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4.51k reviews for:
Unbroken (Movie Tie-in Edition): A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Laura Hillenbrand, Laura Hillenbrand
4.44 AVERAGE
4.51k 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
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
I’m not crying, you’re crying. The writing is really incredible. It’s hard to capture the scope of such atrocities. The human mind truly cannot conceive of it. But Hillenbrand does an excellent job making it tangible without being bogged down or straight up depressing (which really is a feat, there are many very difficult chapters)
The audiobook was well narrated
The audiobook was well narrated
If you haven’t already done so, put this book on your Goodreads shelf. Go to the upper left of the screen and click ‘all.’ Then go to your list of books and click on ‘avg rating’ so the little arrow is pointing down. This will list all your books in descending order, based on reader’s ratings. I will be surprised if this book is not in the top 5. It might even be at the top. So the question is, “Is it really that good?” My answer is yes. It is superbly written, and the story of Louis Zamperini is one that should be told over and over. The plight of Pacific POWs does seem to have been overshadowed by other atrocities of WWII. Zamperini’s experience, crafted from his own recollections and corroborated by many other firsthand accounts, is astonishing. Lest we forget the suffering and sacrifices of these veterans, this book should be required reading at some level of education. The book is the perfect blend of research, fact and brilliant prose that makes well crafted non-fiction such a joy to read.
I was also stunned to learn of the author’s own personal challenges in writing this book. In the Epilogue Hillenbrand briefly describes her battles with acute chronic fatigue syndrome and extreme vertigo. For long periods of time she could barely lift her head off a pillow, and when the vertigo struck she was reduced to writing sentences by hand with her eyes closed to ward off the dizziness. Her perseverance seems to go hand in hand with that of her subject. All in all, an unforgettable book.
I was also stunned to learn of the author’s own personal challenges in writing this book. In the Epilogue Hillenbrand briefly describes her battles with acute chronic fatigue syndrome and extreme vertigo. For long periods of time she could barely lift her head off a pillow, and when the vertigo struck she was reduced to writing sentences by hand with her eyes closed to ward off the dizziness. Her perseverance seems to go hand in hand with that of her subject. All in all, an unforgettable book.
Amazing. One of the best books I've ever read. Beyond 5 stars.
Cried, laughed, reread, and cried some more. One of the best stories of all time.
A book that must exist on every shelf in every household.
I hadn't heard anything about this book prior to picking it up at the library, and wasn't sure I'd even like it as I'm not much of a war history buff, but I found it to be an enthralling read. It's not always easy to take, as the brutality of the POW camps is hard to stomach, but it is very well written and was hard to put down.
I almost decided not to read this book because I didn't enjoy Seabiscuit. I'm very glad my book club chose it and forced me to read it. I have read a lot of WWII fiction and non-fiction, and this book is at the top of the list for engaging, descriptive writing. Parts of Louie's story took me places and events in WWII I had never before encountered. Hillenbrand has definitely mastered the balance of historical fact and interesting story in this book. Most likely, half the credit (or more) should go to Louie Zamperini. Amazing.
