Unbroken - Louis Zamperini Story - Preface

Louie Zamperini examines his wounded B-24, Super Man, after it was shot-up in the skies over Nauru.  Because he and his crewmates were no-longer able to fly Super Man, Zamp was on board Green Hornet (another B-24) when it crashed on May 27, 1943.  That event led to a series of catastrophic consequences which Zamperini endured for the rest of World War II.  Image, courtesy Louis Zamperini.

 

If you will save me ...

Louis Zamperini
Castaway, South Pacific
Summer, 1943 

On a raft, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, three men were dead to the rest of the world.  Other than sharks, no one was looking for them.

Mothers believed their boys were alive, but perhaps that was just wishful thinking.  This time, motherly instincts were at odds with a likely outcome.

Without food and water, traumatized and emaciated, the three airmen (and their plane) had crashed in the ocean, about 800 miles south of the Hawaiian Islands.  If they ever reached land, it would likely be enemy-held.

One of the drifters was an Olympic athlete.  Most people thought he'd be the first person to run a four-minute mile.  Instead, Louis Zamperini and his long legs were bound for an early end-of-life.

Not a man of faith, Zamp started to pray.  He had nowhere else to seek help.

RADIO BROADCAST:  Denny Smith, from WIBC ("Indy's News Center," at 93.1 FM, in Indianapolis), interviews Carole Bos (on July 18, 2011) about her story behind the novel Unbroken - "Louis Zamperini Story" at AwesomeStories.

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Learn how Laura Hillenbrand developed Unbroken, her bestselling book about Louis Zamperini (now a major motion picture directed by Angelina Jolie).

VISUAL VOCABULARY BUILDER: Learn ten concept words used in this story.