"Unbroken"

I just finished reading "Unbroken" by Laura Hillenbrand.  This is one of the best books that I have ever read.  I just had to share. 

The book takes place during World War II, and is completely a true story.  It follows the life of a young man, Louie Zamperini, during his life.  He was a great runner, going to the Olympics only once before the war broke out.

He was drafted into the Air Force, and into battle he went.  The bulk of the story is about his survival.  His plane crashed during one mission.  He floated in the ocean for over forty-days before he was rescued by the Japanese.  He then became a POW, and the story focuses on the brutality and hard times he and his fellow POWs went through.

I won't give away too much of the story, as I don't want to be a spoiler.  It is really worth the read.  A friend of mine from work lent the book to me.  I was unsure at first, but I could not put the book down. 

Because this was about World War II, I read the whole book thinking about my Pappy Wood.  He was a WWII veteran.  Pappy was an army cook stationed in Germany.  He may not have had the "glamorous" job in the army, but I'm sure his life was at risk at times.  I think about what his daily life must have been like, the friends he made, and how much he missed home.  Pap passed two days before my 6th birthday.  I was too young to really get to know him.  The memories I have are fantastic, although they are few.

I hear stories about Pap all the time, and I cherish every one of them.  I wish I could have gotten the chance to ask him all my questions and get his perspective.  There are so many things I would have loved to hear about.