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The son of Italian immigrants, Louie Zamperini grew up in Torrance, California, where he overcame a delinquent childhood to become a rising star in track-and-field. After performing admirably in the 1936 Olympics in Germany, Louie joined the Army Air Corps of the United States and became a bombardier in WWII. While on a search and rescue mission in 1943, Louie’s plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean. Ultimately only Louie and one other man survived more than a month lost at sea. They were captured by Japanese troops and sent to POW camps in Japan. During the next two years, Louie endured physical and psychological torture at the hands of his captors. Finally liberated in 1945, Louie returned to America, where he married—and struggled with alcoholism and untreated post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In 1949, through the ministry of Reverend Billy Graham, Louie became a Christian and began a full recovery from his emotional wounds, which included finding the strength to forgive his captors. He spent the rest of his life leading a nonprofit organization that helped at-risk boys and also worked as an inspirational speaker.
Written by: Laura Hillenbrand
Type of Work: Nonfiction
Genre: Biography
First Published: 2010
Settings (primary): Torrance, California; WWII’s Pacific Theatre; mainland Japan
Settings (secondary): Kwajalein POW camp; Ofuna interrogation center; Omori POW camp; Naoetsu POW camp
Unbroken covers five primary periods in the life of Louis “Louie” Zamperini:
Seeing Louie’s talent for running away after a crime, Pete forced Louie to join the track-and-field team at school. Louie excelled and soon gave up his delinquent exploits in favor of running circles around a track. Nicknamed the “Torrance Tornado,” he became a high school phenomenon and eventually earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. He competed alongside Jesse Owens in the 1936 Olympics in Germany and planned to compete again in the 1940 Olympics scheduled for Tokyo, Japan. However, when WWII started, Louie found himself training to be a bombardier in the Army Air Corps of the United States instead of training to be a track star.
A flash-forward glimpse into the life of Louis “Louie” Zamperini, the biography begins with Louie lost in the Pacific Ocean, hounded by sharks, and under fire from a Japanese fighter plane.
This preface is only a teaser and can be easily ignored. It’s an authorial “cliffhanger” device meant to pique the interest of readers with an exciting glimpse of what’s to come later in the book.
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