what an over the top story teller she is. She took her interviews with Louis Zamperini shortly before he died and wrote an page turner of survival. The book shows a man of unbelievable character, a true WWII hero, a man who conquered his demons. Absolute …
One of the best books I read. Very sad. Great story.
I just can’t recommend it enough! I still think about this man years after I read the book. He is my personal hero!
Biographies are often more didactic than “easy reading” but Ms Hildenbrand’s work is definitely the exception. The detail and depth with which she wrote reflected both her intensive research and valuable time spent with Louis. A tribute to him, and a triumph of perseverance.
Wonderful.