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Summary: Short Review¿GREAT Book!
Review: If you are into adventure, tragedy, and ultimate triumph, you NEED to read this book. It is inspiring and is VERY hard to put down. Buy it, read it, and then give it to a friend!
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Summary: An Uplifting Story About One Man's Courage and Faith
Review: In this exciting and epic book, author Louis Zamperini describes his life from a child through adulthood and the growth he experienced as a person during that time. Louis was a typical young child; full of mischief and adventure, and he always seemed to be getting into trouble for one thing or another, but thanks to his older brother Pete's love and encouragement, Louis' life began to change for the better.Pete was an outstanding track and field athlete and he encouraged Louis to do the same. Soon, Louis was a world-class middle distance runner and held the national collegiate record for the mile run. He qualified for the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin and placed eighth in his race. Even though he didn't win a medal, he still accomplished what the large majority of people never will. A few years later, Louis joined the army as a navigator on a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. Based in Hawaii, his crew participated in the bombing of Japanese-held territory as well as search and rescue missions. It was on one of these rescue missions that Louis' own plane became disabled and forced to crash. What happened next can only be described as a miracle, as Louis and another crewmember survived for forty seven days on a rubber raft, while eating small fish and even seabirds while collecting rainwater to drink. After drifting for two thousand miles, Louis was finally picked up by the Japanese, where he was imprisoned on the Japanese-held island of Kwajalein. During his time in prison on Kwajalein and later in Japan itself, Louis was subjected to numerous beatings and very little food. One particular guard called "The Bird" was especially cruel. The war finally ended in September, 1945, and slowly, Louis managed to return to civillian life. However, he had accumulated a great amount of hatred, and he suppressed his feeling with alcohol and carousing. Finally, Louis met a woman named Cynthia and fell in love. However, their relationship was anything but easy. Louis' drinking and harsh worlds nearly drove Cynthia and their newborn daughter away, but she decided to stay. Cynthia met a neighbor who was a Christian and started attending meetings, but Louis was reluctant to go. After some nudging from his wife, Louis finally attended and a transformation began; Louis began to have feelings he never had before; feelings of forgiveness. Louis accepted Christ into his life and began working as a Christian missionary. He even travelled to Japan, met his former captors face to face, and forgave them for what they did to him. This is a truly uplifting and inspiring book. Louis' life has been truly remarkable in every sense of the word. I was drawn in to his story and found myself cheering for him when he became a Christian. Read this great book and experience the growth of an unruly young man into a messenger for God.
Rating:
Summary: An Uplifting Story About One Man's Courage and Faith
Review: In this exciting and epic book, author Louis Zamperini describes his life from a child through adulthood and the growth he experienced as a person during that time. Louis was a typical young child; full of mischief and adventure, and he always seemed to be getting into trouble for one thing or another, but thanks to his older brother Pete's love and encouragement, Louis' life began to change for the better. Pete was an outstanding track and field athlete and he encouraged Louis to do the same. Soon, Louis was a world-class middle distance runner and held the national collegiate record for the mile run. He qualified for the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin and placed eighth in his race. Even though he didn't win a medal, he still accomplished what the large majority of people never will. A few years later, Louis joined the army as a navigator on a B-24 Liberator heavy bomber. Based in Hawaii, his crew participated in the bombing of Japanese-held territory as well as search and rescue missions. It was on one of these rescue missions that Louis' own plane became disabled and forced to crash. What happened next can only be described as a miracle, as Louis and another crewmember survived for forty seven days on a rubber raft, while eating small fish and even seabirds while collecting rainwater to drink. After drifting for two thousand miles, Louis was finally picked up by the Japanese, where he was imprisoned on the Japanese-held island of Kwajalein. During his time in prison on Kwajalein and later in Japan itself, Louis was subjected to numerous beatings and very little food. One particular guard called "The Bird" was especially cruel. The war finally ended in September, 1945, and slowly, Louis managed to return to civillian life. However, he had accumulated a great amount of hatred, and he suppressed his feeling with alcohol and carousing. Finally, Louis met a woman named Cynthia and fell in love. However, their relationship was anything but easy. Louis' drinking and harsh worlds nearly drove Cynthia and their newborn daughter away, but she decided to stay. Cynthia met a neighbor who was a Christian and started attending meetings, but Louis was reluctant to go. After some nudging from his wife, Louis finally attended and a transformation began; Louis began to have feelings he never had before; feelings of forgiveness. Louis accepted Christ into his life and began working as a Christian missionary. He even travelled to Japan, met his former captors face to face, and forgave them for what they did to him. This is a truly uplifting and inspiring book. Louis' life has been truly remarkable in every sense of the word. I was drawn in to his story and found myself cheering for him when he became a Christian. Read this great book and experience the growth of an unruly young man into a messenger for God.
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Summary: Inspirational!
Review: This is a great book on its own. It's a wonderful story of perseverance, forgiveness and redemption. Plus it touches on one of the most critical events of the 20th Century. It's just a really good read (as the other reviews indicate).
But it was also an excellent Christmas gift this year for my grandfather because he ran track at USC in the late 30s. He was a Freshman sprinter when Lou was a Senior, so they only met a few times, but he still (~65 years later) remembers talking and running together. And my grandfather went into the USAF after graduation, so he felt a real affinity with some of Lou's experiences. So it was an ABSOLUTE treat for him to get the book.
Thanks for the great book Lou ... it was a blessing.
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Summary: Absorbing WWII Memoir
Review: Zamperini was an intractable troublemaker of a youth who became a champion runner. He competed in the 1936 Olympics and shook hands with Hitler and Goebbels. Shortly before war broke out, he joined the Army Air Corps and flew a number of combat missions in the Pacific as a B-24 bombardier. In May of 1943, on a routine search mission, his plane crashed. Zamperini and two survivors floated on a raft for forty-seven days, before being taken prisoner by the Japanese. He spent the rest of the war in prison camps undergoing, as did many prisoners in Japan, terrible abuse. After the war, disaffected and rootless, he attended an early Billy Graham revival and found religion. He became an inspirational speaker and returned to Japan to confront and forgive his captors. He has spent the rest of his life spreading Christianity and supporting various Christian endeavors. His memoir is inspirational, but is also a well-written WWII personal narrative. Zamperini's positive attitude, resilience, and narrative strength make this absorbing reading.
Rating:
Summary: Absorbing WWII Memoir
Review: Zamperini was an intractable troublemaker of a youth who became a champion runner. He competed in the 1936 Olympics and shook hands with Hitler and Goebbels. Shortly before war broke out, he joined the Army Air Corps and flew a number of combat missions in the Pacific as a B-24 bombardier. In May of 1943, on a routine search mission, his plane crashed. Zamperini and two survivors floated on a raft for forty-seven days, before being taken prisoner by the Japanese. He spent the rest of the war in prison camps undergoing, as did many prisoners in Japan, terrible abuse. After the war, disaffected and rootless, he attended an early Billy Graham revival and found religion. He became an inspirational speaker and returned to Japan to confront and forgive his captors. He has spent the rest of his life spreading Christianity and supporting various Christian endeavors. His memoir is inspirational, but is also a well-written WWII personal narrative. Zamperini's positive attitude, resilience, and narrative strength make this absorbing reading.
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