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Lucky Louie, that is his nickname. Louie Zamperini had his 96th birthday yesterday, Jan. 26, 2013. What a guy, what a story...I would walk past the most famous movie stars that you could name to shake this man's hand. The organist from my church told me this morning that Mr. Zamperini was in Atlanta this weekend, he was the featured speaker at a Presbyterian church today. I would have loved to have seen him! Never mind, I will try to tell as many people about him that I can. See the quote from James Bradley from the cover of the book above? A touching tale of the triumph of love indeed..
Laura Hillenbrand calls his story one of "survival, resilience and redemption." Very true.
I wrote a post last year in January about Mr. Zamperini and you may go to that post just
here. I first read "Devil At My Heels" in 2004 and have told anyone would listen to me that his is one of the most extraordinary stories I have ever read. Laura Hillenbrand's book "Unbroken" has become a huge bestseller since it was published in November 2010. Since then, I saw a bit of this TV documentary about Mr. Zamperini when he and the other two survivors had crashed into the South Pacific and were adrift for 47 days. Yes, that is correct, for 47 days. If you are ever in a life and death situation such as this, my wish for you would be that you would have in your lifeboat someone like Louie Zamperini. Being adrift at sea was not even the worst for him. He spent two years in POW camps where he suffered terribly. After the war, he could not get over the demons of memory until he, at his wife's urging, attended a Billy Graham revival and completely turned his life around and went to Japan and FORGAVE his captors. Please, if you don't know anything else about me, know that Louis Zamperini has my utmost regard and respect.
There is a movie based upon Louie's story that will be made by Universal Studios and I have read that it is expected to be released in 2015. Of course, I will be very pleased when that movie comes out. I won't be able to shake Mr. Zamperini's hand today, but if someone happens to type his name into a search engine and lands on my blog, I hope they will read what I have to say about him and will be as inspired by him as I was and still am.
I have heard of him and this book, which I had considered reading. Thanks for the recommendation. I hope the movie will portray all his story in the movie.
ReplyDeleteJust be sure to read about Mr. Zamperini before the movie comes out, you know how Hollywood will sometimes change things and not always for the better!
DeleteMy reading list gets longer, Kay! That was quite a video clip. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. What a story about a real hero!
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I would call him a real hero. And he is such an incredible guy and quite a character! Let me know if you ever read either of these books!
DeleteI am adding this to my list. I do hope they make a movie about this extraordinary man's life- xo Diana
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, he sold his story to Universal many years ago. Don't know why this has taken so long! Also, Mr. Zamperini was even one of the actors in the background of the movie, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"!
DeleteIs it really already a year since you wrote about Mr. Zamperini? I remember that post so well! He is truly an impressive man with a touching story.
ReplyDeleteYes, that year flew by, didn't it?
DeleteThanks and remember to look out for his movie!
My Mom (who was a young woman during WW2) read "Unbroken" about a year ago and enjoyed it very much. I'm looking forward to the movie.
ReplyDeleteHis story is not just a World War 2 movie, but just an incredible story of an extraordinary man!
DeleteBut like you, I am looking forward to the movie!
Isn't the life raft he and the other two men survived in the one that is in the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola? If so, i've seen it, and been absolutely astounded by their story.
ReplyDeleteSo i will find out of i can borrow any of these books from the library.
I don't think it would be the same one. Mr. Zamperini and Russell Phillips survived their time at sea, the other man died. (The two survivors had lost exactly HALF their body weight.) They were "rescued" by the Japanese and spent the next two years in POW camps.
DeleteThanks for telling me about that museum, I would like to see it.
His story must be amazing to have gone through all of that and still be able to forgive. He would be an inspiration to anyone.
ReplyDeleteSuch an inspiring man, I wish everyone knew his story!
DeleteWhat a touching story. I remember your earlier post well. I will have to add this book to the list (it is comically long list I keep in excel). I am curious about the movie - it sounds like it will be a hard but uplifting film.
ReplyDeleteForgiveness is such a beautiful, hard gift. He sounds like a remarkable man.
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A beautiful, hard gift...exactly so.
DeleteThanks for your comment, Elizabeth. My book list is also growing, I know just what you mean.
