From the Publisher
A fitting capstone to the Zamperini legend. ... This valedictory book reflects the charm and colorful authority he brought to the world.” — USA Today
“Not simply another rehashing of Zamperini’s incredible history, this second memoir, dictated to co-author Rensin during the last year of the author’s life, brims with sage wisdom, learned advice and fond observations from his adventurous 97 years. ... Inspirational.” — Kirkus Reviews
“One of the most incredible American lives of the past century.” — People, on Louis Zamperini
“Louis Zamperini is a modern miracle. His life reads like something out of a storybook.” — Billy Graham, on Louis Zamperini
“Louis Zamperini’s life is a story that befits the greatness of the country he served.” — John McCain, on Louis Zamperini
“An extraordinary hero.” — Publishers Weekly
John McCain
Louis Zamperini’s life is a story that befits the greatness of the country he served.
on Louis Zamperini People
One of the most incredible American lives of the past century.
Billy Graham
Louis Zamperini is a modern miracle. His life reads like something out of a storybook.
USA Today
A fitting capstone to the Zamperini legend. ... This valedictory book reflects the charm and colorful authority he brought to the world.
USA Today
A fitting capstone to the Zamperini legend. ... This valedictory book reflects the charm and colorful authority he brought to the world.
People
One of the most incredible American lives of the past century.
Angelina Jolie
He was my friend, my mentor, my hero. We are all so grateful for how enriched our lives are for having known him.
MARCH 2015 - AudioFile
This autobiography by the late—and truly great—Louis Zamperini is ably read by Arthur Morey. Zamperini, whose story is depicted in the recent movie UNBROKEN, had a life that no one would believe if it were fiction: He was an Olympic athlete and a WWII bomber pilot who was shot down and survived in a raft for 47 days in shark-infested waters, and then survived two years of torture and abuse as a P.O.W. of the Japanese. Returning home after the war, he faced more demons before his conversion to Christianity in 1949. In his subsequent life he was a mentor and an inspirational speaker. Morey is a skilled narrator, but this performance lacks the warmth, energy, and vitality that Zamperini had when speaking in public. One wishes that Zamperini had lived long enough to narrate his own book. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2015, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2014-10-05
A celebrated war veteran and Olympic contender shares his life's lessons. Not simply another rehashing of Zamperini's (Devil at My Heels: A WWII Hero's Epic Saga of Torment, Survival, and Forgiveness, 2003) incredible history, this second memoir, dictated to co-writer Rensin during the last year of the author's life, brims with sage wisdom, learned advice and fond observations from his adventurous 97 years. Zamperini answers the most recurring questions asked of him during book signings and lectures, mostly pertaining to his adventures after his service in World War II, his secret to living honorably and what role his faith in God played. The author weaves practical advice into anecdotes on his parents, his troubled adolescence, his post-military spiritual connection with Billy Graham, and how his affinity for distance running on an Olympic level honed enough mental discipline to endure and survive the sadistic torture of a Japanese POW camp and the PTSD that followed. The author also provides robust wilderness survival tips, which saved his life while adrift on a life raft in the Pacific Ocean and during his service as a U.S. Army Air Force bombardier. Certainly, his counsel is often platitudinous (exercise forgiveness, challenge yourself, be positive, and give back), but it's also inspirational, and his words will offer a reflective refresher course for those receptive to it. Never boastful yet full of prideful personality, Zamperini's tireless zest manifested in his later years with speaking engagements and collaboration with the Angelina Jolie-produced film adaptation of Lauren Hillenbrand's best-selling book Unbroken (2010), based on his astonishing, fruitful life. Stuffed with bolstering, life-affirmative reinforcement, Zamperini's legacy lives on through words and film, embodied best by a photograph of the nonagenarian skillfully riding a skateboard. The inspirational odyssey of an American hero.
