His bio is one of those stranger than fiction tales, an epic struggle for survival that – amazingly – ended fairly well. His biography is titled Unbroken, and is to be released presently as a film directed by Anjelina Jolie.
Louis Zamperini was a speedy kid. They called him the Torrence Tornado back in those days when everybody had to have a nickname. (Maybe we haven’t outgrown that. To wit: Branjolina?) He was Jesse Owens roommate at the Berlin Olympics, taking his US National track records to the world stage.
When the US entered the second World War, Zamperini enlisted. His plane went down in the Pacific; he was assumed dead, but survived the crash only to be captured by the Japanese.
The account of his survival was published as a memoir and was optioned by Hollywood way back when, but the movie was never made. When Laura Hillenbrand penned Unbroken as a biography that expanded on the memoir, it caught the attention of Jolie, who – ironically – lives not far from Zamperini’s home.
The veteran was selected as the Grand Marshall for the 2015 Rose Parade at age 97, but his death Wednesday will leave that post vacant, and it is unfortunate that he did not have an opportunity to see his life story represented in film.
Jolie’s treatment of the biography will likely make Zamperini a much more recognizable name, although the book has done well.
It is a staggering read – not for its size – but for the impossibly difficult situations that Louis Zamperini endured and came away from – Unbroken.
He represented his country on several fronts and exemplified the human spirit that will serve to motivate others long past his death.
A recommended read… Unbroken by Laura Hellenbrand.
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