Unbroken; A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

[Firefight911]

OK, I just finished this book. One of the reasons I got my Kindle was to re-kindle my passion for reading. So far so good!!! After this read, I am frothing at the mouth in search of more but the Kindle is not the reason for this post.

 

This book is the true story of a man. A man by the name of Louie Zamperini.

 

From his roots in Torrance, CA, to his personal encounter with Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics, from his stealing the Do Not Disturb sign from the one and only Jesse Owens, to Louie being touted as the man who would break the 4:00 mile well before Roger Bannister did, to WWII as a bombardoer on B-24's, to his crashing at sea and drifting for 2000 miles and 47 days in a raft, to his horrific journey as a Pacfic POW, to his personal battle after his return, to his life after you just can NOT put this book down.

 

I cried, I rejoiced, I was humbled, made proud, lifted up, and set down. Through this book you get the sense of being there, sharing his journey, thwarting his perilous encounters with sharks, prison guards, and "The Bird."

 

I feel almost ashamed that I have not known this story, this man, this legend before picking this book up (ok, downloading it).

 

I can not give this book enough praise!! Get a copy, borrow a copy, READ IT!!!!!

 

 

Wiki Link

 

Lest we forget........

[ltljohn]

OK, I just finished this book. One of the reasons I got my Kindle was to re-kindle my passion for reading. So far so good!!! After this read, I am frothing at the mouth in search of more but the Kindle is not the reason for this post.

 

This book is the true story of a man. A man by the name of Louie Zamperini.

 

From his roots in Torrance, CA, to his personal encounter with Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Olympics, from his stealing the Do Not Disturb sign from the one and only Jesse Owens, to Louie being touted as the man who would break the 4:00 mile well before Roger Bannister did, to WWII as a bombardoer on B-24's, to his crashing at sea and drifting for 2000 miles and 47 days in a raft, to his horrific journey as a Pacfic POW, to his personal battle after his return, to his life after you just can NOT put this book down.

 

I cried, I rejoiced, I was humbled, made proud, lifted up, and set down. Through this book you get the sense of being there, sharing his journey, thwarting his perilous encounters with sharks, prison guards, and "The Bird."

 

I feel almost ashamed that I have not known this story, this man, this legend before picking this book up (ok, downloading it).

 

I can not give this book enough praise!! Get a copy, borrow a copy, READ IT!!!!!

 

 

Wiki Link

 

Lest we forget........

 

+10000

A must read!

[MT Wallet]

I agree. I saw an interview with this man, on Fox I believe, and he struck me as one of the vanishing true treasures from that generation. His story is extraodinary. I try to talk to old vets from that era whenever I can. If they talk you find their service was heroic(In my view). Even if they were, as they say it "I was just doing my job".

[Mike O]

Phil,

 

Yes.... A must read for sure. If I recall, it's in production for a movie as well.

 

Mike O

 

P.S. Love my Kindle as well.

[Traveler1]

I saw the interview on Fox, bought the book and have to say it's a real testament to what many of the guys in WWII went through. It's also a reminder of why the world needs to chase down the people guilty of war crimes.

[yabadabapal]

Im off to the book store tomorrow and will pick it up. Thanks for the share.

[chrisd]

I started the book, and got to page 60, but don't want to continue. The following stopped me.

 

Aboard the SS Manhattan, a 24,289 ton, 704 foot ship:

 

"Everyone was fighting for training space. Gymnasts set up their apparatuses, but with the ship swaying, they kept getting bucked off. Basketball players did passing drills on deck, but the wind kept jettisoning the balls into the Atlantic. Fencers lurched all over the ship. The water athletes discovered the ship’s tiny pool sloshed back and forth vehemently, two feet deep one moment, seven feet the next, creating waves so large, one water polo man took up bodysurfing. Every large roll heaved most of the water, and everyone in it, onto the deck, so the coaches had to tie swimmers to the wall. The situation was hardly better for runners…. In high seas, the runners were buffeted about, all staggering in one direction, then in the other. Louie had to move so slowly that he couldn’t lose the marathon walker creeping along beside him."

 

On 71,000 lb (max.). B-24 bombers:

 

"A squiggle of turbulence, or a crewman walking inside the fuselage, would tip the plane off its axis."

 

 

How can anyone write such incredible things in a serious book? How plausible is the rest of the book?

 

[ltljohn]

Keep reading, it's more than worth it.