Sunday, July 10, 2011

MAILBOX MONDAY: Unbroken. A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand



Mailbox Monday is a meme  created by Marcia at A Girl and Her Books, that is now being hosted at different blogs on a monthly basis. This month, you can find Mailbox Monday links at A Sea of Books. Come have a look at the books we're all collecting!

Here's the book I bought today: Unbroken. A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand. I've heard some buzz about the book and thought it sounded interesting, but I don't read a whole lot of nonfiction except for research or for things I have a particular interest in. However, this is the July selection for a book club I've participated in before and am trying to attend more regularly. I downloaded the sample pages on my Nook and I have to say, I can't remember ever reading a more riveting preface. We were out at my local independent bookstore today (hooray for the indies!) and I bought the book. (I still prefer paper to the Nook.) I'm determined to make it to this month's book club meeting, so now I have to read the book. Has anyone read it? Is it as good as the preface?

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber 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 odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become 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 foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit.

Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit

12 comments:

  1. I've not read Unbroken, but, like you, I've heard great things about it. I hope the rest of the book lives up to the preface.

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  2. I have Unbroken but haven't read it yet. My husband did and really liked it. Have a good week!

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  3. Unbroken sounds wonderful! Hope you enjoy it.

    Here's MY MONDAY MEMES POST

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  4. I haven't read it but have heard the buzz too. A good friend read it last year, and I trust her judgement completely- she raved about it. I hope you enjoy it as much. I look forward to reading it one day.

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  5. I have heard nothing but good things about Unbroken, so I suspect you're in for a treat!

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  6. I'm really interested in this book, too. I've read lots of positive reviews. Hope you enjoy it!

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  7. I'll have to add Unbroken to my tbr list.

    http://tributebooksmama.blogspot.com/2011/07/mailbox-monday-ugly-beauty-by-ruth.html

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  8. I've heard really good things about UNBROKEN. Hope you enjoy it!

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  9. I have not read Unbroken but I have not seen a bad review for it. In fact I have it on my list to read. I think it will make for a great book club discussion.

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  10. Unbroken does look really good.

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