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4.47k reviews for:
Unbroken (Movie Tie-in Edition): A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand, Laura Hillenbrand
4.44 AVERAGE
4.47k reviews for:
Unbroken (Movie Tie-in Edition): A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand, Laura Hillenbrand
4.44 AVERAGE
One of the best books I've read in awhile - and now definitely one of my favorites. The story is a history lesson in disguise; even as a biography it reads like a fast-paced novel. I was completely sucked in and read this whole book within a couple of days - just could not put it down.
The power of the human will. This book is one of my very favorite WWII stories, and just a favorite on any genre shelf of mine. It's pretty unexplainable - but it's much more than a war story.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture
Moderate: Xenophobia, War
Minor: Alcoholism
I have not read a story as thrilling and page turning as this in a very long time. A dandy story in its own right but it being a true story is even more exciting.
Louie Zamprini is a fascinating character and he has had enough life experiences for more than 5 people. Laura Hillenbrand does an excellent job in bringing us his story.
Louie Zamprini is a fascinating character and he has had enough life experiences for more than 5 people. Laura Hillenbrand does an excellent job in bringing us his story.
I had made the mistake of watching the movie first, and not really enjoying it. Then reading the book. It truly is heart wrenching and amazing what the human condition can endure. I think what could have made this book more powerful would have been an even bigger focus on what happened after returning from POW camp. It felt like while it was touched on, it was probably just as traumatic and deserves to be a bigger player, in the story of Louie.
Quite an amazing book. My Dad gave it to us to listen to on our drive back from our Christmas visit. I had heard of it, knew it was a WWII story, and knew that my Dad and one or two other people in my circle had been impressed by it, but otherwise didn't know what to expect. At some points on the drive back, my BF and I looked at each other, asking "Is this for real?" When we got home, I had to get online to find out whether we were listening to fiction or nonfiction.
The treatment of the American POWs by the Japanese depicted in the book was an eye-opener for me. A different kind of horrible from the Nazis, but truly awful. Hillenbrand cites the statistic that 37% of American POWs died in Japanese custody compared to 1% in German and Italian custody. She used the phrase "ritual cannibalism" at one point, and made it clear that WWII Japan was a very violent society with themes of racial superiority guiding policy and behavior. I had heard about the Kamikaze pilots as an example of deeply ingrained violence, but otherwise had absolutely NO idea of the extent of the Japanese atrocities against humankind. I now want to learn more about the Pacific side of the war, especially as concerns Japan's invasion of China.
I had to give it 4 stars due to the Billy Graham bit at the end - it just didn't ring true to me - but maybe that's because I'm not a religious person. It has more to do with the way this part was written than its relevance to Louie's story. I heartily recommend this book - it's a much better way to learn history than I remember from school.
The treatment of the American POWs by the Japanese depicted in the book was an eye-opener for me. A different kind of horrible from the Nazis, but truly awful. Hillenbrand cites the statistic that 37% of American POWs died in Japanese custody compared to 1% in German and Italian custody. She used the phrase "ritual cannibalism" at one point, and made it clear that WWII Japan was a very violent society with themes of racial superiority guiding policy and behavior. I had heard about the Kamikaze pilots as an example of deeply ingrained violence, but otherwise had absolutely NO idea of the extent of the Japanese atrocities against humankind. I now want to learn more about the Pacific side of the war, especially as concerns Japan's invasion of China.
I had to give it 4 stars due to the Billy Graham bit at the end - it just didn't ring true to me - but maybe that's because I'm not a religious person. It has more to do with the way this part was written than its relevance to Louie's story. I heartily recommend this book - it's a much better way to learn history than I remember from school.
Wow! I'm usually not a fan of war stories, but this was compelling an exceptionally well written.
This book was very well written, but a little bit harder for me to get into. The writing felt sort of textbook-ish, which is why I don't normally read a lot of nonfiction. My favorite aspect of the book was that, while the author definitely didn't shy away from the terrible things that happened, she didn't make a point of over dramatizing anything, either. It was written in a very straight forward manner. A little slow to start, but definitely recommended.
This book illustrates the strength of the human character and the ability to face adversity. I was deeply moved and inspired by the story.