Narrative histories aren't always my cup of tea; Unbroken, however, was perfect. This book is exceedingly human-- the people in it riddled with flaws and wonders that I can't describe. Louis himself is a scamp, a hero, an anti-hero, a preacher, a prankster; in all his complexity, you have to adore the man. His crewmate, Allen Phillips, equally inspired me-- his quiet competence, his humor, and the depth of his love for the financee he has to leave at home only makes you wish you could protect him from the darkness he has to face.

In this narrative, I promise, you will find a character with whom you empathize-- and the story will suck you in. Whether horrified or inspired, and oftentimes both, I was always engaged with these men's lives. Their cleverness, their losses... you grow to love each character. Knowing their stories, you want each one to find safety at the end of the war. Not all of them do.

Whether or not you love history, reading this book will give you a personal stake in World War II, helping you to understand just how deeply this conflict matters to our history and to the people who lived through it. To me, it also lended perspective to the impact of decisions made during that time. I feel I understand the era more, and understand people more for having read this.

A final note: I read this book from the perspective of an atheist and adored it. It's meaningful even for those who don't relate to the elements of God in the story. I think also, however, that it will provide particular resonance for Christians, given the role faith plays in coping with the aftermath of war. The story takes a strong stomach-- there are horrors in it-- but I'd recommend this book to any person of faith who deeply loves history. It's a good present to pick up for your book-loving, history-buff Protestant uncle, if you have one. :)

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I received this as a Christmas present. I hadn't heard of it and wasn't too excited about it. With that being said, once I began, I couldn't put it down. This is a book that shows the will to live and a true hero. It also shows the dark side of human beings and what they are capable of. I always recommend this book to my friends. It is a must read.

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This book is as amazingly well-written and well-researched as Hillenbrand's previous novel, Seabiscuit. An incredible story of survival written in Hillenbrand's inimitable way.

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This was the best book I have read in a very long time. They don't make men like Louis Zamperini anymore. The resilience of this man was beyond anything you could comprehend. Ms. Hillenbrand had you living his life with him. She brought it all to life. Life in the POW camps were beyond heartbreaking and horrifying. I truly recommend this book to everyone. I cried like a baby at the end. I would love to meet this man and give him a huge hug!

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I finally picked this one up because of the terrific reviews that it has generated. Ed Hermann has done a masterful job of narrating Louie Zamparini's story. I was riveted. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. Inspiring, horrifying, hopeful and so much more. Don't miss the opportunity to read or listen to this one, it will stay with you for a long. long time and you will be richer for having experienced it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

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Do not read this book if you are looking for a feel good story. Do read this book if you want to be amazed at human resilience, bravery, and the sheer willpower to survive.

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This has to be one of the most interesting books I've read in my life. Iam currently sharing it among my family so they can enjoy it as much as I did.

obedienceman

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This is absolutely the best book I've ever read. After listening to my dads stories about flying during WWII in the Pacific, I recognized island names and such and could put a personal spin on it.
You will laugh, cry and hold your breath as you read this. It is powerful. Yet even with the terrific narratives given of the experiences of the men held captive, I can't truly imagine what it must have been like.
This book should be in all high schools and be required reading. It's an easy read and would (hopefully) keep students attention to the very end. PLEASE read this and then give the book to a student to learn about a very important time in our history - one that's not really covered in school history classes.

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By far one of the best books I have ever read. It will stay with me a long time.I highly recommend it for anyone to read, even young adults. It has to be the most unbeleivable book I have read.The survival of this man is astounding. It is not for the faint of heart. When my husband read it & told me about it I decided to try it out. I could not put the book down. Read it in two days. The horror's that pow's went through are horrific. Hillenbrand does an excellent job of writing. Don;t miss out on this book.

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I listened to this book on CD from the library and was hooked within 5 minutes. I hung on every word. I liked it so much I bought the book so my husband could reed it.

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What an amazing account of this man's life!! My father fought in World War II in the Navy, and I wish he was alive today so we could talk about his experiences. This book is a much more detailed report of the gruesome happenings in this war on the Japanese end, and needs to be read by everyone! Much has been publicized about the German annilations of the Jews by Hitler (which should never be forgotten), but the Japanese annilated their prisoners of war in as bad a way and in great numbers! They humiliated and starved and murdered them. It gives me a whole new view as to reasons for why the U.S. reacted the way they did to the Asian population here during that war. There were times when I felt like I had read enough, but if you begin this book, you must read until the end. It is so worth the total journey. I just thank this author for her total dedication to finding truths and putting them to the pen. WOW!

