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)

Tremendous.

A wonderful story of courage, resilience, determination and bravery. My father was in the Royal Air Force based in Burma during WW11 and returned home a changed person. The Japanese were very brutal people and deserved what they got in the end.

I couldn't put this book down!

I heard this was a great book, and it was even better. Laura Hillenbrand is a gifted storyteller and does right by the incredible, inspiring story of Louis Zamperini.

MUST LISTEN

a phenomenal story delivered by an equally phenomenal narrator. Once started was not able to stop listening

Outstanding

I had to read this book for my AP world history class, and it went for had to read it too wanted to read it. It is a great book that was written for a great man.

Redemption is powerful

God is so good! He can see you through the darkest of valleys and the highest of hilltops. I absolutely love this book.

Unbelievably remarkable story

Remarkable story of determination, faith and perseverance. All Americans need to hear this story to even start to understand the life of a military man or woman.

Not what I thought!

I held off getting this book for some time as I thought I would tire of a long story about sea survival. so glad I finally got it. Superbly written. Hard to put down. It is the story of a remarkable man. The sea survival is a large part of it but not all. It is the story of his life. A great book!

Excellent WW2 Pacific info & prisoners

Good info on the WW2 Against Japan & prisoners of same. It met my expectations the history of the crew of the B24 & the survival of some at the sea is very informative. The survival of the prisoners of war is amazing.

An amazing story!

This story was highly recommended to me and did not disappoint. A very good account of history, courage, and resilience. Truly amazing ... 🙏🏻

Don't judge a book by its cover

I hate anything that has to do with war and took me a while to actually order this book but OMG! What a story! Probably one of the best books I have ever read!