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

     Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand, is the remarkable true story of Army Air Force Lieutenant Louis Zamperini. An Olympian from the 1936 Berlin games, Zamperini’s life as a world-class runner would be turned upside down as he found himself pulled into WWII with the rest of his generation. Zamperini would become a bombardier in the Army Air Force, finding himself stranded on a raft for weeks with two other survivors after their plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean. From here his story becomes an incomparable study on the nature of one man’s endurance to survive the harsh truths of war.

     After the Japanese pulled Louie and pilot Russell Allen Phillips from the ocean, the unspeakable cruelty at the hands of the American airmen's captors becomes beyond what is considered acceptable among civilized people. With a total disregard for the Geneva Conventions' rules that were put in place after WWI to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners of war, the Japanese embarked on a torturous & unjustifiable rampage against their prisoners.

     Unbroken is certainly not an easy read, but it demands to be read as it speaks to the greatness of Louis Zamperini’s generation and what they achieved for the world through their courage. His story does not end with the conclusion of the war nor with his liberation from the prisoner of war camp, but continued through to his redemption. His post-war story is a stark reminder of what the survivors of war must have endured to reclaim their lives (if they were so lucky to do so). Fortunately for Louis Zamperini and those whom he touched and loved, he was able to find a place of forgiveness, peace, and joy again in his life. Author Laura Hillenbrand’s telling of how he achieved this conclusion for himself is well thought-out and delivered.

     I wanted to read this book before the premiere of the movie about Mr. Zamperini’s life due in theatres in December of 2014. Mr. Zamperini passed away recently, before his story was projected onto the screen for the world to see. Before he did, Louis Zamperini showed the world what it meant to survive with dignity and grace, and showed how he was able to transform the struggle and strife he experienced during the war into forgiveness and hope.

     Great books are transformative. Unbroken is one of those -- it stays with you long after the final page has been read. With what Louis Zamperini and those like him endured, we should expect no less.