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Louis Silvie Zamperini is the man whose life journey is chronicled in this book. He is a man who faces, and miraculously survives, an incredible number of horrific experiences. He later attributes his survival to the will of God. He shows fighter instincts and remarkable endurance from a young age. He also has a mischievous side. Even as a boy, he is known for breaking rules and causing trouble. His life was changed by taking up running. With a competitive mindset and strong skills, he excelled in the sport and eventually competed in the 1936 Winter Olympics in Berlin. After the war, He attended USC and was drafted before he completed his degree. He became a bombardier in the South Pacific and was in a plane, the Green Hornet, which was shot down. He was reported dead by the American military. Miraculously, he and two other crewmen survived the plane crash. They endured a historically long raft voyage with extremely limited supplies, almost no food or water. During this journey, one of the three crewmen died. When the two remaining arrived on land, they were captured and imprisoned by the Japanese. Louie suffered years of deprivation, disease, and physical abuses at multiple POW camps, including Ofuna, Omori, and Naoetsu. He was liberated when the war ended and returned home a hero, one whom most people had previously believed to be dead. He suffered years of emotional scarring from the war, but was healed by a conversion experience at a religious service led by Billy Graham. He went on to devote his life to spreading religious messages, to sharing his story, and to helping others. After the war, he was honored and celebrated in many ways, as a runner and as a war hero. He was married to Cynthia Applewhite Zamperini, and they had two children, Cissy and Luke.

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