"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand - Islington Branch Book Club - Past Titles

About the Author: Laura Hillenbrand

Laura Hillenbrand is an American author best known for her nonfiction works, particularly her bestselling books centered around historical events and figures. Here is a brief biography of Laura Hillenbrand:

Early Life:

Laura Hillenbrand was born on May 15, 1967, in Fairfax, Virginia, USA.
She developed a passion for writing and storytelling from an early age.

Education:

Hillenbrand attended Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio, where she studied literature and creative writing.

Health Challenges:

Hillenbrand has struggled with chronic fatigue syndrome (myalgic encephalomyelitis) since her college years.
Despite the challenges posed by her health condition, she has continued to pursue her writing career with determination.

Career:

Laura Hillenbrand gained widespread recognition with her debut book, "Seabiscuit: An American Legend," published in 2001. The book tells the story of the racehorse Seabiscuit and its impact on American culture during the Great Depression. The book was a major bestseller and was later adapted into a successful film.
Her second major work, "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption," was published in 2010. The book follows the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete and World War II veteran. Like "Seabiscuit," "Unbroken" became a bestseller and received critical acclaim.

Writing Style:

Hillenbrand is known for her meticulous research and engaging storytelling.
Her writing often focuses on historical events and individuals, bringing to light stories that may have been overlooked.

Impact:

Both "Seabiscuit" and "Unbroken" have been praised for their narrative depth, historical accuracy, and the ability to make history accessible to a wide audience.
Hillenbrand's books have resonated with readers, and her works are often used in educational settings to teach history and literature.

Awards:

Laura Hillenbrand has received numerous awards for her contributions to literature, including the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Award for "Seabiscuit."
"Unbroken" also received several awards and nominations.

Laura Hillenbrand's career is marked by her ability to tell captivating and inspirational stories from history, showcasing resilience, determination, and the indomitable human spirit.

Synopsis

On a May afternoon in 1943, an American military plane 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 sagas of the Second World War. The lieutenant's name was Louis Zamperini. As a boy, he had been a clever delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and stealing. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a supreme talent that carried him to the Berlin Olympics. But when war came, the athlete became 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 sinking raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would respond to desperation with ingenuity, suffering with hope and humor, brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would hang on the fraying wire of his will.

Discussion Questions

Louis Zamperini's resilience is a central theme in "Unbroken." How does his background and early life contribute to his ability to endure the challenges he faced during World War II?
The book covers Louis Zamperini's experiences as a prisoner of war in Japan. How did his time in captivity impact his mental and physical well-being, and what strategies did he employ to survive?
Discuss the role of friendship and camaraderie in Louis Zamperini's survival story. How did his relationships with other prisoners contribute to their collective resilience?
Hillenbrand explores the theme of forgiveness, especially in Louis Zamperini's post-war life. How does Zamperini's journey towards forgiveness provide insights into the human capacity for resilience and healing?
Louis Zamperini's Olympic career is a significant part of the narrative. How does his experience as an athlete influence his ability to endure physical and mental hardships during the war?
The book provides a detailed account of the Pacific theater during World War II. How does Hillenbrand bring historical events to life, and what impact does this have on the reader's understanding of the war?
Discuss the psychological effects of war on individuals, as illustrated through Louis Zamperini's experiences. How did his time in combat and as a POW shape his post-war life?
Louis Zamperini faced not only physical challenges but also moral and ethical dilemmas during his wartime experiences. Explore how he navigated these challenges and the impact on his character.
The book touches on the themes of faith and spirituality. How did Louis Zamperini's beliefs play a role in his survival and recovery?
Examine the portrayal of the Japanese captors in "Unbroken." How does Hillenbrand present the humanity of both the prisoners and their captors, and what does this reveal about the complexities of war?
"Unbroken" explores the idea of the indomitable human spirit. In what ways does Zamperini's story inspire and challenge our understanding of human resilience?
Reflect on the significance of the title, "Unbroken." How does it encapsulate the overarching theme of the book, and how does Zamperini's story contribute to the broader narrative of resilience and survival?

