Perspective

Unbroken is a non-fiction biographical account of Louis Zamperini's experiences before, during and after World War II. It is told mostly from his perspective, relying extensively on interviews conducted by the author with Zamperini. Related events for which Zamperini was not present have been filled out by interviews with family members of Zamperini and other people who went through similar things.

Zamperini was an American soldier and an enemy of the Japanese. The author takes care to provide an objective perspective on the behavior of Zamperini as well as the Japanese prison guards with whom he interacted. She verifies his claims with other witnesses and the historical record where available, and sometimes documents similar actions at other places reported by other prisoners. Hillenbrand is also careful to include Zamperini's descriptions of the Japanese prison guards who treated the prisoners humanely and tried to reduce their suffering. The overall...