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)

Amazing story. Amazing man.

What was endured by this man and so many others humbles me and feeds the pride of a noble generation. well written..engaging..
The descriptive events, history, and perspectives enrich my knowledge of the period while providing an unexpectedly rich literary experience.

Loved it. Moving story.

Reader needs to know that some passages contain graphic violence. Loved the themes of redemption and forgiveness at the end.

Astounding

The performance was moving, but the experiences and events depicted are beyond comprehension at times. Hillenbrand has masterfully taken on one of the most incredible and important stories from the Pacific theatre. This should be required reading in schools.

I will never forget this story

Amazing story and narrated so well. I laughed and cried. I am thankful to have listened to this story and will never forget it. God Bless Louis Zamperini and all POWs.

Amazing and inspiring.

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

The fact that somehow you knew Zamporini would come thru it and be ok.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Unbroken?

Robbing his way thru Germany and the olympics.

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

It can't be listened to in one sitting. It is too intense. I had to take a day or two off before i could go back to some scenes.

Any additional comments?

No matter how scared you get or worried he won't come thru listen on. Somehow he makes you feel ok with it.

Amazing

This is likely the best book I've ever read. It is truly an incredible story and wonderfully well written.

Get through the first part

The first part seemed like it was going nowhere but o my god stay with it. Such a great book and truly an unbelievable story.

Unbroken

This was an astounding story with many gripping moments, it shared Zamparinis inspirational testimony of how he came to Christ and was an example for us all that Christ can truly change a persin. However this book did contain a good deal of profanity which is why I only rated the over all as a 4 star. This book should be read by matured readers who want to be amazed, grow in Christ, and a great book.

Louis Zamperini

Great book an incredible true story of hope, strenght, and determination. This is a must read.

I cried at the end. The story for me climaxed at the salvation of Louis Zamperini. I wept at the kindness of Jesus. Romans 8:28

I cried at the end. The story for me climaxed at the salvation of Louis Zamperini. I wept at the kindness of Jesus. Romans 8:28

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭ESV‬‬
http://bible.com/59/rom.8.28.esv