Unbroken

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Unbroken is the true story of an Olympians capture by the Japanese during World War 2 and his journey to freedom along with the torture of being a prisoner of war. Louie Zamperini was always a bit of a troublemaker as a young boy, stealing from bakeries, stores, and neighbors along with getting into fights. His brother, Pete, however, was the poster child. The one everyone talked about and adored. Louie got to the point eventually where he wanted to turn his life around so he went to his older brother for help. Pete channeled Louie’s energy and made him a runner, and a darn good one at that. Louie loved running and he became so good, he went to the olympics in Germany in 1936. One of the people he met there would change the course of history and end many lives.

World War 2 has begun and men are being enlisted into the military and Louie is one of them. He ended up in the United States Army Air Corps as a bombardier on a bomber. Louie was on many bombing runs over Japanese controlled islands and in April of 1943, over the island of Nauru, Louie and his crew were shot at until their plane was barely even able to fly, but remarkably they made it back to the base. Louie and his crew were given a different plane, notorious for malfunctions. On May 27, 1943 mechanical difficulties caused the plane to crash over the ocean killing 8 of the 11 men on board. Louie and two crewmates were saved on emergency rafts. Their names were pilot Russell Allen “Phil” Phillips and Francis “Mac” McNamara.

They survived with little food and no water on the rafts for 33 days until Mac passed away. Phil and Louie wrapped him up and sent his body off to sea. Phil and Louie survived another 14 days until the landed on the Japanese controlled Marshall Islands.

Louie and Phil were immediately captured by the Japanese and became POWs. They were held in captivity, beaten, starved, and used as slaves until the end of the war in 1945. Louie was pronounced dead 1 year and 1 day after his disappearance over the ocean. During his time as a POW, he was ruled by one of the biggest war criminals of all time. He was denied all rights that POWs are guaranteed because of the way the Japanese were. After the Japanese lost the war, Louie was returned home where he was greeted like a hero by his whole town. He was a lot less than his normal 155 pounds weighing in at as low as 67 pounds depending on the source.

Book Review by Owen D.