Wow. Literally, yes, I could put it down, but I didn't want to; it was difficult to walk away from. I am heartened to see that even in this day and age of Political Correctness, many share my feelings on the matter. (Forgotten in the United States, that is: Japanese sensitivities on the subject remain sufficiently high that Hillenbrand refuses to identify her translators there.) His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. Unbroken is no different: meticulously researched and powerful. I finished this one a few days ago, but have put off writing a review. Compelling and believable enough to stick with you for years, Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2016. He then built a camp and ran a program ministering to at-risk youth. Author Daniel James Brown was able to take a subject I have no interest in and make it enthralling.) This was one of the best books I've ever read, Reviewed in the United States on December 26, 2016. Laura Hillenbrand’s book about Louie Zamperini’s life as an Olympian and later as a POW in Japan gives us powerful reminders that some things in life are real cool and some things just basically suck. Incredibly moving. I can see why there was a movie made. Refresh and try again. Zamperini grew up in Torrance, Calif., and thanks partly to a bout of juvenile delinquency — he became adept at breaking into homes, then fleeing the police — he developed into a world-class runner. On their 33rd day at sea McNamara died. I ordered this book for my brother since I thought he could benefit from it as I did. All the cheesy, tired words people use to review books seem to apply to this book: remarkable, intense, striking, exceptional. While growing up in California in the 1920s, Zamperini was a failing student and was constantly in trouble for fighting and stealing. Also, I don't have much interest in war, combat, or airplanes; when I picked up 'Unbroken' I was depending on my love. How could someone with such access — she interviewed Zamperini 75 times — fall short in this fashion? It's hard to find a word for his life. Louie Zamperini truly went through hell and came back - and it's inspiring to read a story of such willpower and determination. This mans determination to survive was simply amazing. Others in similar straits had resorted to cannibalism; after Zamperini uttered some lines remembered from the movies, he and Phillips simply cast McNamara overboard. In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. … This is a story of five parts and I really enjoyed the first three parts. First off, I must say that I am very encouraged to see the THOUSANDS of positive reviews of this book. A successful book club pick must accomplish many things. Addicted to reading since I was a young child. This diversion is all over the place, and is followed by an endless series off acknowledgements I could care less about. I appreciate all the research Hillenbrand did to bring us the other side of the story. Riveting. This should be a must read for all high school seniors. It quickly transitioned into an account of his experiences at war. 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. As far as a piece of literature, I found myself plodding through overly descriptive depictions of POW life from both sides. Judging from her citations, she spoke to Zamperini almost entirely by phone, and as any reporter will tell you, it just ain’t the same. My education in World War II history has focused on the Holocaust and the unforgivable damage we did to Japan by unleashing the atomic bomb. Laura Hillenbrand (born 1967) is the author of the acclaimed Seabiscuit: An American Legend, a non-fiction account of the career of the great racehorse Seabiscuit, for which she won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year in 2001. The book is basically over approximately 60% through, then wanders in all sorts of directions about characters whom I as a reader had little interest in. Even if you don’t read it, it’s presence on your shelf will enrich your library. He joined the military and washed out, but he was drafted back in after Pearl Harbor, as a bombardier. 29,840 global ratings | 28,714 global reviews, Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2016. The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. But that was a mixed blessing: the Japanese had repeatedly vowed to kill all P.O.W.’s rather than hand them over, and surely would have if the Americans had invaded Japan. For example, the time spent on the raft is just too long and drawn out. Hillenbrand has broken the unwritten code for Americans to downplay the wrongs of the Japanese during World War II (other than Pearl Harbor) in favor of focusing on the egregious acts of the Nazis. It's a tough call to decide which narrator will do the job best in a given book. Very well written !". Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. By using a 3rd person narrator, the author can give other info she gleaned from her research. It quickly transitioned into an account of his experiences at war. This is a story of five parts and I really enjoyed the first three parts. 46,336 reviews In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. We’d love your help. I felt as though I was just reading a series of facts.) You can only tell what that character sees and hears. "I'm loving this book. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it.”, Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography (2010), Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Nominee for Young Adults (2014), Indies Choice Book Award for Nonfiction (2011), Dayton Literary Peace Prize Nominee for NonFiction (2011), Andrew Carnegie Medal Nominee for Nonfiction (2012), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for History and Biography (2010). Like many soldiers stateside, Zamperini had a difficult re-entry, troubled by alcoholism, flashbacks, nightmares and rage. Well written and narrated. (Example: I have no interest in sports whatsoever. His is one of the most spectacular odysseys of this or any other war, and “odyssey” is the right word, for with its tempests and furies and monsters, many of them human, Zamperini’s saga is something out of Greek mythology. I normally shy away from books about war but we have a whole generation who don't have a clue about the real cost of war and the freedoms we have due to the sacrifice of others. Part of my reading of war books and memoirs, this one enlightened to me as to why the Japanese were so reviled by Americans. My grandfather spent years in Europe during WWII. Sadly, there was no information on PTSD in those years. Her 1998 American Heritage article on the horse Seabiscuit won the Eclipse Award for Magazine Writing. I had a very difficult time connecting to/caring about any of the characters. To better understand how this book and the movie differ, compare the book review with Plugged In’s movie review for Unbroken. Had not heard of the story of Louis Zamperini until I read this book several months after my daughter gave it to me. Why isn't this book told from Louie's point of view? "Unbroken" is written in Hillenbrand's inimitable style, blending global events with personal anecdotes from the lives of Lt. Zamperini and his family and fellow airmen. I enjoyed the beginning of the book somewhat, learning about the main character's struggles to become an Olympic runner. The two men passed the days, and maintained their sanity, by peppering each other with questions, cooking imaginary meals, singing “White Christmas.” On the 46th day they spotted land: the Marshall Islands. Rated The Best Book of 2011 by BookBrowse Members I looked forward to picking it up again and continuing on with the story of prisoner of war Louis Zamperini. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is Hillenbrand's engrossing narrative of Louie Zamperini's remarkable life. Some of the more brutal parts were difficult to g. I certainly don't like brutality in books or movies, but this may be the best book I have ever read! It’s also yet another testament to the courage and ingenuity of America’s Greatest Generation, along with its wonderful, irrepressible American-style irreverence: just hearing the nicknames — many unprintable here — that the P.O.W.’s bestowed on their guards makes you fall in love with these soldiers. Interesting personal retrospective on how the events of one's early life serve as means of surviving all but impossible challenges of living through & surviving the aftermath of the horrors of life as a POW. Louis Zamperini lived a memorable life. I got and watched the Unbroken movie DVD and another DVD based on his life as well. Goodreads helps you keep track of books you want to read. Powerful. For starters, it has to be a great read that the busy people in your... To see what your friends thought of this book, Anytime you use a first person narrator, it makes the story more "immediate" but you lose perspective. It’s one of those books that you gasp out load while reading it as the horrors of war really come to the forefront in this book. Part one deals with the protagonist Louis Zamperini's childhood and running career and I really enjoyed this introduction to Louis as I felt I really understood this man and knew how he survived the horrors of war and the physiological and physical pain h. This is a inspiring and educational read. “The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when their tormentors suffer.”, “Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. "Unbroken" would have provided a much better "read" if it were cut in half.

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