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This is a very interesting and engaging story. Its true value is depicting, in all its horror, what prisoners of war under the Japanese had to suffer through, that so many people have forgotten and which, for the most part, the Japanese government refuses to acknowledge.

During the time I spent in SW Asia in the 70s, I was constantly made aware of the fact that the people in those countries hate the Japanese. My own father fought in the Pacific during World War II and, although shot down, was help to freedom by Chinese Communist guerrillas.

The brutality of the Japanese, including the 250,000 Chinese butchered just for the possibility they helped the Doolittle Raiders, needs to be addressed by the Japanese government and people.

Do I hate the Japanese? During college a Japanese exchange student was one of my best friends and was always welcome in my home by my parents. Douglas MacArthur, in his role as 'emperor of Japan,' and the U.S. government deserve some criticism for sweeping the Japanese war crimes under the rug in its fight against communism.

The POWs endured unbelievable conditions and they should never be forgotten.

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I loved this book, I recieved it as a gift from my step dad and was currently going through some difficult times. It put my life in perspective. This man went through so much and could have given up but instead chose his faith and stayed strong through out his journey even when it seemed as if there were no hope.

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Not usually a non-fiction reader, I had no idea this book is a true story. All the stages of war and lives passing through it. Amazing story of "Survival, Resilience, and Redemption". I will be recommending this book to everyone I know!

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Absolutely gripping, a wonderful book! I burned through this book, I couldn't put it down. Even when I closed it to sleep at night, it kept me awake. It made me realize the depth of sacrifice made by so many for our freedom. I gained knowledge of WWII, but also gained a whole new respect for the Pacific Ocean and the dangers therein. It made me so grateful for the comforts of home. Wow, just an amazing story! I may never get over it!

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What a great book! If this were a work of fiction, it would be so fantastic as to be unbelievable. Louie Zamperini's whole life is one long incredible odyssey. Paradoxically, I couldn't wait to find out how everything turned out but I didn't want the book to end. This book kept me up several nights in a row because I just could not put it down and go to bed. Don't miss this one.

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Fabulous book! Well-written, engaging. I highly recommend this for high school students.

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This was a great great book. "Unbroken" so disturbing and thrilling. I just find it so hard to believe that men (and women) in war when taken prisoners have to suffer such otrocities!! It makes you realize how lucke we are and how fortunate that we have men and women willing to fight for their country, never knowing what ill fates can happen to them in doing so!!

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I have never written a review before but I have to let everyone know how much this book meant to me. We are spoiled thinking that we have it so bad. But reading Louie's story shows that live isn't prefect or fair but it is what you make it. Life is beautiful and full no matter what happens to you. Read this book it's GREAT. Best book I've read in a long time.

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e-book on Nook read

This was an awesome story of survivors of World War II. Wow, so much detail of time spent in the POW camps, so much determination to stay alive and look forward to the day of rescue. It must've taken alot for men to forgive their enemies after all their torcher and suffering.
Not sure if I can even comprehend their experiences!

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A reminder to us all of the price paid for freedom. The pain and suffering endured by those who were captured in combat. Well written and a good read. Never knew about this man, and you will be surprised at the people he crossed path's with in his life.

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My thanks to a friend who sent this wonderful read my way. This is first and foremost the story of Louis Zamperini, a troubled child who becomes a troubled adolescent rescued by none other than someone who loves him, his brother, Peter. Peter recognizes his brother's talent for running, usually away from trouble, and channels it into competition. It is as a runner that Louie finds himself winning many races and finally competes in an Olympics but WWII intervenes, changing his life forever.

With the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Louie finds himself a member of the Army Air Corps where he serves on many flights. His last results in an ocean crash landing with only his friend, Phil, the pilot, and another serviceman surviving. They drift alone on the Pacific for day upon day surrounded by swimming sharks and surviving on the few fish including sharks and seabirds that they manage to catch. The details outlined by the author are graphic and appalling and put the reader right into the small boat with them. When they are strafed several times by a Japanese bomber, they somehow survive without an injury.

Secondly, this is a story about imprisonment in Japanese camps where cruelty, little food and rigid schedules rule their lives. Once again the author excels in presenting detail after detail about existing as a prisoner of the Japanese. The depth of cruelty is difficult to believe as prisoners endure endless beatings, cruel punishments limited only the guards' imagination, lack of food, clothing and blankets. The author also shares postwar effects of such treatment on the returning soldiers as they return to their homes and try, often with limited success, to take up their lives. This is a must read for those interested in WWII, imprisonment in Japanese camps and how it all affects not only the returnees but their loved ones.

