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. :)

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?

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!

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?

Great book!

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?

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

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?

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.

Share/Like this Review?