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 or True forgiveness!

I felt like I really knew the characters, sometimes as if I was right there with them.
Loved the story.

One of my all time favorite books

Just incredible. If you do not read this book before you die, see if Heaven has a library, check it out, find a comfy cloud, and read it cover to cover.

Unforgettable.

Beautifully written, beautifully narrated. But mostly, what I consider to be a very important book.

Simply Great!

This is one of the the best books I have listened to. The story is captivating and the narration is superb.

Exceptional

An amazing story. The author does an exceptional job capturing the power of this story. It is one every person should read

Forgiveness

Loved that story of perseverance and forgiveness! Loved the story. A little long but so good! Can't wait for the movie!

"Unbroken" was a great book read by a great reader

What made the experience of listening to Unbroken the most enjoyable?

Edward Hermann's reading of this book really added to the experience. It was a very inspirational story of one man, in particular, making his way through the most difficult situations during World War II. What was most inspriational was his ability to forgive and go on to do great things for people later in his life.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Louis Zamperini

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

The feeling that a great actor can bring to the storytelling. He was wonderful.

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

It almost made me cry at the horrible experiences these men endured. It left me feeling inspired by Louis' ability to forgive and go on to help children.

Unbelievable!

Absolutely a must read! Inspiring, intense, and a case for Christ in all our lives.

Great story of stamina

Well performed. Really enjoyed the stories involving multiple characters. Eye-opening about the hardships in Japanese POW camps.

Excellent!

Would you listen to Unbroken again? Why?

yes

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unbroken?

Surviving the strafing at sea in the the life rafts by the Japanese.

Have you listened to any of Edward Herrmann’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

no

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When Louis turned his life over to God at the tent meeting in LA.