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Amazing. Inspiring. Humbling. You don't have to be a WWII buff to be gripped by this powerful biography of Louis Zamperini, still kicking today (2013) at age 96. Superbly written by Laura Hillenbrand, I couldn't start the book on page 1, because it had opened to page 114 (give or take) where his B-24 has crashed in the Pacific; Louis can't get himself loose as the plane is sinking...sharks will be coming...and that turned out to be the "easy" part of his survival story. I read a few lines, and was compelled to read through to the end. Afterward, I read from the beginning. Either way will keep you glued to the page, so open it carefully to page 1; you will not be disappointed; you will be amazed, inpired and humbled.

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An amazing story of survival in the most extreme abuse of ones mind, body and soul. How anyone could have survived what Louie Zamperini did is unbelievable and to forgive his tortures is one amazing man. I am very glad that I read this book and learned of the treatment of our soldiers during WWII.

This book is very well written and leaves you feeling the pain and suffering these people felt. You also feel the joy at the smallest pleasures that come to the soldiers.

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I rarely read biography, however the reviews were so good, I did, and am so glad! A story of cleverness, creativity and courage of an ordinary guy in the extra ordinary times of WWII in the Pacific, it was hard to put down, but I had to sleep sometimes and "do" for my family.
Probably one my top five reads ever. Strongly recommend!!!

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Excellent story of a hero of WWII. What this man went thru is unbelievable. He was so cooperative with the author it is hard to believe he remembered such small details.
Great story of a real hero.

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Other reviewers have covered this book beautifully. All I can add is that I really LOVED it, in spite of its sad and brutal parts (they were, after all, the reality of these men's lives). I will be always watching for this author, as it seems any topic she undertakes to write about shines. She makes it real, readable, interesting and smooth. She is excellent! As stated, 5 stars is not enough for this book! D.

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Excellent book! I love her style. This was a really compelling story.

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This book is quite possibly the best non-fiction book I have ever read. It truly is (as the book cover says) a story of survival, resilience, and redemption. I could hardly believe the terrible way Louis Zamperini and other POW's were treated in prison camps in Japan during WWII. Louis' was just an amazing person and the story was so well written by Laura Hillenbrand that it was easy to read. Finishing this book just a few days before Veterans Day has given me a renewed feeling of gratitude for all members of our military--past and present.

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Would love to say I read this book but my husband beat me to it. He pronounced "with real life stories this well written, why would anyone ever read fiction again?" He loved it so much, he passed it along to his best friend, who shared it with his wife. All are declaring it's one of the best books they've ever read. My turn next and can't wait- the conversations about it have been stunning. They unanimously tell me to rate it 5 stars.

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This is one of my all time favorite books!! It was a riveting tale of survival. It made me feel patriotic and so appreciative of our veterans. It brought tears to my eyes. It showed that all things are possible with God's help. Read it, you won't be sorry!!

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Hillenbrand has a God-given talent for presenting a nonfiction story in an extraordinarily compelling manner. The treatment of American POWs in Japan during WWII is a subject that has received surprisingly little treatment in literature -- and since my dad was himself a POW at Zentsuji (with Louis's pilot and friend Phil), I became deeply engrossed in this story. Quite literally, this is a book for which I have been waiting to read for more than 50 years. My highest recommendation!

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This is one of the best-written books I have ever read. Laura Hillenbrand is an amazing writer. And subject, Louie Zamperini, had one more miracle added to his incredible life when this writer was chosen to tell his story.

Every word, every sentence seems perfectly chosen to move the story forward. As a youth, Louie was a troubled juvenile delinquent, directionless and unharnessable, until his devoted older brother Pete wrangled him in by introducing him to track and running. Running and racing gave Louie focus, and winning (and having a recognized talent) gave him a dream: the Olympics.

My fear in reading this book is that race after race would be have to be chronicled in order to tell Louie's early story, and that the repetitiveness would become dreary and infuriating. Well, at least 20 races significant to Louie's story were told here, and remarkably each one is memorable, different, enthralling and important. This is where Hillenbrand's magic comes in. A lesser writer would have been incapable of so engagingly telling the minutely varying details of running 20 different races. For me, the pages kept turning and the art of her story-telling was put on full display again and again. What a writer!!

