Audiobook Review - Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

We use the term "hero" very liberally these days and certainly there are a lot of people who do really good things who need to be recognized. But I believe that we are a little too loose with the "hero" label and that it sometimes diminishes the worshiping that true heroes deserve. 

Take a look at this face. That is Loiue Zamperini. He is a hero in ever sense of the word and Laura Hillenbrand (the author of Seabiscuit) tells his amazing story in Unborken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. 

Here's the publisher's summary:

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.

Narrating the audiobook is Edward Herrman, a well known actor and a familiar voice on the History Channel. He does a perfect job of narrating Mr. Zamperini's story.

My father-in-law was a Lieutenant Commander aboard the USS Luce during the battle of Okinawa. The ship was attacked by Japanese suicide bombers and sunk.  126 of the 312 men aboard perished. For as long as I knew them, my in-laws hated Japanese people. I mostly ignored it and never really bothered to understand it. Additionally, I was never really educated about the Pacific front of WWII. All of my education about that war centered on the European theater. While this book is one man's experience in that war, it is a deep and rich experience and taught me things I needed to know about that time.  

We are quick to judge actions that have happened in the past but we don't often put those actions in the right context and assess the decisions based on the information available and environment at the time.  I have a greater understanding of the Japanese internment camps as I read about Louie being brutalized by someone he had known as a college friend. I also have a greater understanding of the feelings of my in-laws and others from that generation. Their hatred is understandable. It doesn't mean that the next generation has to feel the same way, but I understand their perspective and where it originates.

This is a very difficult book to listen to at times and I admit to looking up Louie's boigraphy at one point to see when/how he died just so I could get through a section of the book. It turns out that he alive and well today at the age of 94. This is the kind of history that we should be taught in school and Louie Zamperini is the kind of hero that we should celebrate every day. Even if history books aren't usually your forte, this is one story that is beautifully written and tells an important story that we should all read. 

Comments

[Andrea]

This sounds like a great read. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

[Susan Elliott]

We read Unbroken in book club a few months back. It was an unbelievable story, wasn't it? We had lots of discussion about what character traits are needed for survival...You're right; there are heroes around us every day, if we only knew their stories.

I still can't believe he survived in the Pacific ocean for as long as he did...

[Cheryl K.]

I read this as an audio book as well and found I couldn't "put it down" - I usually read when I walk but this one I read whenever I could. I certainly got a lot of knitting done those couple of days. It was difficult to take but uplifting in the end. Like you, I wanted to know more about Louis Zamperini and spent some time on his website when I finished the book.

[Carmen Wyant]

I actually bought this book for my husband, but I ended up reading it too. It is an amazing story and I thought a great read. How inspiring.

[Stephanie]

My father, 92, is a WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam veteran, having spent 31 years in the USMC. The unbelievable stories he has to tell -- one being on a ship that was sunk. Thank you for the synopsis.

[Libby Fife]

Good tip on the book so thanks. My MIL and parents all were born into this time period. Understanding events and attitudes in context are key to new understanding today (which I think is what you are saying). Good for you for getting through the book.

[sarah]

Hi Vickie - thanks for the book suggestion. I just placed a hold at my library system. There are 8 books in the 42 library system and they are all checked out! I'm hoping that's a good sign.

As a young adult I was able to visit Pearl Harbor. I was moved by the scene but also the # of Japanese there and their emotions has always been one of the top things I remember about that stop over.