Monday, February 6, 2012

Unbroken is Unbelievable



I can't come up with enough superlatives to  describe how much I love this book, it's subject, Louie Zamperini, and the author, Laura Hillenbrand.  Here's the review I posted on Amazon and Librarything, which doesn't begin to do justice. If you've read Unbroken, you know what I mean. If you haven't, trust me, you should.

Unbroken is an amazing work of narrative fiction, and Louis Zamperini's life story is phenomenal and inspirational. From his misspent youth to his Olympic feats, from his World War II service to his survival against all odds adrift at sea, then enslaved and brutalized in POW camps, Louie's spirit, endurance and courage embody the Greatest Generation at its finest. I raced through this book in two days and was amazed that I had never heard of this wonderful man, whose life deserves acknowledgement and celebration.

Laura Hillenbrand writes extremely well, deftly weaving historical facts and figures into the carefully researched and compelling narrative. It is not just the story of one man's journey and survival, it is a fascinating overview of the War effort on the home front and the Pacific theater, as well as a sobering look at the unimaginable plight of prisoners of war. I was moved to chills, tears and cheers repeatedly throughout this book, which I consider one of the best I have read in years. Very highly recommended.

4 comments:

  1. my son got this book for christmas from his godmother, who said it was the best book she ever read. i shall have to read.

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  2. I read it and loved it, too. I received it as a Christmas gift last year and really enjoyed it. I should find where It is and read it again.

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  3. I got it from the library and read it around C-mas. I agree that it is unbelievable how we don't hear of so many heros. Unbelievable how there are not many living left from WWII.

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  4. I'm so glad you read that! When I finished, I couldn't tell enough people about it. Didn't you find yourself going through and thinking, "Surely it can't get any worse?" And then it did? The man is amazing.

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