Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand is not just for WWII history buffs, but also for those who like survival stories and master storytelling.
When teenager Louis Zamperini from Torrance, California, decides to turn his delinquency into a life with purpose, he devotes himself to running and breaking as many track records as he can. His athletic prowess not only earns him the name “Torrance Tornado”, it qualifies him to compete in the 1936 Olympics. Later, America’s entry into WWII stops him in his tracks. As a B-24 bombardier, he knows an airman’s odds of being killed are 50%. While over the Pacific Ocean, his plane crashes and after suffering through 47 days lost at sea, on the brink of death, Louie and the plane’s pilot reach land, but the worst is yet to come.
Taken prisoner by the Japanese, he endures deplorable conditions in POW camps, but it is the sadistic guards who inflict the most damage, and in particular, one nicknamed the Bird, who relentlessly tortures Louie. Through it all, he perseveres, at times barely, and survives the unbelievable atrocities.
After liberation, Louie tries to slide back into a normal life but instead flounders and is completely demoralized. As during his captivity, he cannot shake loose of the prison guard most responsible for his anguish. Attending a Billy Graham revival deeply affects Louie, and he can finally face his demons: nightmares of the Bird, flashbacks, alcoholism, and desire for vengeance. He finds a capacity for forgiveness, a “profound peace”, and a purposeful life.
The same spirit and toughness that helped Louie beat his juvenile delinquency and channel it into becoming a track sensation will be the saving grace that allows him to overcome the suffering he endured as a prisoner of war. His journey is heart-wrenching; Hillenbrand’s skilled telling of it, gripping.