Awards

• Commended for Audies (Nonfiction) 2012
• Nominated for Audie Awards 2012

Overview

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The incredible true story of survival and salvation that is the basis for two major motion pictures: 2014’s Unbroken and the upcoming Unbroken: Path to Redemption. 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. 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. Praise for Unbroken   “Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic.”—The Wall Street Journal   “[A] one-in-a-billion story . . . designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring.”—New York   “Staggering . . . mesmerizing . . . Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page.”—People   “A meticulous, soaring and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life.”—The Washington Post   “Ambitious and powerful . . . a startling narrative and an inspirational book.”—The New York Times Book Review   “Marvelous . . . Unbroken is wonderful twice over, for the tale it tells and for the way it’s told. . . . It manages maximum velocity with no loss of subtlety.”—Newsweek   “Moving and, yes, inspirational . . . [Laura] Hillenbrand’s unforgettable book . . . deserve[s] pride of place alongside the best works of literature that chart the complications and the hard-won triumphs of so-called ordinary Americans and their extraordinary time.”—Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air   “Hillenbrand . . . tells [this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter’s pace.”—Time “Unbroken is too much book to hope for: a hellride of a story in the grip of the one writer who can handle it.”—Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run

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9780739319697

Table of Contents

Reviews

Praise for Laura Hillenbrand&rsquo;s Seabiscuit: An American Legend <br> &#160;<br> &ldquo;Captivating . . . a flawless trip, with the detail of good history, the blistering pace of Biscuit himself, and the charm of grand legend.&rdquo;&mdash; The New York Times Book Review <br> &#160;<br> &ldquo;Wonderful . . . astounding . . . almost unbearably suspenseful . . . Ideally, you wouldn&rsquo;t just find Laura Hillenbrand&rsquo;s Seabiscuit: An American Legend in bookstores. It would be next to Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole or Lee Wiley CDs as well&mdash;anywhere you&rsquo;d go to look for love songs.&rdquo;&mdash;Salon<br> &#160;<br> &ldquo;It is hugely refreshing when [a book] as fine as this one comes along. The research is meticulous, the writing elegant and concise, so that every page transports you back to the period. . . . This is a remarkable tale well told.&rdquo;&mdash; The Economist <br> &#160;<br> &ldquo;Engrossing . . . terrific . . . Hillenbrand not only ties . . . dive

Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic. --The Wall Street Journal [A] one-in-a-billion story . . . designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring. --New York Staggering . . . mesmerizing . . . Hillenbrand's writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don't dare take your eyes off the page. --People A meticulous, soaring and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life. --The Washington Post Ambitious and powerful . . . a startling narrative and an inspirational book. --The New York Times Book Review Marvelous . . . Unbroken is wonderful twice over, for the tale it tells and for the way it's told. . . . It manages maximum velocity with no loss of subtlety. --Newsweek Moving and, yes, inspirational . . . [Laura] Hillenbrand's unforgettable book . . . deserve[s] pride of place alongside the best works of literature that chart the complications and the hard-won triumphs of so-called ordinary Americans and their extraordinary time. --Maureen Corrigan, Fresh Air Hillenbrand . . . tells [this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter's pace. --Time Unbroken is too much book to hope for: a hellride of a story in the grip of the one writer who can handle it. . . . When it comes to courage, charisma, and impossible adventure, few will ever match 'the boy terror of Torrance, ' and few but the author of Seabiscuit could tell his tale with such humanity and dexterity. Hillenbrand has given us a new national treasure. --Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run Riveting . . . an exceptional portrait . . . So haunting and so beautifully written, those who fall under its spell will never again feel the same way about World War II and one of its previously unsung heroes. --The Columbus Dispatch Magnificent . . . incredible . . . [Hillenbrand] has crafted another masterful blend of sports, history and overcoming terrific odds; this is biography taken to the nth degree, a chronicle of a remarkable life lived through extraordinary times. --The Dallas Morning News No other author of narrative nonfiction chooses her subjects with greater discrimination or renders them with more discipline and commitment. If storytelling were an Olympic event, [Hillenbrand would] medal for sure. --Salon A celebration of gargantuan fortitude . . . full of unforgettable characters, multi-hanky moments and wild turns . . . Hillenbrand is a muscular, dynamic storyteller. --The New York Times [A] masterfully told true story . . . nothing less than a marvel. --Washingtonian Zamperini's story is certainly one of the most remarkable survival tales ever recorded. What happened after that is equally remarkable. --Graydon Carter, Vanity Fair Irresistible . . . Hillenbrand demonstrates a dazzling ability--one Seabiscuit only hinted at--to make the tale leap off the page. --Elle A tale of triumph and redemption . . . astonishingly detailed. --O: The Oprah Magazine An astonishing testament to the superhuman power of tenacity. --Entertainment Weekly Intense . . . You better hold onto the reins. --The Boston Globe Incredible . . . Zamperini's life is one of courage, heroism, humility and unflagging endurance. --St. Louis Post Dispatch 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 Unbroken <br> A master class in narrative storytelling...Extraordinarily moving...A powerfully drawn survival epic. --The Wall Street Journal <br> Will you be able to put [ Unbroken ] down once you poke your nose into it? You will not. ... No one delivers a play-by-play better than Laura Hillenbrand... No other author of narrative nonfiction chooses her subjects with greater discrimination or renders them with more discipline and commitment. If storytelling were an Olympic event, she'd medal for sure... --Laura Miller, Salon <br> Unbroken is wonderful twice over, for the tale it tells and for the way it's told. A better book than Seabiscuit, it manages maximum velocity with no loss of subtlety. [Hillenbrand has] a jeweler's eye for a detail that makes a story live. -- Newsweek <br> Monumental... as mesmerizing as it is gut-wrenching. Hillenbrand's writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don't dare take your eyes off the page. -- People <br> Ambitious and powerful... Hillenbrand is intelligent and restrained, and wise enough to let the story unfold for itself. Her research is thorough, her writing crystalline. Unbroken is gripping in an almost cinematic way. The New York Times Book Review <br> Hillenbrand is a muscular, dynamic storyteller... But she happens also to have located a tale full of unforgettable characters, multihanky moments and wild turns...A bang up research job.-- The New York Times <br> A one-in-a-billion story... seems designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoidL It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring. It sucked me in and swept me away. It kept me reading late into the night. I could not...(it really hurts me to type this)...put it...(must find the strength to resist)... down. -- New York Magazine <br> A warning: after cracking open Unbroken you may find yourself dog

Author Information

Laura Hillenbrand is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Seabiscuit: An American Legend, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, won the Book Sense Book of the Year Award and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award, landed on more than fifteen best-of-the-year lists, and inspired the film Seabiscuit, which was nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture. Hillenbrand’s New Yorker article, “A Sudden Illness,” won the 2004 National Magazine Award, and she is a two-time winner of the Eclipse Award, the highest journalistic honor in Thoroughbred racing. She and actor Gary Sinise are the co-founders of Operation International Children, a charity that provides school supplies to children through American troops. She lives in Washington, D.C.

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