MLN Materials

book
large print book
spoken CD

Audiobook Versions

Libby

Ebook Versions

Libby

Target Tokyo: Jimmy Doolittle and the Raid That Avenged Pearl Harbor by James M. Scott
Call Number: 940.5425 Scott
In December 1941, as American forces tallied the dead at Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt gathered with his senior military counselors to plan an ambitious counterstrike against the heart of the Japanese Empire: Tokyo. Four months later, on April 18, 1942, sixteen U.S. Army bombers under the command of daredevil pilot Jimmy Doolittle lifted off from the deck of the USS Hornet on a one-way mission to pummel the enemy's factories, refineries, and dockyards and then escape to Free China. For Roosevelt, the raid was a propaganda victory, a potent salve to heal a wounded nation. In Japan, outraged over the deaths of innocent civilians--including children--military leaders launched an ill-fated attempt to seize Midway that would turn the tide of the war. But it was the Chinese who suffered the worst, victims of a retaliatory campaign by the Japanese Army that claimed an estimated 250,000 lives and saw families drowned in wells, entire towns burned, and communities devastated by bacteriological warfare.
My Private War by Norman Bussel
Call Number: 940.5472 / BUSSEL
1944: Norm Bussel, an introspective and happy-go-lucky teen from Memphis, finds himself bailing out of a burning B-17 bomber just months after his 19th birthday. Touching-down in a field outside Berlin, Norm was immediately seized by local farmhands, who were in the process of lynching him when a passing German soldier put a stop to the execution. For the next year, Norm would struggle to survive at the hands of the Nazis as a prisoner of war.And that is when the rage began. Rage that he and his fellow captives were cold and starving, their wounds and illnesses left untreated. Rage that men were shot without warning. The rage and emotional turmoil he suffered during that year of hell would follow him home, denying him the peace and stability he and his loved ones longed for. This is one soldier's searing and honest story of his battle with post-traumatic stress disorder. A battle that speaks to the hearts and minds of veterans of all wars who find themselves with liberated bodies but captive minds.
Taken Captive by Ooka Shohei
Call Number: 940.5472 / OOKA
On January 25, 1945, Private Ooka Shohei of the Japanese Imperial Army was captured by American forces in the Philippines. Near death from starvation and acute malaria, he was nursed back to health by his captors and shipped off to a POW camp. Taken Captive is his powerful and poignant account of life as a prisoner of war. Long regarded as a literary classic in Japan, this extraordinary memoir appears in English for the first time. There are no epic battles or grand-scale heroics. This is an intimate, gripping, and ultimately enlightening true story of a sophisticated, middle-aged scholar thrown into a primitive struggle for survival. It is filled with moments of sublime ordinariness--prisoners passing time by playing "20 Questions"--and heart stopping encounters--a lone soldier decides whether or not to shoot an unsuspecting enemy soldier. The harsh conditions, the daily routines that occupy a prisoner's time, and above all, the psychological struggles and behavioral quirks of captives forced to live in close confinement are conveyed with devastating simplicity and conveyed with candor. Throughout, the author constantly probes his own conscience, questioning motivations and decisions. What emerges is a multileveled portrait of an individual determined to retain his humanity in an uncivilized environment. In Taken Captive, Ooka Shohei provides much more than an unprecedented look at the POW experience from a Japanese point of view. His stirring account offers a penetrating exploration of Japanese society, and its values, as embodied by the microcosm of his fellow POWs. Recalling his wartime experiences, Ooka Shohei has created a brilliant work of rare honesty, insight, and emotional subtlety.
The Belly of the Beast by Judith Pearson
Call Number: 940.5472 Pearson
Describes the brutal ordeal of U.S. Naval Corpsman Estel Myers as a POW aboard the infamous Japanese prison ship Oryoku Maru during World War II, detailing the suffocation, malnutrition, torture, disease, and other hardships that claimed the lives of more than three quarters of the prisoners.
Don't Give up, Don't Give In by Louis Zamperini; David Rensin
Call Number: 940.5472 Zamperini
He was a youthful troublemaker from California who turned his life around to become a 1936 Olympian. Putting aside his track career, he volunteered for the army before Pearl Harbor and was thrust into World War II as a B-24 bombardier. While on a rescue mission, his plane went down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, where he survived against all odds, drifting two thousand miles in a small raft for forty-seven days. His struggle was only beginning: Zamperini was captured by the Japanese, and for more than two years he courageously endured torture and psychological abuse in a series of prisoner-of-war camps. He returned home to face more dark hours, but in 1949 Zamperini's life was transformed by a spiritual rebirth that would guide him through the next sixty-five years of his long and happy life. Louis Zamperini's Don't Give Up, Don't Give In is an extraordinary last testament that captures the wisdom of a life lived to the fullest.
The Thin Red Line by James Jones; Francine Prose (Foreword by)
Call Number: FICTION Jones
They are the men of C-for-Charlie company--"Mad" 1st Sgt. Eddie Welsh, Pvt. 1st Class Don Doll, Pvt. John Bell, Capt. James Stein, Cpl. Fife, and dozens more just like them--infantrymen who are about to land, grim and white-faced, on an atoll in the Pacific called Guadalcanal. This is their story, a shatteringly realistic walk into hell and back. nbsp; In the days ahead, some will earn medals, others will do anything they can dream up to get evacuated before they land in a muddy grave. But they will all discover the thin red line that divides the sane from the mad--and the living from the dead--in this unforgettable portrait that captures for all time the total experience of men at war.