Unbroken

A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

By: Laura Hillenbrand

Narrated by: Edward Herrmann

Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times best seller

The incredible true story of survival and salvation that is the basis for two major motion pictures: 2014’s Unbroken and the upcoming Unbroken: Path to Redemption.

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.

In her long-awaited book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

©2010 Laura Hillenbrand; 2010 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Unbroken is wonderful twice over, for the tale it tells and for the way it’s told. A better book than Seabiscuit, it manages maximum velocity with no loss of subtlety. [Hillenbrand has] a jeweler’s eye for a detail that makes a story live." (Newsweek)

"A master class in narrative storytelling.... Extraordinarily moving...A powerfully drawn survival epic." (The Wall Street Journal)

"Ambitious and powerful.... Hillenbrand is intelligent and restrained, and wise enough to let the story unfold for itself. Her research is thorough, her writing crystalline. Unbroken is gripping in an almost cinematic way." (The New York Times Book Review)

“[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)

“Hillenbrand...tells [this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter’s pace.” (Time)

“Unbroken is too much book to hope for: a hellride of a story in the grip of the one writer who can handle it.” (Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run)

Unbroken - Unbelievable

If you could sum up Unbroken in three words, what would they be?

Get it Now!

Any additional comments?

Edward Herrmann was sensational...definitely the best narrator on Audible. The life story of Louie Zamperini is the stuff of legends. Author Laura Hillenbrand has done a masterful job of putting us in Louie's shoes. I will listen to this book again soon.

Great book!

Enjoyed listening to this audiobook. What a great and inspiring story to learn about. Narrator was great as well. I recommend it

Awesome

The story was really well written, and the narrator did a awesome job!
Overall I give two thumbs up and five stars!

Put This One on Your Bucket List!

Where does Unbroken rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Probably the best book I've ever listened to (loved Seabiscuit as well).

What other book might you compare Unbroken to and why?

The information presented on the Japanese POW camps was riveting. Honestly, I've never had an author tell a story so well and give a history lesson at the same time.

What does Edward Herrmann bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Listening to a book with a good reader allows me to focus in a way that is superior to my reading the book.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I cannot believe what our soldiers went through and how any of them came back undamaged. It certainly didn't make me laugh.

Any additional comments?

Powerful book!

Death is not an option

Where does Unbroken rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the top

What other book might you compare Unbroken to and why?

The Hiding Place - though no real comparison.

Which scene was your favorite?

Louis' reunion with his family

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I could not have handled this book in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Perhaps the greatest example of human spirit I've ever read.

great book!

Although it was harrowing at times, this story showcases human strength in the face of cruelty. I found it very inspiring!

Riveting.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Impossible to make a film that does this book justice!

Any additional comments?

I couldn't stop listening, for hours on end.

A very inspiring story...

Wow so good! What a fascinating and triumphant story. Im sad that it is over and i will definitely recommend it to friends. The narration was perfect and the story was both exciting and educational. If i didnt have to work i would have listened to this all the way through in one go - it was tough to put it down.

Inspiring.

Where does Unbroken rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is up there among the best books I have listened to so far.

Any additional comments?

This book was a riveting story and considering that it is a true story made it even more enjoyable. If it were fiction I would have thought the writer had taken creative license to the point that the story was implausible and that people really couldn't survive what they went through. Since it was non fiction it was even more suspenseful and while being engrossed and entertained by this book, I also felt like I was learning and improving my knowledge. I was learning about what it was like to be in the Pacific Theatre fighting the Japanese as a bomber crew on a B24 during WWII. I don't want to spoil any of the book by getting into some of the things I learned and found shocking within the story but I highly suggest this book even if you are not particularly interested in war or history. It is mostly riveting and inspiring because of the triumph of the human spirit even when faced with unbelievable adversity. It was such a good book that I had trouble putting the book down and therefore was finished in only a few days.

WOW

I can not even conceive of everything in this story. I have never had a hero before but I feel like after reading this I do. The things this man endured and came out stronger every time. I was literally left speechless. Definitely read this book!