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4.5k reviews for:
Unbroken (Movie Tie-in Edition): A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand, Laura Hillenbrand
4.44 AVERAGE
4.5k reviews for:
Unbroken (Movie Tie-in Edition): A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand, Laura Hillenbrand
4.44 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
I generally don't pay attention to who the writer is, but I realized once I started reading that she was the same author who wrote, "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" that I enjoyed so much.
I learned a ton about that time & it was engaging throughout. It covers loads of topics that have sparked interesting conversations about war, recovery from war, endurance, forgiveness, success, opportunities missed, violence, friendship & brotherhood.
The book is not at all as cheesy as I just described it.
I learned a ton about that time & it was engaging throughout. It covers loads of topics that have sparked interesting conversations about war, recovery from war, endurance, forgiveness, success, opportunities missed, violence, friendship & brotherhood.
The book is not at all as cheesy as I just described it.
Amazing story. I've focused my attention primarily on WWII in Europe and wasn't aware how AWFUL the POWs had it in Japan. The author sometimes hops around from the main character to other people (which is great but sometimes makes the flow jumbled), and I couldn't get into the book until about 1/4 of the way...then I couldn't put it down! A must read for anyone who claims to be a WWII buff...or who's American.
Ms. Hillenbrand, of Seabiscuit fame, is a marvelous story teller. The people in this remarkable story will impress you with their resilience and humility. It is a war story like no other.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
I lost a lot of sleep reading this book being it absorbed me completely. Louis as a young man was a live wire! The Lord knew he would need those qualities, hammered in to unflinching persistance during his running years, to make it through war time. His brother seemed to me a Jonathan to Louis' David. Over it all, the Lord worked it all for their good and His glory ultimately. The redemption was breathtaking. Praise the Lord.
The harrowing tale of Louie Zamperini, an Olympic runner and World War II bombardier who was shot down over the Pacific and captured into a Japanese POW camp.
The story itself is fascinating. I appreciated that a good part of the book was spent on Louie before the war. It allowed the reader to get to know him and his family as well as marvel at his accomplishments as a runner before the more serious aspects of the book kick in.
Once in the war, things continue to go from bad to worse for Zamperini. He and his pilot friend survive having their plane shot down, only to suffer living on a life raft for months. When they are finally rescued, it is by the Japanese who throw them straight into a prisoner of war camp.
The conditions in the various camps he inhabits are horrific. Slave labor, torture, and debasement are commonplace. How any of them survived the meager rations is astounding. The war crimes committed by the Japanese were appalling. It is equally distressing that so much of this horrible aspect of the war has been forgotten.
Slight spoiler alert: Zamperini does live to see the end of the war and be freed from his captors. He struggles at home after the war, battling alcoholism until he is saved by Billy Graham. The end of the book seemed to come rather abruptly, especially after having endured so much pain. I would have liked a little more closure.
A good portion of the story focuses on one particularly cruel officer, The Bird, who seemed to have a particular malice for Zamperini. Towards the end of the book, it felt like more attention was given to tying up his story than Zamperini's. And yet, even The Bird's story didn't have a fulfilling resolution.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about the book. The story itself is amazing. It is a testament to the power of the human spirit to be able to endure and survive such hardships. On the other hand, it wasn't exactly pleasant reading. So many atrocities committed during the war, and to what end? The book is very well written and often hard to put down, despite the horrific nature of the tale.
The story itself is fascinating. I appreciated that a good part of the book was spent on Louie before the war. It allowed the reader to get to know him and his family as well as marvel at his accomplishments as a runner before the more serious aspects of the book kick in.
Once in the war, things continue to go from bad to worse for Zamperini. He and his pilot friend survive having their plane shot down, only to suffer living on a life raft for months. When they are finally rescued, it is by the Japanese who throw them straight into a prisoner of war camp.
The conditions in the various camps he inhabits are horrific. Slave labor, torture, and debasement are commonplace. How any of them survived the meager rations is astounding. The war crimes committed by the Japanese were appalling. It is equally distressing that so much of this horrible aspect of the war has been forgotten.
Slight spoiler alert: Zamperini does live to see the end of the war and be freed from his captors. He struggles at home after the war, battling alcoholism until he is saved by Billy Graham. The end of the book seemed to come rather abruptly, especially after having endured so much pain. I would have liked a little more closure.
A good portion of the story focuses on one particularly cruel officer, The Bird, who seemed to have a particular malice for Zamperini. Towards the end of the book, it felt like more attention was given to tying up his story than Zamperini's. And yet, even The Bird's story didn't have a fulfilling resolution.
Overall, I have mixed feelings about the book. The story itself is amazing. It is a testament to the power of the human spirit to be able to endure and survive such hardships. On the other hand, it wasn't exactly pleasant reading. So many atrocities committed during the war, and to what end? The book is very well written and often hard to put down, despite the horrific nature of the tale.
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Nonfiction is not really my thing but this book was excellent. I'll leave my full review for after book club.
Very good, but an uncomfortable read. WWII in the pacific is often forgotten, so it was also an interesting perspective into that.