Unbroken

Unbroken

by Laura Hillenbrand (Author)

Synopsis

The new book from the author of the bestselling and much-loved Seabiscuit. On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane's bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he'd been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channelled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown. Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humour; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 500
Publisher: Fourth Estate
Published: 09 Dec 2010

ISBN 10: 0007386648
ISBN 13: 9780007386642

Media Reviews
'Hillenbrand has once again brought to life the true story of a forgotten hero, and reminded us how lucky we are to have her, one of our best writers of narrative history. You don't have to be a sports fan or a war-history buff to devour this book -- you just have to love great storytelling.' Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Praise for Seabiscuit 'A rip-roaring narrative from a cobwebbed chapter of the Depression' Sunday Times 'Hillenbrand tells the story of the triumphs and tribulations of her cast of misfits with flair and skill, relishing the larger than life characters who inhabited this forgotten demimonde.' Sunday Times 'Most readable!a wonderful tale' Daily Mail 'This season's literary sensation' Financial Times A classic tale.' Sunday Times' 'Great horse, great name, great story, very good book!this one could run and run' Observer
Author Bio
Laura Hillenbrand is the author of the number-one bestseller Seabiscuit, which won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award. It was made into a major international film, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. She lives in Washington, D.C.