Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

398 pages

"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 drifting 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 a triumph of tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will." -Dust Jacket

Wow. I don't quite know what to write or how to do this book justice in a paragraph or two. This book is a hard read but a completely inspiring one. It had me in tears several times. It's almost unbelievable that one person could experience everything that Louis Zamperini did. Just drifting on a life raft for 40+ days would have been extraordinary enough but everything he endures after that makes the time on the raft look like child's play, sharks, typhoon and all. Zamperini had a will that could not be dominated or broken, although he came desperately close, and those soldiers that he was captured with are examples of why those men are called the greatest generation.

A few thoughts after reading this book:
1. It is hard for me to comprehend how people can be so horribly cruel to one another. The Japanese soldier nicknamed The Bird is the worst example. Why do people do such awful things to each other?
2. The human spirit is indomitable. These men were strong. The POWs found ways to bring some glimmer of humanity and dignity to their circumstances whenever possible. There were some amazing examples of compassion as soldiers shared the very little they had with those who were sicker or weaker than them. The small acts of rebellion brought them a sense of purpose.
3. Love and forgiveness conquer all. When Louie is at his darkest after coming home from the war, the Reverend Billy Graham's speeches help him see that God was with him even in the darkest of times and He provided miracles along the way. There's this amazing part where Louie recalls some of those times. Being able to forgive those who treated him so horribly is a life-changing lesson for all of us. If Louie could forgive The Bird, we can forgive anyone.
4. There were a few Japanese soldiers who showed kindness and compassion towards the POWs at great personal risk. I have great respect for these men as well.
5. The effects of war are devastating. There's one part where Louie goes out to dinner with some of his friends who were also POWs and a small ball of white rice sets one of them off with memories of being imprisoned. How these men were even able to function at all after coming home is a miracle. Not only were they ravaged physically, the emotional damage was at least as bad but probably worse. Freedom truly isn't free.