Unbroken (on compact disc)

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption
by Laura Hillenbrand [Biography Zamperini]

Based on positive reviews I had read for this NYT best-selling biography, I reserved the book-on-CD version. I was not disappointed. This is one of the most powerful biographies I've read in years. Following the life of Louis Zamperini from his troublesome childhood, through the sports fame of his youth, to his nightmarish experiences during World War II, and concluding with a brief section on his post-War years, Hillenbrand has crafted an incredible tale. Narrator Edward Herrman does a remarkable job, infusing only minimal emotion into his reading of Hillenbrand's detail-infused text. I initially didn't like Louis, based on his anti-social behavior as a kid. However, once he dedicates his life to his sport -- running -- and ends up at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, I found myself intrigued by his story. But, it isn't until the narrative begins to chronicle Zamperini's experiences during WWII that the reader is fully sucked into the story. What follows, as we are told about his time adrift on a life raft after his plane is shot down, and then the horrors as he is moved from one Japanese P.O.W. facility to another, is truly gut-wrenching. Hillenbrand's matter-of-fact telling of these events helps to desensitize the reader to Zamperini's nightmare a bit, but I am still haunted by what he went through, weeks after finishing this book. This is an unforgettable tale, and one told with mastery by the author of Seabiscuit. I can't recomment it highly enough, and I particularly recommend the audiobook version with Herrman's narration. [If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try The Last Good War: The Faces and Voices of World War II is a 2010 coffee-table photography/biography collection, which combines contemporary shots of WWII vets (including Zamperini) with essays in which they share their experiences (available through InterLibrary Loan). Zamperini also wrote his own autobiography in 2003, Devil at My Heels, which covers much the same ground but has a totally different feel or tone to it.] -- recommended by Scott C. - Bennett Martin Public Library

[Also available in print, downloadable audio, downloadable E-book and Large Print formats.]

[ Publisher's official Unbroken web site ] | [ Wikipedia page for Laura Hillenbrand ]

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