Littered among the many memoirs and biographies of well known historical figures, artists, business giants, and political figures, we find tails of lesser known people who's human experience transcends anything achieved by those of greater fame. The story of WWII bombardier, Louie Zamperini, is one of those stories. What he endured during the war would give the bible's Job pause. But his tale is much more than unimaginable human suffering. In spite of all his human faults Louie shows us the greatness we are capable of even when our world grows. Personally, I felt like less of a man after reading "Unbroken." That's a good thing though as stories such as this should help inspire and maybe, just maybe, cause us to access our own lives again and view the world a bit differently.

I'm purposely not offering any commentary on the story in "Unbroken" as I want to avoid giving away even the smallest piece. Hillenbrand has formulated her exhaustive research and interviews with Louie (some 72 interviews) into a fast-paced tale that continually offers historical nuggets and surprises. Beautifully written, this is a book that I am eager to share with other friends. In fact, I've already mailed a copy to one. History, vivid story-telling, and a great cast of characters (good/bad) all make this book an exceptional read.