Unbroken, By Louis Zamperin

Based on Laura Hillenbrand’s 2010 best seller, the film Unbroken is an inspiring, three-time Oscar nominated, World War II biography that tells the story of a young man, Louis Zamperini (played by Jack O’Connell), enduring the unimaginable brutalities of war. Directed by Angelina Jolie and produced by Erwin Stoff, this film is a story of survival, resilience, and redemption. Although this movie has some tear-jerking moments and a few memorable quotes, it seems to have fallen flat when it comes to the emotional aspect of the lead character’s experience.

Well-known nonfiction author Laura Hillenbrand, in her best-selling biography, Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, describes the chilling reality faced by those living in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. As the title suggests, this is not the typical World War II tale of hardship that ends in liberation; rather, it follows the main character, Louis “Louie” Zamperini, through his childhood, Olympic performances, and military career leading up to his captivity, as well as his later marriage and many years of healing. Hillenbrand's purpose is to impress upon her readers the scale of this tragedy as well as remind them of the horror that so many nameless soldiers endured. She adopts an emotional yet straightforward tone in order to get readers to sympathize with the characters and truly understand what they went through. To do so, she manages to make the unique story of one man represent the thousands of others going through the same tragedy.

Unbroken by Laura Hilenbraud is the biography of Louis Zamperini, the book shows the limits to what a man will endure to survive against all odds to come home to his family. During World War two POW camps were used on both sides and at the time the vast Empire of Japan had signed the Geneva Conventions limiting the treatment of enemy combatants, many to all camps were subjected to inhumane conditions that the men who had to endure the atrocity’s fought every day to keep their dignity. Over the course of history, camps were used to hold enemy combatants who have surrendered.

Laura Hillenbrand’s biography titled Unbroken recounts the life of Louie Zamperini and major events that occurred throughout it. Hillenbrand’s purpose was to emphasize the inspirational story of heroic Zamperini as he qualified and participated in the Olympics, as well as describe the endless struggle of pain in the plane crash and in the Japanese POW camps. She also portrays the importance of dignity and resilience and how without it, the chances of surviving the cruel events Louie experienced during World War II would have been minimal.

From the earliest times, war has existed as a painful reality. Stories are passed down from generation to generation about brave men fighting epic battles in ancient civilizations. Occasionally a different type of legend emerges: the homefront hero. Leaders in Ancient Greece and Rome are documented preventing panic and raising supplies for their distant armies. From then on through history, those left behind, from the leaders of countries tested in resolve and commitment by wars to the ordinary citizens who rise above their routines to serve their countries, are powerful forces behind victories. World War II was no exception. While the soldiers abroad were undoubtedly true heroes of the war, the parents, siblings, and children they left behind also assisted in the war effort. No one remained truly unaffected by the war. Without the labors of women, the efforts of schoolchildren, and the institution of rationing, World War II could not have been won.

In the novel Profiles in Courage, by former President John F. Kennedy, politicians are recognized for their bravery on the job. These politicians spoke out against what they believed was wrong, and didn’t simply conform into what their party wanted them to be. A recent politician, who has showed immense bravery, is Gabrielle Giffords. She is a democrat from Arizona, who was shot in the head in 2011. It was most likely she would die. However, miraculously Giffords pulled through, and make a remarkable recovery. I believe that Gifford’s story would make an excellent chapter in Profiles in Courage.

When the United States entered World War II in 1941, it was commonly believed that the war was “America’s golden age, a peak in the life of society when everything worked out and the good guys definitely got a happy ending” (2), which is a direct result from Hollywood’s glamorization of the war. During the war, the film industry began to boom, using the war as inspiration for making movies. Lifeboat (1944) and The Moon Is Down (1943) for example, makes it clear who the enemies were because the enemies were always “…cruel, devious, and unprincipled…” (11). It was also clear who the good guys and heroes were. The film industry even glamorized how people died in the war. In these movies whenever an American died their death was quick, painless, and clean. However, when the

From the earliest times, war has existed as a painful reality. Stories are passed down from generation to generation about brave men fighting epic battles in ancient civilizations. Occasionally a different type of legend emerges: the homefront hero. In Ancient Greece and Rome, elderly statesmen prevented famine and raised supplies for their distant armies in wartime. From then on through history, those left behind, from the leaders of countries tested in resolve and commitment by wars to the ordinary citizens who rise above their routines to serve their countries, are powerful forces behind victories. World War II was no exception. While the soldiers abroad were undoubtedly true heroes of the war, the parents, siblings, and children they left behind also assisted in the war effort. No one remained truly unaffected by the war. Without the labors of women, the efforts of schoolchildren, and the institution of rationing, World War II could not have been won.

Over 60 million people were killed, which was about 3% of the 1940 world's population, making this the most destructive war in human history. To display the lost many soldiers felt, we added Jake, Pierce’s best friend, being shot and killed during war. As you imagine, it is difficult showing the amount of grief that the soldiers must of felt but, we tried to our full extent to show the toll it took on many. Something we don’t talk much about when it comes to WWII is how much sadness these men went threw and it’s important we talk about grief and how it’s okay to show

Life is the toughest thing you will do in your life. It is the test on how well you can survive the world, and all of its cruel punishments. It is the assessment on how to cope with the bad, so the good times seem greater. Life can throw a enormous amount of cruel events that sometimes are unavoidable. Not everything in life is bad, but people tend to make things much worse than what they really are. People over exaggerate many events that could be easily fixed, but then there are the people who are not exaggerating the paing and irony they are facing. There is a number of ways of how to cope with tragedies, such as being with friends, talking with family, or just doing something fun to keep your mind off of the harsh environments

The Trail of Tears was a huge turning point seen by Amy Sturgis, as clearly shown in her chapter, “The Trail of Tears as a Turning Point”. Sturgis have separated how the Trail of Tears has affected history into three categories: the world, the US, and for the Cherokee Nation. All three categories intermingle, affecting one another with either a positive or a negative feedback.

“If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” This quote from John Lewis, a former Freedom Rider I believe with those words perfectly describes why these Freedom Riders began their journey. After reading the textbook, Visions of America and watching the video clip from American Experience of Freedom Riders I was able to make myself knowledgeable about Freedom Riders. Both the textbook and the video I thought engaged me into the information I was either reading or listening. So, what exactly are Freedom Riders, what were the impacts of this event and why is this so important to our history?

The Value Of Life Valuing life is something we are told often. However, can you really put a price on a human life? Money has been a priority to most people, even after one's passing. Life insurance can be bought by families and compensate a fund. Also, having a job is key to recieving money; but inevitably most employees rather not be at their current workplace.

Have you ever been judged or have you judged someone because of the way they look? In War Party, Ma is judged because she is female. The book War Party by Louis L'Amour is about this young woman, named Ma, taking care of her two children, and leads the people to their new homes in the west. The theme of War Party is don't judge a book by its cover because Ma didn't let anyone tell her what to do, she became a strong leader, and she proved that she was smart. The theme of War Party is don't judge a book by its cover because Ma didn't let anyone tell her what to do.

More than half a century has passed since the end of World War Two and to this day it is still difficult to fully understand the severity of what was by far the most destructive war in human history. More than sixty million people were killed during World War Two and more than half of those were innocent town’s people. Among the dead were over six million Jews, which was two thirds of the total living race in Europe at the time. Beyond these general statistics were thousands of stories of crimes committed against soldiers and civilians. These crimes against humanity included cases of prisoners of war being murdered, sent to concentration camps and abuse as well as harmless civilians being rounded up and