Louis Zamperini was a spirited youth who found his groove in running. So good was he that he decided he was going to run in the 1936 Olympics -- 
just a couple of years away. That's a lot of determined training. And he did it. The determination and self discipline required for this accomplishment would serve him well just a few short years later. Unbroken is the story of Zamperini's service in the Pacific Theater of WWII, especially his survival of the Japanese POW camps.
Zamperini served with the air corps and in 1943 his plane was shot down. He and two comrades survived the crash and drifted for an astounding 47 days, before being rescued ....by the Japanese.
He spent the remainder of the war in various POW camps, in hellishly brutal conditions.
But Zamperini did more than just endure those years - He remained UNBROKEN. He survived with his determination and pride in tact.
After the war, readjustment to civilian life was tough enough for the veterans...but it was especially complicated for liberated POWs. In Zamperini's case, he was also a celebrated Olympic runner who had been declared MIA and, eventually, Lost at Sea.... At war's end he was "resurrected" with great fanfare. He was feted and celebrated and eventually overwhelmed. His personal comeback is a testament of faith and healing.
Another riveting Greatest Generation story to be savored... exhaustively researched, well written. Author Hillenbrand also researched and wrote "Seabiscuit". Yes, there will be a movie.