But also, Louie's incredible journey is worthy of such a beautifully rendered biography. Louie's story takes us through World War II where he flew missions as part of a bomber crew. He survived a crash and endured two months drifting at sea on a life raft. He was rescued by the Japanese, and then taken as a prisoner of war, where he was tortured and starved for the duration. Afterwards, he suffered years of undiagnosed (back then ) PTSD. His running career was crushed. But one step at a time he survived, ultimately thrived, and he lived to have a long and mostly happy post-war life. Most miraculously, he ultimately came to forgive his captors.

Louie's story is one of resilience, great faith and determination. We all struggle, and are sometimes laid down for the count--but surviving is victory. I cannot recommend this book more highly.

***** Five stars!!

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Great book! I bought it for my granddaughter and she LOVED it.

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Louie's story, as the story of any POW in any of our wars, including our own Civil War are stories of survival, resilience and quite possibly redemption.

Therefore their is no need for Ms. Hillenbrand to embellish the hellish treatment Louie faced in his time at war.

Stories that are told over and over again often become bigger stories than they were when they happened. People do not mean this to happen, but it does happen.

I believe that the author's job is to tell the story with respect for the story and the truth.

Louie was so physically debilitated that he could not have possibly accomplished the tasks that were described in this story.

Which brings me to the writing in this story. Written in the third person, it was like slogging through a swamp. Pages and pages of details to describe an event. A book much too long. In a word overwritten.

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A well written, thoroughly researched story of survival. Now I want to read the book by the actual hero, Louie Zamperini, "The Devil At My Feet". Literally "torturous" but so worth reading. You'll learn so much about the war, and not just the American point of view. I came out with a much better understanding of why the Japanese were so horribly brutal.

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Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand has three distinct sections the brash young man before the war, the determined survivor during the war, and the soldier who came home changed after the war. I leave this book, awed by Louis Zamperini's story, and even more overwhelmed but the thought that this is the story of one soldier - one out of thousands who risk everything to serve their country.

Read my complete review at: http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2014/12/unbroken-world-war-ii-story-of-survival.html

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Louis Zamperini had an incredible life - no question. However, the book itself was not as impressive as expected - given all the rave reviews. Would summarize the book as good but not great. In historical genre, I think Nathaniel Philbrick and Jon Krakauer are better authors.

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I decided to read this book after hearing an interview on the radio between Greg Laurie and Louie Zimperini about his time lost at sea. It was so fascinating to me that I came in the house and downloaded the book and read it all in 3 days. I then got the audiobook for my 95 year old grandmother who couldn't stop listening and hung onto the story with much delight. I don't normally like war stories, but this book has sparked an interest in me. I've since opened up discussion about my great uncle that was a prisoner during WW2 also, and my uncle that fought in Vietnam. It's caused me to care more about people's history and what has truly been sacrificed for this country. All because of this book and the story within it.

I'm also excited to see the movie when it comes out.

This is a must read if you have the time because you won't be able to put it down.

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This book is an excellent history of one man's struggle. I'd highly recommend it. The movie is coming out in November 2013 and it's always better to read the book prior to a movie. I wish I could see this guy speak. He must be awesome to hear. If you only read one book this year, read this one.

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I loved Laura Hillenbrand's bestseller Seabiscuit so much that I knew I would definitely read her next book. Fortunately the subject matter of Unbroken is something that draws my interest like a magnet. Many men in my small farming village in central Illinois enlisted and fought during World War II. My grandfather was one of them. While he was serving aboard an LST in the South Pacific, another man in town was a prisoner of war in a Japanese labor camp. As she did with Seabiscuit, Hillenbrand illuminates the life of Louis Zamperini, a man who grew from being an incorrigible troublemaker as a child to an Olympic caliber track and field star to a man who seemed to be able to survive anything that the war could throw at him.

As she did in her previous book, Hillenbrand draws readers in by her careful layering of facts. Starting with a framework of a specific decade for example, she builds her house, brick by brick, with historical data of how much things cost, what sorts of jobs were available to families like the Zamperinis, how other relatively unknown people were doing, all the way up to the roof with what the famous were accomplishing at the same time. By the time Hillenbrand has completed the house, the reader can open the door, walk in, and immediately feel at home because everything has been so meticulously crafted that we know how each piece fits into the whole. Hillenbrand has the gift of making readers feel like participants and not just observers.

Zamperini's life is absolutely fascinating. The way he behaved as a child makes it clear that this man was a survivor. He didn't like the word "no", and if someone told him he couldn't do something, he immediately set out to prove that person wrong. It's this attitude that turned him into an Olympic runner who competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics, and it's this attitude that helped him survive the crash of his bomber, being adrift on a life raft for weeks, and-- the ultimate test of all-- a Japanese POW camp.

