Louis Zamperini

Louis Zamperini is the main subject of the book. He was born in New York in 1917 to Italian immigrant parents who moved to Torrance, California when Louis was a boy. As a youth, Louis was frequently in trouble for stealing and playing pranks. Upon entering high school it appeared he was in danger of dropping out and drifting into a life of crime. He was encouraged by his older brother, Pete, to join the track team and soon proved to be an outstanding runner, breaking school and state records in the mile. Louis was given a track scholarship to the University of Southern California and competed in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Louis' running career was interrupted by the American entry into World War II. He was trained as a bombardier on a B-25 bomber crew and sent to the Pacific. While on a search mission for another...