World War II Database

Especially since the release of the best-selling book Unbroken, Olympian and WW2 bombardier Louis Zamperini's life had suddenly become well known by the general public. While Unbroken told of Zamperini life, my latest find at the library, Don't Give Up, Don't Give in: Lessons from an Extraordinary Life, presented Zamperini in a different way. Written by David Rensin in the voice of Zamperini, this book was meant to be words of wisdom presented by Zamperini to the readers. Having been a delinquent as a youth, he offered stories of inspiration for those who might be in a similar place. The unbelievably long period adrift in the vast Pacific Ocean gave him unique insights to life, and he generously shared them. While he admitted that for some time he was obsessed in seeking revenge against his war time Japanese torturer, he shared the story of how he came to forgive, and how the forgiveness freed him. While I definitely would not be considered well-read in the self-help/life advice genre, I could see Don't Give Up, Don't Give In being considered somewhat weak among its peers. Nevertheless, as a WW2 history enthusiasts and having known his incredible inner strength, I found Zamperini's well-told stories to be inspiring and the lessons he offered valuable. His sense of humor also made this book great; his comment about the film "Cast Away" definitely gave me a good chuckle.

I reviewed this title in its audio book format, and found Arthur Morey's performance enjoyable.

If Zamperini's name had not yet become familiar to you, please check out Laura Hillenbrand's Unbroken. It would be hard to find another man who had experienced more and accomplished more than Zamperini!