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© 2026 Juvoni Beckford

←All books

Biography & Memoir · 2010

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

Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption Cover
Rating
8.5/10
Difficulty
Moderate
Read time
12 hours
Best in
  • Audible
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475 pagesRead Feb 27, 2015Staying power: Lasting influence

by Juvoni Beckford·@juvoni

Before readingWhy I picked it up

Seabiscuit is amazing, so I have faith that this author will tell another captivating story. Being born on veterans day, I grew up with a flood of military programming around the time of my birthday and took a fascination in World War II history and weaponry. I find a lot of inspiration in the tale of survivors and hope to witness more of the strength of the human spirit from this book.

After readingPosted March 2, 2026

I was HOOKED to this book. What an amazing tale of persistence and strength of the human spirit, body and mind. Keep running Louis! Unbroken recounts the story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who heard the call of duty and became an airman during the second world war. One May afternoon in 1943, his Bomber crashed into the ocean with his crew, sounded by the vast Pacific Ocean with no one in side; stranded and facing starvation or sharks. They had another problem, there were in Japanese Territory, who were notorious for their brutality towards prisoners of war.

Three reasons to read it

  1. 01World War II survival story
  2. 02The life of Louie Zamperini, son of Italian immigrants, an Olympic Athlete by age 19, Broke the 4-minute mile, POW and WWII Hero
  3. 03Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit

Notable quotesLaura HillenbrandMore in Quotes

  1. 01

    “Dignity is as essential to human life as water, food, and oxygen. The stubborn retention of it, even in the face of extreme physical hardship, can hold a man's soul in his body long past the point at which the body should have surrendered it. - Laura Hillenbrand The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when they make their tormentors suffer. In seeking the Bird's death to free himself, Louie had chained himself, once again, to his tyrant. During the war, the Bird had been unwilling to let go of Louie; after the war, Louie was unable to let go of the Bird. - Laura Hillenbrand Without dignity, identity is erased. In its absence, men are defined not by themselves, but by their captors and the circumstances in which they are forced to live. - Laura Hillenbrand”

Notes for this book are still being transcribed.

←PreviousWhen Breath Becomes AirPaul KalanithiNext→Zen in the Art of ArcheryEugen Herrigel
Buy on AmazonAffiliate ↗

No affiliate link·Goodreads

Awards

  • Made Me Cry

    It got actual tears out of me.

  • Couldn't Put It Down

    I kept reading when I meant to stop.

Related Books

Buy on AmazonAffiliate ↗

No affiliate link·Goodreads

Awards

  • Made Me Cry

    It got actual tears out of me.

  • Couldn't Put It Down

    I kept reading when I meant to stop.

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