"Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand (published 2010)
Unbroken is, hands down, the most engrossing book I’ve ever read. Most war stories I’ve either read or watched, like Black Hawk Down (1999, book) by Mark Bowden, Pearl Harbor (2001, movie) directed by Michael Bay, Apocalypse Now (1979, movie) directed by Francis Ford Coppola or the book the movie was based of off, Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad, In The Land Of Blood And Honey (2011, movie) directed by Angelina Jolie, or Full Metal Jacket (1987, movie) directed by Stanley Kubrick are no doubt great cultural artifacts, but all left me feeling troubled, paranoiac about war, saddened, confused, and even distressed. All of those save for maybe Forrest Gump (1994, movie) directed by Robert Zemeckis cannot compare to the overwhelming grip of hopefulness that Laura Hillenbrand’s Unbroken (book, 2010) had me feeling the entire time I was reading it. It is not only the most engrossing war book I’ve ever read, it is the most engrossing book I’ve read. Ever. Part of the reason for th...