Book Review: Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

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

Author:  Laura Hillenbrand

Publisher:  Random House Publishing Group

Date Published:  November 16th 2010

From Goodreads:

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 channeled 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 humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will. 

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Unbroken is a very hard book to review because I feel like I cannot give it it's proper praise.  Before I write my review I need to make clear that Unbroken is brilliantly done, and touched me.  With that being said, Unbroken is my favorite book of 2011 so far, and I really can't see another outdoing it.  I feel that strongly about it. 

Laura Hillenbrand is a wonderful writer.  Seriously, she's freaking awesome!  She is a must buy author for me now because I trust that she will hit it out of the ballpark.  You can tell how much research and interviewing went into writing Unbroken.  The details help picture everything, and by details I mean everything has a purpose.  So she did her research now she has to put it all together to tell the story, and WOW did she.  It all fits perfectly together.  I can't really say enough about her writing and research.  

By now I am sure you realize Unbroken is a true story, but did you know that it is riveting?  It invokes so many emotions as you turn pages.  I cried, laughed, smiled and felt elation while reading this great true story.  The goose bumps were galore.  The POW's during World War II went through so much, it's heartbreaking.  It was horrible to read about, and the fact that some of these men made it through says a lot about the human spirit, and how much we can endure with just the will to survive. It's a powerful read.

Unbroken is a must read, you will not be disappointed.  It's more than a story, it's history.  These men went through so much, their courage and heart is inspiring.  Who doesn't want to be inspired?