Ratings

Content Ratings based on a 0-5 scale where
0 = no objectionable content and
5 = an excessive or disturbing level of content

Guide to Rating System

LANGUAGE

VIOLENCE

SEXUAL CONTENT

ADULT THEMES

Ratings Explanation

Language: For a military book, Unbroken is quite light on offensive language. There is, however, one F-word which accounts for the  higher rating. There is also infrequent use of  swear words and profanity.

Violence: As a young boy, Louis fights other boys. In the military he receives a letter describing the death of a pilot and instructor in a plane crash. Soldiers throw hand grenades in sharks’ mouths and watch them blow up. Air fight over Nauru with shooting, bombing, wounded men and death. Bomb raid on Funafuti and its aftermath of dead and wounded. Sharks attack men on a raft and the men kill a shark. POWs are tortured repeatedly and dehumanized by their Japanese captors. They are starved, forced to exercise to exhaustion and beaten severely. Japanese kill 5000 conscripted Korean laborers according to the “kill all” rule which stipulates that no prisoners be allowed to be recaptured by Allied troops. There is to be no trace left of former prisoners. Guards torture and kill a duck that had become a sort of pet for the POWs. Louis states that this is the worst thing he witnessed during the war. Japanese kill 250,000 Chinese while searching for downed American pilots in China. One POW is attacked and beaten so severely that he is senseless for months, unable to take care of himself. One guard, Watanabe, is extremely violent and enjoys beating prisoners. He beats Louis daily, sometimes with a kendo stick, sometimes with his fists. 150 POWs burned in “kill all” order in the Philpines. Prisoners drive through Tokyo and see the aftermath of its bombing. Other Japanese cities bombed, including Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Sexual Content: There is a naked girl painted on one of the US bombers. Louis and his buddies have pinups in their bathroom and nickname their quarters the “pornographic palace”. Louis is asked by Japanese officers how American soldiers satisfy their sexual desires. Louie responds that they don’t satisfy them, but rely on willpower. The officer then tells Louis that the Japanese military “provides women for their soldiers, an illusion to the thousands of Chinese, Korean, Indonesian, and Filipino women whom the Japanese military had kidnapped and forced into sexual slavery.” The extremely violent guard, Watanabe, is described as a “sexual sadist, freely admitting that beating prisoners brought him to climax.” He satisfied his sexual desire by hurting POWs. This is brought up several times throughout Louis’s captivity.

Adult Themes: As a young boy, Louis is described as “untamable”. He smoked at 5, drank at 8, and stole from homes and stores. Eugenics briefly discussed as a means to strengthen the human race by eliminating the “unfit” from the gene pool. Extreme physical and mental torture. The struggle for ex-POWs to assimilate back into life after the war. They had to deal with anger, grief and physical ailments from war time. Many drank themselves into forgetfulness feeling it was the only way to escape. There was really no treatment for PTSD and the other mental ailments of the POWs. For a time after he returns home from the war, Louis feels he must exact revenge and return to Japan to kill Watanabe.

Synopsis

Unbroken is the remarkable, true story of Louis Zamperini, a young delinquent who, with the help of his older brother, discovered a gift for running. Louis competed in the 1936 Berlin Olympics and then, when war broke out, signed up to serve in the Army Air Corps. Trained as a bombadier on the B-24, Louis’s plane crashes while searching for another downed US aircraft. What follows this crash is an incredible story that is gripping and horrifying. Pushed to the absolute limits of what a human can endure, Louis somehow not only survives, but triumphs.

This book of non-fiction is one of the best stories I have ever read. Louis’s story is so incredible that I found myself wondering how it could all be true. Hillenbrand does an exceptional job of bringing the history of Louis and the second World War to life, and although it deals with brutal themes and experiences, they are never portrayed in a sensational way. She relays the facts as facts.

I read Unbroken aloud with my husband and we were both glued to its pages. This story of triumph and forgiveness is incredible and we have recommended it to numerous friends and family. Be aware that this book is written for an adult audience, but I have posted it here because I think a mature, older high school student could handle the content and benefit from its message. All of us who have only lived during times of peace can use a reminder of what others sacrificed during war time.

There are so many lessons to be learned from Louis. He learned to control  his wild nature and was relentless in pursuing  his dream of running in the Olympics. I think this tenacity aided him greatly in surviving the horrors of war. He endured more than any human should be able to endure, and somehow maintained his humanity. Once  home from the war, he hated and drank and almost gave up everything he gained through his experiences, but with a new found faith, he was able to forgive and dedicate his life to helping others. A truly amazing story.