The sections about his childhood and his competitive running are strong, as is the part about his early days in the Army Air Corps. Once his plane goes down, the story becomes riveting, and it's altogether too easy to forget that what you're reading is true. When Zamperini finally returns home, his nightmare is anything but finished, and some of what he experienced during this period is eerily similar to what my own grandfather went through.

More credit to Zamperini that he was eventually able to vanquish his demons, to be happy and to make those around him happy as well. He should be an inspiration to us all-- and Hillenbrand deserves thanks for sharing this man's life with the world.

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Excellent nonfiction choice; a must read.

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Great book!

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One of the best books I've read. The author brings forth the life and survival of POW in Japanese prisons of WWII. Just when you can't bear the despair and torture, the plot changes to what is happening stateside or in the war efforts of the allies.
It truly is survival, resilience and redemption.

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My husband and I both loved this book. It was so interesting, and so well written. From the middle on, I just couldn't put it down. The author did a great job with the facts but it never read like a reference book. I was moved to tears many times, as I traveled this incredible journey with an amazing man, Louis Zamperini and his family and friends.

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In boyhood, Louis Zamperini was an incorrigible delinquent. As a teenager, he channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that carried him to the Berlin Olympics. Then with the start of World War II, the athlete became an airman. When his Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean, against all odds, Zamperini survived. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion.

Yet Louie's willpower faced its ultimate test upon his heroic return home after the war when he grappled with PTSD, struggled to come to terms with the injustices done to him, and was set on the path of redemption by a momentous encounter with famed reverend Billy Graham. Unbroken is an unforgettable testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit, brought vividly to life by Seabiscuit author Laura Hillenbrand.

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This book literally changed my life. Five stars are not nearly enough. Louis Zamperini's story is so powerful and so hard to absorb - there were several times I had to walk away and try to regroup. There were many tears - of sadness and happiness. What an amazing man with an amazing history. This book meant so much to me because my maternal grandfather (who died when my mother was a young girl) was a Japanese POW during WWII. Mr. Zamperini's story helped our family to uncover our grandfather's story and to bring sense to the years between the end of the war and his death.

I learned more from this book about WWII and the resiliency of the human body and spirit than I ever could have learned in a history class.

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I loved this book. I only had the CD version so I couldn't move through it as fast as I wanted. I was so engaged in it that I found myself taking the long way home to keep listening it.

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There is no way I can watch this movie. Way too emotional, and....just...wow.

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What some people endure.

War is a horrible, horrible thing. This generation faced it; it wasn't just a CNN war coverage marathon. If Americans experienced war the way they experienced WWII, I think we'd get into a lot fewer of them. And even WW II wasn't how most countries experience war - people were afraid of invasion on the west coast, and German subs just off the east coast, but there were never any invasions, bombings or the like on the states.

I doubt we'd get into wars every twenty years if our country looked like Japan or France or Germany.

Anyway, the book's an incredible record of a man's endurance of brutal, hellish war, and his amazing resilience afterward. Maybe at least if everybody read this book we'd have fewer wars.

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Very well written book about WWII prisoners in the Pacific arena...

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Absolute must read! The true horrors of WWII Americans held as POW's. The sheer will to live is all these men had! Amazing story! Loved every chapter!

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Compelling account of Lieutenant Louis Zamperini. In May of 1943 a Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific ocean. Louis Zamperini was the bombardier and he somehow survived the crash. This story is about life before and after 1943.Not a easy book to read due to the subject but a smooth read because of the writers ability to pull you in.

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GREAT LESSON HERE

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Fascinating true story, the title really sums it up well, survival, resilience and redemption. A lot of brutality in this book but it is part of the history of WW2 and maybe it is good not to forget, so we can try to prevent it from happening again.

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What a story! Zamporini is so real in these pages...you feel every pain and every victory! Written so well

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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 an airman, embarking on a journey that led to a doomed flight on a May afternoon in 1943. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

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Excellent book couldn't put it down, god bless Louie Zamparelli

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I really enjoyed this book... As usual, the book is much better than the movie which was fantastic

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I'm not much for biographies, but this one was excellent! Very well written, hard to put down. Very inspiring!!

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Wonderful!!!

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Unbelievable - except that, apparently, it's all true! 'Zamp' went thru so much, accomplished so much, suffered so much!
One note - if this book is actually factual, all I can say is the US did not HANG one tenth of the Jap war criminals we should have! He makes is sound like about 99 percent of the Jap armed forces should have been hung for war crimes, atrocities, and torture!

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