One of the most inspiring and positive, yet also one of the most painfully difficult and uncomfortable reads of the year. Hillenbrand, the author of ‘Seabiscuit’ has written the life story of Louis Zamperini; mischief maker, Olympian, bombardier, hero… and what an incredibly moving story it is. Hillenbrand writes so cleverly, you feel that you are listening to Zamperini himself, he literally springs from the pages. The pictures of Zamperini, his family and his comrades from the Second World War are wonderful and help to cement the man in your memory. There are parts to this novel that kick and pummel your consciousness and literally cause a physical ache, if this were a work of fiction, you’d think it fantastical, the fact that this is a true story, quite simply blows your mind.
The film version of Unbroken is released in UK cinemas on Friday 26 December 2014. Click below to view the trailer.
Now a major film directed by Angelina Jolie to be released in 2014, this is the true story of one incredibly resilient WWII flier from the author of 'Seabiscuit'. On a May afternoon in 1943, a US bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean. After an agonising delay, a young lieutenant finally bobbed to the surface and struggled aboard a life raft. So begins one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. As a boy, he turned to petty crime until he discovered a remarkable talent for running, which took him to the Berlin Olympics. But as war loomed, he joined up and was soon embroiled in the ferocious battle for the Pacific. Now Zamperini faced a journey of thousands of miles of open ocean on a failing raft, dogged by sharks, starvation and the enemy. Driven to limits of endurance, Zamperini's fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would depend on the strength of his will...
'The pages almost turn themselves. His tale is remarkable and his resilience inspiring.' Ben Macintyre
'An instant classic.' Mail on Sunday
'Hillenbrand must be congratulated for chiselling out such an uplifting story...This is tremendous stuff.' Daily Telegraph
'A riveting read.' Spectator
'Hillenbrand's storytelling is gripping.' Financial Times
'Unbroken is an extraordinarily compelling read, a match for any thriller...a remarkable book.' Evening Standard
'Unbroken is gripping in an almost cinematic way. To have written something so ambitious and powerful under such trying circumstances is an act of courage even a Louis Zamperini would admire.' Scotsman
'More gripping than fiction.' Sunday Telegraph
Author
About Laura Hillenbrand
Laura Hillenbrand has been writing about history and Thoroughbred racing since 1988 and has been a contributing writer/editor for Equus magazine since 1989. Her work has also appeared in the New York Times, Talk, American Heritage, Reader's Digest, ABC Sports Online, the New York Post, the Week, Attache, the Blood-Horse, Thoroughbred Times, the Backstretch, and many other publications. Her 1998 American Heritage article on Seabiscuit won the Eclipse Award for Magazine Writing, the highest journalistic award for Thoroughbred racing. She served as a consultant on the Universal film of this book, released in 2003, as well as on a PBS documentary on Seabiscuit's life. Released in 2003 Seabiscuit is an Academy Award-nominated motion picture directed by Gary Ross, starring Toby Maguire and Jeff Daniels.
An alumna of Kenyon College, Laura lives in Washington D.C.
