Unbroken: A World War II Story Of Survival, Resilience And Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand – 473 pages
Book Blurb:
On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, 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.
My Review: 4 stars
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I know, I know, I’m so late to the party on reading this incredible non-fiction story of Louie Zamperini, but better late than never. I must admit, the upcoming release of Unbroken on Christmas Day put the pressure on to read it before the movie.
What a story this was! However what would this story be with out Louie, who is a hero in every sense of the word: brave, strong, charismatic, selfless, smart and honest. This book reads quickly and will appeal to both fiction and non-fiction readers. I’m sure my husband will read it through a fact finding lens about the planes, the weaponry and the historical details, while I know I read it more for the plot and the characters that surrounded Louie during his amazing survival. The author is an astounding researcher and knows how to engage the audience with an equal mix of historical fact and compelling drama.
Quotes I liked:
A lifetime of glory is worth a moment of pain.”
-“Without dignity, identity is erased.”
-“What God asks of men, said [Billy] Graham, is faith. His invisibility is the truest test of that faith. To know who sees him, God makes himself unseen.”
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