Unbroken: a Word War II story of survival, resilience and redemption/Laura Hillenbrand 473 pg.A remarkable story of Louis Zamperini who was a track star cut down in his prime a by World War II stint as a POW in Japan. His story starts out so fun and amazing. He was an interesting kid whose parents seemed to have virtually no control over who grew up into this amazing running machine. His times dropped so fast once he started training, he was compared to Seabiscuit in that the famous horse was the only thing who could run faster. After an impressive 1936 Olympics where he placed 7th in a race he had only run 3 times, he was looking forward to 1940 which would be his prime Olympics. War ruined these dreams and after becoming a POW in Japan, Zamperini's spirit was close to being ruined. Sadistic guards and horrible conditions in the various camps where he was held made it difficult for this outgoing positive person to maintain his humanity. Coming home after the war was difficult for many who tried to re-integrate themselves into society after suffering horribly. Zamperini had several difficult years before finding peace in Christianity and forgiving his former captors. An inspiring story that Hillenbrand delivers in a way that makes it so very readable despite the hard parts.
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