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)

Best audio book ever...I was transported to WWII

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

Número UNO

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

All of it...I totally forgot my world and was launched into hers... I could see the war in my imagination like I was right there...now that's writing!

Great book

Amazing story was not able to stop listening
Love every minute , went to see the movie last week but not as good as the book.

Amazing Story!

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

Listening to this story was very powerful due to the fact that is a true story. The facts detailed in the story were very interesting.

Emotionally wringing

I can't remember when I've been so affected by a book. I had no idea how horribly our soldiers were treated as prisoners of war in Japan in World War II. The narration was perfect. The story was vivid and gripping.

Couldn't turn it off

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

I said yes, as there were moments that I would have not have felt if I would have read it myself.

What other book might you compare Unbroken to and why?

I dont think that there is one.

Which scene was your favorite?

Every moment where lost strength was found at the right time.

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

the end.

If it was not true it would be unbelievable!

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

One of the best books I ever read!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Lois Zamperini of course

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

No

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

What the human can endure and survive

Great Book

Great story, just makes a person glad to be an American. So many sacrificed their lives to give us the freedom we have today. Thank you all for your service.

Very well written and verbal communication

Great to stories and history
It was one I would recommend to everyone for a great read and a great job at narrative this story

What a great life-changing & inspiring story!

Great narrator!!! I was very invested in the story and It helped me understand WWII a little better! Hear it before watching the movie and have a tissue handy!

Left me in awe

The story left me in awe for many reasons: the personal fortitude of so many of the POWs, the harshness and lack of humanity of the guards, and the revival of a soul so nearly lost.