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)

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Incredible!

I absolutely loved reading this book. I couldn't put it down. My mind kept wondering whether I could withstand the same punishing circumstances. absolutely amazing

As Inspirational As It Gets

Don't think of it as just surviving the horrors of POW camp, but surviving and succeeding in the aftermath. Truly inspirational! Thank You Laura.

Brilliant

Highly recommend giving Unbroken a read or listen. There is so much more in the book then what you see in the movie.

Wow!

Kept waking up at 3 am to listen, setting the sleep mode in 15 minute increments. Needless to say 15 minutes always became 2 hours! It's one of the best books I've listened to!

Outstanding

Would you consider the audio edition of Unbroken to be better than the print version?

Haven't read the print version, so I can't compare.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unbroken?

There are so many it is hard to choose just one. The entire story is so compelling.

What about Edward Herrmann’s performance did you like?

Great job

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

Oh yes.

Any additional comments?

God bless all our vets.

Best Book I bought since going audible

This is well worth getting this book. Learned a lot about the war n people in war.

I am hurting inside.

I feel horrible simply because of my ignorance of this part of history. God bless

Truely engaging

Such an amazing story and so well told by Edward Hermann. Hard to stop listening. Makes me want to just listen to Edward Hermann from now on.

Great book!

Would you listen to Unbroken again? Why?

Really enjoyed this performance. Loved the story - had me from the first chapter and continued throughout.