I'm not sure what I could possibly say that hasn't already been said by countless people who have read and loved this book about a man , courageous beyond words , by an author who captures his heart and mind and the harshest realities of his imprisonment by the Japanese in WW II . It's been a while since I read Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand but I was immediately reminded of what a good writer she is - how she can artfully tell a story which could otherwise be just a compilation of dates and events and bring you to the place and the time where Louie Zamperini lived before and during the war .There's not much more to say except that this is a book that you shouldn't miss. I laughed , cried , was disgusted at the inhumane treatment of Louie and the other POWs but always felt the hope that Louie seemed to carry . I can't believe that I waited so long to read it but I'm so glad that I finally did . It's not one that I will forget . This book is everything the titles reflects and then some .

This is a inspiring and educational read. Its one of those books that you gasp out load while reading it as the horrors of war really come to the forefront in this book. This is a story of five parts and I really enjoyed the first three parts. Part one deals with the protagonist Louis Zamperini's childhood and running career and I really enjoyed this introduction to Louis as I felt I really understood this man and knew how he survived the horrors of war and the physiological and physical pain he endured. I loved the use of photographs in this book and how the author placed them randomly on pages and not in the middle of the book which you find so much in a lot of Biographys , I am interested in wartime aeroplanes and recently went on a visit to the Intrepid in New York and therefore really connected with this book because of the fantastic information on the aeroplanes and the air force and the amazing research that went into this book. Part 4 of the book was bit of a letdown for me only in the sense that I found it quite repetitive and very dragged and at times I found myself losing interest in the story but however the pace picked up in the last part of the novel. This is a book where you really see the full horrors of war on all sides and what these soldiers and their families went through and the strength and courage they showed. A tale of unbelievable endurance, hardship and heroism this book is not only an education but a wonderful read and a book that you ponder long after you have read it. I would have rated this book 3.5 if possible because of the 4th part which I found dragged on for too long but am upping to 4 stars because this book deserves more than 3 stars.

Louis Silvie "Louie" Zamperini1917-2014Louie as a kid was a troublemaker. He was vivacious and naughty and always managed to get some mischief done. He either caused trouble or trouble followed him around wherever he went.His older brother, Pete, in order to counteract Louie's stealing activities, got him involved with the school's sport-team. Pete made Louie run and thus running became Louie's passion. He would never stop running until many years later.In his late teens he began running harder and harder, pushing himself to his breaking limits. He broke many records, including some on a national level. So, he decided to try out for the Olympic Games of 1936. He made into the US team but only managed to finish eighth. He didn't let himself get dragged down but instead he started getting ready for the next Olympic Games.World War II put a stop to all of his plans for winning the Olympics. He enlisted in the United States Air Forces and earned a commission as a second lieutenant. He became a bombardier. Louie was as safe as one can be during war time until one day he was not.'The Green Hornet' was the name of the B-24 bomber that on the 27th of May, 1943, crashed into the ocean 850 miles South of Oahu, killing eight of eleven men aboard.For 47 days they were adrift in the ocean, during those days the three survivors became two. At last, they reached land but they were immediately apprehended by the Japanese Navy and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp.Louie was held in captivity until the end of the war. He was beaten on a daily basis, he became emaciated and survived such hardship that no one could ever imagine. During this time he met his worst nightmare, named Mutsihiro Watanabe, or else 'the Bird' as they all called him. Watanabe was a cold, vicious man who found pleasure upon inflicting pain on the prisoners. Especially Louie who he had taken a very special interest into. He tried to break, tried to bring Louie to his knees, but Louie was unbroken. He would only fall down to come up again. His obstinacy had once again proved to be his best trait.August 1995 the war is offially over and Louie returns home where his family welcomes him back. Louie is not okay. He is haunted, by memories so horrid he wishes he'd forget. Louie would later say that:If I knew I had to go through those experiences again," he finally said, "I'd kill myself. In 1946 he met the girl he'd later marry. They fell madly in love. They got married in just a few months. She soon found out that the man she had married was deeply troubled, haunted by memories who brought him nightmares every night. I won't say more. Not because I cannot go on for hours but because I don't want to tell you everything. I want you to buy this book and read this yourself because it's really worth your time, even if you don't have plenty of it. This book is the kind that changes your perspective towards several ideas that you have in your head. It sheds light upon a dark time, on a lesser known side of the war. This novel is a story of passion, courage, bravery. As its title points out very rightly so, it's a story of resilience, not only because Louie survived the slavery but because he also managed to survive the aftermath of war that had left a mark on his soul which he managed to get rid of and live happily until his 97th year.