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

Wow! Gut wrenching, soul stirring read. My life will forever be changed for the better after reading this historic account.

WOW!!

I can not really describe how good this book is, it was written so well and the narrator was the perfect pick for this book.

Being only in my early 40’s I really don’t know a lot of history about WWII and no clue exactly what really went on over there, I learned so much from this book! We learned nothing about this stuff in school.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves to read!

OMG!

Great story telling. Difficult to read at times due to all that happened to Louis Zamperini, but so inspirational. Made me cry. Made me hope.

Spell binding story

What did you love best about Unbroken?

The story was so well written. You can tell Laura researched every detail to provide the right type of setting for each piece. I could not put this down.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unbroken?

It was either the time on the raft or when the war ended. Both were presented by the author in ways you felt as though you were there.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Louie was on the raft and nearing death, he saw beauty all around him.

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

When he knew forgiveness was the only way to get his life back.

Truely inspiring.

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

At the top of my audible list.

What did you like best about this story?

It is like a holocaust story, one never to be forgotton.

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

The dramatic interpretation.

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

Yes, I was particularly moved when Louis experianced a religous reformation.

Incredible

What an amazing story of survival and the strength of the human spirit! I couldn't stop listening. I had read it in paper back. The audio wad even better.

great story of personal integrity and redemption.

not many could survive and later thrive after an ordeal like this. WWII was the the worst of humanity and brought out the best of humanity to stop it.

wow

This is an amazing story, I could not wait to hear more of the story I only listen when I drive it took me over a week to listen to the whole book. Totally worth your time great book

Hard to Believe

How can one person overcome so much? Seems truly impossible. Exhaustively researched. Be prepared to hear a great deal about brutal reality of POWs in Japan during WWII.

Awesome!

The storyline was amazing. The writing was excellent. The narration was excellent. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy the book!