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)

Excellent, period

I do believe it is the best book I have ever experienced. Undaunted Courage and Endurance are about a group of men. Unbroken is about one man. Very inspring. Thank you Ms. Hilenbrand for working through your tiredness to deliver such a wonderful work.

Facinating Book

I was so taken in by this story that I found myself thinking about it all of the time. I would tell my young children about parts of it that were so amazing to me that I couldn't keep them to myself. The facts about the war and details of Mr. Zamporini's life were very well incorporated into the book. The resilience of the human spirit, and the ability to forgive are so beautifully portrayed. Awesome book that I will recommend to everyone I know.

Another 5 stars * * * * *

I knew nothing of this story. All the time that it sat in my wishlist, I thought it was fictional. I got it because I'd hoped it would be easier to listen to than the 20+hr books of history that I usually listen to. I wasn't disappointed. I heard it all in 5 days...and I was surprised by how much history I learned by it, which I wasn't expecting. Nicolas Cage will be playing Louis in the upcoming movie of this book...I sure do hope they do it right. This audio is definitely worth your credit....one of the best I've ever listened to.

Very moving

Unbroken was a great listen, the narrator very good. Book is about World War II prisoners of war residing in Japan. Covers a lot of time and some very good characters. I especially loved the main character and how it all turns out. We loved listening to the book over 2 days of traveling.

Must read

The book has some exaggeration in the account of events but overall it is a must read audiobook. A beautiful story and surprising ending.

An excellent story

I found the pace of the book to move fairly fast, and I finished it in about a week or so. Hillenbrand is an excellent story teller, and at times you had the feeling that Zamperini was telling the story. I had never heard of Louis Zamperini prior to this listen, and I am glad I made the purchase!

Eye Opening

I really enjoyed this book. I was appauled to learn how poorly our American soldiers were treated during the war as prisioners of war by the Japanees. It really helped me to understand my parent's feeling toward people of Janpanees desent.
I also appreciated the ending and how the character found a way to overcome and thrive.

Great story about a man you've never heard of

The story is absolutley unbelieveable and I had to google him to be sure it was not fiction. Writing is excellent and narration perfect. This should get some kind of audible award. I highly recommend the book, you can trust the ratings from all the listeners. This book is one you must read. It reminds me of what America stands for, and made me cringe thinking about how these POWs were treated by the Japanese in light of what seems to have happened at Guantanamo under the hands of US military.

Excellent story

This is an excellent story, well written and well read. Everybody needs to read this book!

The Best Nonfiction Book about WWII

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

Just sitting back and listening to Luois' story unfold, sad as it was made the story enjoyable.

What did you like best about this story?

The fact that this was a person's true life story was just amazing!

Which character – as performed by Edward Herrmann – was your favorite?

Luois was by far my favorite chacter.

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

I wanted to cry several times when Luois was abused so badly in the prisoner of war camp.

Any additional comments?

I will listen to this book again just because it was so good.