Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption (2010)

Unbroken, Wow, what an amazing story of an American soldier. So many things I have not been taught about wars, and this for me was a page turner. I enjoyed every moment of it. It's so sad what war does for all of us. I think the younger generation should read this book and learn of our history. Why men/women must treat each other in these ways, I will never understand. ( )

Unbroken is a well-researched and well-written work that is by turns humorous, heartbreaking and inspiring. I learned a great deal about the bombers of WWII and the men that courageously flew them. The horrors that the Pacific POW's endured were unspeakable and gut-wrenching, but the will that they had to survive and even defy was a testament to their character. They refused to be broken. I came to adore Louis Zamperini and his comrades. What an amazing, miraculous life that he has lived, and what a remarkably in-depth and honest portrayal was this book. Not only was I hooked from start to finish, my appreciation for all the things in life that I tend to take for granted grew immeasurably. ( )

I started listening to the aubiobook, because I worshipped "Seabiscuit, an American Legend." Unfortunately this book is not on par with her previous work. As with many other epic stories that extend over a long part of a character's life, this book falls into the same trap of becoming more of a laundry lists of facts than a cohesive narrative. I will probably stop reading soon. Maybe, I will reread Seabiscuit.
Update: I still finished reading, out of respect for Hillebrand, but my opinion is unchanged. Unfortunately unimpressing, although some of the events recounted would have made magnificent stories. ( )

Unbroken was one of those books for me that really opened my eyes to nonfiction. I had always discredited it as being boring and that someone’s life could not be interesting but I thought that this book did so much more than that. For me, the significance was that it brought up a huge question: is it possible to find forgiveness within yourself for grievances someone inflicts upon you purely because of their own personal cruelty? I thought it was amazing that Louie could forgive the Bird for the atrocities that he subjected Louie too. This then brought up the thought of: how big of an influence is God in making society a more accepting place? This was something I had never really considered before because I was not raised in a family that went to any organized religion. These are still questions that I am left thinking about to this day.

Could not put it down. ( )