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)

heroic

I usually don't care for POW books. They tend to be very depressing. While this wasn't far off IN PARTS, overall it was an amazing and inspiring story. Well worth the time and money,

Incredible story of survival

You MUST listen to this book!

It is a book I could not stop listening to. I had to keep going to hear what happened next.

It's an amazing story of survival and redemption.

There are some sections of descriptive violence.

Edward Herrmann was the best reader I have ever listened to.

Loved this book.

Amazing true story...strong group of people these

Would you listen to Unbroken again? Why?

yes, so much amazing info, sure I missed some of the details

What did you like best about this story?

Bringing to my mind the reality of what our WWII vets went thru

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

main

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

when they were adrift at sea and had to ration food and found one of the guys had eaten the chocolate!

Any additional comments?

Great book

Amazing story courage & faith!

Great story telling, good historical background & and best of all Louie Zamperini is a great character! So surreal but he's a real person with a great heart & passion. The details & pictures described in the story is so vivid & clear it's like a great movie in my mind. This is inspiring and encouraging for people who are broken, that there is always hope & to never give up.

Incredible

This is a story of one man. But listening, you may get a notion how millions of Americans and Allied soldiers lived their lives during World War II. Hillenbrand did well piecing the lives of many connected to this one man's story to give a fuller picture of how all were affected.

Wonderful from start to finish

Very rarely does a book capture my attention from start to finish. A wonderful tale, beautifully written and narrated.

Excellent!

This book reminded me of what American soldiers go through fighting for our freedom. I wanted to break down and cry over how some have suffered, and I feel so grateful for their sacrifices. I'm usually not one to read war stories, but I loved this one. I have listened to it three times!

Amazing story.

I haven't stopped talking about this book! A wonderful, inspirational story about a truly amazing man. Highly recommend!

What an incredible story!!

Louis Zamperini's story of survival of torture and deprivation at the hands of Japanese captors during World War II, told by Laura Hillenbrand in "Unbroken," was excellent! It was absolutely amazing that Zamperini and other POWs even managed to survive.

I enjoyed this true story and am so glad that this historical event was brought to my attention. It made me really appreciate what sacrifice these Americans gave during this war and the heroism of all of our American Vets.

Well worth the credit to purchase.

The reader, Edward Herrmann, was also excellent!!

The human spirit will endure

This story is incredible and listening to it made the road trip go very quickly. I have recommended this book to anyone I know. What a great book. Thank you.