Warbird Information Exchange

One of my Christmas gifts was Laura Hillenbrand's "Unbroken", the true story of B-24 navigator (and Olympic runner) Louis Zamperini. Very well written, and a story of both unbelivable evil and unbelivable triumph, with characters all the way from Hitler to Billy Graham, and Zamperini's life during WW2 in the pacific as a B-24 crewman and then POW in between. Even Boyington is mentioned a couple of times, as he was in a couple of the same POW camps as Zamperini. Like "Flyboys", it's one of those books that makes you unlikely to ever think negatively about the atomic bombs, but also very uplifting in how Zamperini faced and overcame his demons after the war. I started reading it at about 11:00 AM yesterday and finished it a little while ago at about 1:30 AM, really couldn't put it down.

Anyway, highly recommended reading.

http://laurahillenbrandbooks.com/




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http://www.biplanerides1.com/

Interesting. Mr. Zamperini's memoirs were published back in 2003 under the title Devil at My Heels. Senator John McCain even wrote the foreward to it. I wonder who decided that Ms. Hillenbrand's melodramatic touch was needed to retell the story?

http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/trojan_f ... erini.html

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It was a good idea, it just didn't work.

Zamperini himself likes it, he sent her one of his Purple Hearts,
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 03533.html
and said she found stuff that he never even knew. I wouldn't say it was melodramatic, have you read it?




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http://www.biplanerides1.com/

Hillenbrand spent 7 years researching the facts and the story goes far deeper than Zamperini's own telling. A jaw-dropping and riveting story, it will make a worthy film. And wouldn't it be a perfect fit for two flyable B-24's we're all familiar with if that film comes to fruition?

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Cheers,

Craig

Facebook Groups:

U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky HRS / CH-19 Helicopter Database
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I saw it on the shelf at Borders the other day. I will have to go back and purchase a copy.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Read it on my Kindle. It was hard to put it down in the evening. Graphic explanation about his treatment
in POW camps. His meeting some of the captors after WWII was interesting. I felt it was worth it.

Finished the book last week. An excellant read! Its now number one on the best seller list. I recommend everyone read it.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

I got this one for Christmas and it is a excellent read. I also read his book about a year and a half and they are both worth the time.

I too bought the book. Was walking down the magazine and book isle of the local store when a cover caught my eye. It was a lone B-24 over the ocean in a warm afternoon light. When I arrived home at about 730 in the evening i started to read and couldn't put it down. I finished the book at 430 am. I thought the book was extremely well written and some of it struck me on a very personal level. It is one of many stories from WWII that should never be forgotten. I highly recommend this book. I have read "Wild Blue", "Flyboys" and several other nonfiction accounts of stories from the WWII theater, bought so far have found this one to be the most compelling. The author did her research and it is presented in a well organized, but "keep you on the edge of your seat" manner. Not a single wasted page...

I just finished this book and highly recommend it. How many aircrew were lost at sea, adrift on a raft, and never found? Amazing and disturbing story that ultimately is very rewarding. And as someone said above, it would make a great movie.

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Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit is one of the best written books I've ever read. She is probably one of the best non-fiction writers around. I haven't read Unbroken yet, but everyone says it's great.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

When my gastroenterologist recommended this book (while discussing my most recent endoscopy and colonoscopy ), I was a bit skeptical. However, I found it to be a very worthy book.

Would you suppose the A-20 on the polo shirt I had worn to my appointment told him about my interests?

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Steve Turner, USAF aircraft refueler 54+ years ago.

I agree - this is a great book. I found myself wondering if I would have the inner strength to survive all that he did. An excellent read and highly recommended.

Tom P.

I also really enjoyed the book, read it over several days. I would not recommend reading it flying over the Atlantic on my way to Irlenad like i chose to though!

A great book. Its a must read.

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Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!