Laura Hillenbrand lives in the neighborhood where I work, but because she's very sick no one ever sees her. That breaks my heart. But I suspect this situation enabled her to do great work with "Unbroken." Dave in DC
ReplyDeleteYes! I know she lives in Washington, D.C. and I know she suffers from chronic fatigue and rarely leaves her home.
DeleteThis sounds wonderful. I'm always so amazed and heartened to hear of people who are able to forgive people who have done horrible things to them. The human spirit can be so incredible.
ReplyDeleteThe camp in Japan where Mr. Zamperini was held prisoner is now a park, in dedication to peace. Mr. Zamperini was able to go there and visit it!
DeleteThis sounds like quite a story, incredible that someone could go through so much and still survive. I would definitely watch the movie.
ReplyDeleteRead Devil At My Heels. It will be a story you will never forget.
DeleteWow, that video is INSANE. INSANE. Unbroken has been on my must-read list since it came out but I think you just helped push it to the top. Some people have the most amazing, most incredible stories, don't they? It never ceases to amaze me what some humans can endure and survive. Thrive even. Thanks for sharing, Kay!
ReplyDeleteI know you are one busy lady so you could read "Devil At My Heels" first (it is a shorter book) and also, quite honestly, I like it the best. "Unbroken" goes into very much greater detail, and it an excellent book, don't get me wrong, but maybe I like the first one best just because I learned the story of Mr. Zamperini from it first.
DeleteLouie does sound like an amazing man!
ReplyDeletePaul,
DeleteAs a runner, you should find his story very interesting!
Louie was on the same Olympic track team as Jesse Owens in Berlin in 1936! He called him "a prince of a fellow". Read one of these books and you will thank me!
Kay, I think you and I are so alike when it comes to our heroes...the ones that time seems to forget. Louie is an amazing man. It would be wonderful to shake his hand.xoxo,Susie
ReplyDeleteWe know what is important and we know what kind of people should be held in great esteem!
DeleteI am sorry I didn't get to shake his hand, but I do have several notes from him. I am grateful for those!
Kay, I remember your post on Louie in January. He's an amazing man (it's hard to believe they even survived that 47 days adrift) and this story will definitely make for a very touching movie. I know JJ Hubby will be eager to see it - he's a real war buff.
ReplyDeleteJane,
DeleteLouie is very interesting. An Olympic track star from the 1936 Berlin Olympics, his ordeals in World War II and after the war (which has been most of his life) he has been an INSPIRATIONAL speaker.
I hope they handle his story in the movie with great care. I wish they would contact me!! :-)
Ha! We share a birthday, Mr. Z. and I. He was 28 the day I was born. I want to know more about him! BTW, that day he was 28 was the day the Russian Army arrived at Auschwitz and liberated it.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lot of 28's!
DeleteAuschwitz...one of my blogging friends just went there and wrote about it. Rachel from Mozart's Girl....look her blog up, if you get the chance. It is very moving.
And of course, Happy Birthday to Mr. Zamperini and to Kristi..Happy Birthday too!! xx
(ARe you lucky too, like Louie?)
i was just in conyers last wednesday...meeting my mom to pick up a few things i had left at her house...she was headed out i-20 toward Lumberton, NC to attend a funeral. Conyers holds a lot of memories for me during my college years...my first room mate was from there.
ReplyDeletei'm always amazed with wwII remembrances...my dad was a staff sergeant on Luzon Island in the Philippines...
Enjoyed your post
Oh, thanks for your comment!
DeleteStay tuned to my blog, I am going to do a post about a fantastic book about Luzon Island.
He sounds fascinating. Thank you for the recommendation and thanks very much for stopping by my blog recently. Much appreciated. :)
ReplyDeleteYou have a beautiful blog. I love your writing and photographs. Please visit mine again! :-)
DeleteThis fellow is having quite the life!! No wonder there is a movie being made about him!
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, Kay, about if I had your blog listed on 'best posts of the week' blog. No I didn't and I don't know how I got there either. I tend to be skeptical about things like this but it looked legit....as legit as I could see anyway!
Jim
I am not sure how I got on there but I am between your blog and a nice woman from South Africa, so I feel that I am in good company. The others that I have had time to look at looked good too. I don't know how my name got on there, but it seems like a nice thing to me, so to whoever put my name on it, I say thank you! xx
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