A story of resilience. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand is a novel about the life of Louie Zamperini. Louie spent his early years in California where he was known to be a trouble maker. However, when he got into high school he started running cross country and track and excelled in the sport. During high school he became on of the top distance runners in the world and when he was 19 he qualified for the Olympics. After placing 7th in 1936, Louie planned to qualify for the 1940 Olympics as well. However, World War II began and the Olympics was canceled.
Louie decided to join the war effort and joined the military flying B-29 Bombers. These planes were not safe and caused thousands of accidents each year to the military. Still, Louie stayed there and fought with his crew of men on their plane the Green Hornet. In 1943, their plane went down in the ocean.
By fighting off sharks, starvation, and insanity, Louie and two crew mates survived on life boats for 47 days. This was the longest recorded time any man had survived on a life boat drifting in the ocean. The men were "rescued" by the Japanese only to be placed in prisoner of war camps of POWs. These camps did nothing to help their mindset or health as they were mistreated and not given proper nourishment. Louie was put in three different POW camps and each one was more terrible than the last.
At the camp Omori, Louie met one man that changed his life forever. The mans nickname was "The Bird". The Bird was a corporal in the Japanese military and acted savage and brutal towards all prisoners. He decided to make Louie's life tougher though as soon as he met him. No one knows why but the Bird hated Louie and continually beat him and made the camp a horror for him each day. Even after the war, Louie is tormented by dreams of beatings and the terrible things that were done to him.
Overall, the book is about the story of human resilience because of the struggles that Louie goes through and stays positive through. Even at his lowest moments he never gives up his fighting character and the belief that he will survive. His actions show the power of resilience in adversity and how the human spirit never gives up.
Louie decided to join the war effort and joined the military flying B-29 Bombers. These planes were not safe and caused thousands of accidents each year to the military. Still, Louie stayed there and fought with his crew of men on their plane the Green Hornet. In 1943, their plane went down in the ocean.
By fighting off sharks, starvation, and insanity, Louie and two crew mates survived on life boats for 47 days. This was the longest recorded time any man had survived on a life boat drifting in the ocean. The men were "rescued" by the Japanese only to be placed in prisoner of war camps of POWs. These camps did nothing to help their mindset or health as they were mistreated and not given proper nourishment. Louie was put in three different POW camps and each one was more terrible than the last.
At the camp Omori, Louie met one man that changed his life forever. The mans nickname was "The Bird". The Bird was a corporal in the Japanese military and acted savage and brutal towards all prisoners. He decided to make Louie's life tougher though as soon as he met him. No one knows why but the Bird hated Louie and continually beat him and made the camp a horror for him each day. Even after the war, Louie is tormented by dreams of beatings and the terrible things that were done to him.
Overall, the book is about the story of human resilience because of the struggles that Louie goes through and stays positive through. Even at his lowest moments he never gives up his fighting character and the belief that he will survive. His actions show the power of resilience in adversity and how the human spirit never gives up.