Mike Nappa - CliffsNotes on Hillenbrands Unbroken

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eISBN 978-0-544-64971-2

v1.0915

Laura Hillenbrands Unbroken tells the life story of Louis Louie Zamperini, an Olympic runner and military aviator in World War II (WWII). He survived being lost at sea and years of horrific abuse as a prisoner of war (POW) in Japan.

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, Louies 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 marriedand 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; WWIIs Pacific Theatre; mainland Japan

Settings (secondary): Kwajalein POW camp; Ofuna interrogation center; Omori POW camp; Naoetsu POW camp

Main Characters: Louis Louie Zamperini, Pete Zamperini, Russell Allen Phil Phillips, William Bill Harris, Mutsuhiro The Bird Watanabe, Cynthia (Applewhite) Zamperini

Major Thematic Topics: Redemption, human dignity, human cruelty, survival, forgiveness

Major Symbols: Food, the Olympics, the ocean, POW camps, B-29 bomber planes

Movie Version:Unbroken (2014)

The three most important aspects ofUnbroken:Unbroken is a true story. Because of this, Hillenbrand painstakingly documented this biography to create an extensively factual account of Zamperinis life. According to Hillenbrand, every event and situation described in her biography has been verified and corroborated by interviewing POWs and airmen and studying statistics, squadron histories, diaries, prisoner affidavits, and other materials. Some passages in the book can read like dry recitations of data. Still, this book gives a realistic glimpse of every major phase of Louie Zamperinis life.

The overarching theme of Hillenbrands biography is Louie Zamperinis ultimate physical and spiritual salvation. At each stage in his life, from adolescence to old age, Zamperini is at risk of being lost and/or imprisoned forever. As a child, his juvenile delinquency puts him at risk of being lost to the prison system. As a young man, WWII puts him at risk of losing his life in battle. After his plane crashes, hes at risk of being lost at sea forever. When he is captured and tortured by the Japanese, hes physically imprisoned and at risk of becoming a forgotten POW, stripped of his dignity along with his life. After his liberation, hes at risk of being imprisoned by alcoholism and his twisted desires for revenge. In each instance, Zamperini is redeemed in some way and overcomes these obstacles.

Just as important to the story of Louie Zamperini is Hillenbrands exploration of the context of World War II. You cant truly understand an individual unless you understand the world he or she inhabits, Hillenbrand has stated. In Unbroken... I tried to paint portraits not just of individuals, but of their times.

Unbroken covers five primary periods in the life of Louis Louie Zamperini:

Chapters 15 introduce an average boy who would become a remarkable man. Born in 1917, Louie Zamperini was the child of Italian immigrants. Growing up in Torrance amidst poverty and anti-Italian bias, Louie got in the habit of running outside the law. He started smoking when he was 5 years old and drinking when he was 8. He stole anything he wantedmostly food, money, and whatever else he could find. He ran small scams and vandalized property. Pete, Louies older brother, became concerned.

Seeing Louies 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.

Chapters 611 relate the beginnings of Louies WWII career in the American military. In September 1941, Louie was drafted and eventually assigned to the Army Air Corps. He trained as a bombardier, flying in the clunky but powerful B-24 Liberator planes. Stationed in Oahu, Hawaii, Louie and his crewmates joined in the fight against Japan that was taking place all across the Pacific Ocean (referred to as the Pacific Theatre).