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Staggering . . . mesmerizing . . . Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page.
— People
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Hillenbrand . . . tells [this] story with cool elegance but at a thrilling sprinter’s pace.
— Time
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“Incredible . . . Zamperini’s life is one of courage, heroism, humility and unflagging endurance.
— St. Louis Post Dispatch
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Extraordinarily moving . . . a powerfully drawn survival epic.
— Wall Street Journal
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Marvelous . . . Unbroken is wonderful twice over, for the tale it tells and for the way it’s told. . . . It manages maximum velocity with no loss of subtlety.
— Newsweek
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“A tale of triumph and redemption . . . astonishingly detailed.
— O: The Oprah Magazine
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“Zamperini’s story is certainly one of the most remarkable survival tales ever recorded. What happened after that is equally remarkable.
— Vanity Fair
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Irresistible . . . Hillenbrand demonstrates a dazzling ability—one Seabiscuit only hinted at—to make the tale leap off the page.
— Elle
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[A] one-in-a-billion story . . . designed to wrench from self-respecting critics all the blurby adjectives we normally try to avoid: It is amazing, unforgettable, gripping, harrowing, chilling, and inspiring.
— New York
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“A celebration of gargantuan fortitude . . . full of unforgettable characters, multi-hanky moments and wild turns . . . Hillenbrand is a muscular, dynamic storyteller.
— New York Times
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A meticulous, soaring and beautifully written account of an extraordinary life.
— Washington Post
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“[A] masterfully told true story . . . nothing less than a marvel.
— Washingtonian
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Magnificent . . . incredible . . . [Hillenbrand] has crafted another masterful blend of sports, history and overcoming terrific odds; this is biography taken to the nth degree, a chronicle of a remarkable life lived through extraordinary times.
— Dallas Morning News
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Moving and, yes, inspirational . . . [Laura] Hillenbrand’s unforgettable book . . . deserve[s] pride of place alongside the best works of literature that chart the complications and the hard-won triumphs of so-called ordinary Americans and their extraordinary time.
— Fresh Air
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Unbroken is too much book to hope for: a hellride of a story in the grip of the one writer who can handle it. . . . When it comes to courage, charisma, and impossible adventure, few will ever match ‘the boy terror of Torrance,’ and few but the author of Seabiscuit could tell his tale with such humanity and dexterity. Hillenbrand has given us a new national treasure.
— Christopher McDougall, New York Times bestselling author
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“An astonishing testament to the superhuman power of tenacity.
— Entertainment Weekly
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“Monumental…mesmerizing…Hillenbrand’s writing is so ferociously cinematic, the events she describes so
incredible, you don’t dare take your eyes off the page.”
— People
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No other author of narrative nonfiction chooses her subjects with greater discrimination or renders them with more discipline and commitment. If storytelling were an Olympic event, [Hillenbrand would] medal for sure.
— Salon
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Riveting . . . an exceptional portrait . . . So haunting and so beautifully written, those who fall under its spell will never again feel the same way about World War II and one of its previously unsung heroes.
— Columbus Dispatch
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“Hillenbrand’s triumph is that in telling Louie’s story, she tells the stories of thousands whose suffering has been
mostly forgotten. She restores to our collective memory this tale of heroism, cruelty,
life, death, joy, suffering, remorselessness, and redemption.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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“[Hillenbrand’s] skills are as polished as ever, and…this book has an impossible-to-put-down quality that one
commonly associates with good thrillers.”
— Booklist