The bestselling autobiography of the legendary Louis Zamperini; hero of the blockbuster Unbroken.A modern classic by an American legend; Devil at My Heels is the riveting and deeply personal memoir by U.S. Olympian; World War II bombardier; and POW survivor Louis Zamperini. His inspiring story of courage; resilience; and faith has captivated readers and audiences of Unbroken; now a major motion picture directed by Angelina Jolie. In Devil at My Heels; his official autobiography (co-written with longtime collaborator David Rensin); Zamperini shares his own first-hand account of extraordinary journey—hailed as “one of the most incredible American lives of the past century†(People).A youthful troublemaker; a world-class NCAA miler; a 1936 Olympian; a WWII bombardier: Louis Zamperini had a fuller life than most. But on May 27; 1943; it all changed in an instant when his B-24 crashed into the Pacific Ocean; leaving Louis and two other survivors drifting on a raft for forty-seven days and two thousand miles; waiting in vain to be rescued. And the worst was yet to come when they finally reached land; only to be captured by the Japanese. Louis spent the next two years as a prisoner of war—tortured and humiliated; routinely beaten; starved and forced into slave labor—while the Army Air Corps declared him dead and sent official condolences to his family. On his return home; memories of the war haunted him nearly destroyed his marriage until a spiritual rebirth transformed him and led him to dedicate the rest of his long and happy life to helping at-risk youth. Told in Zamperini’s own voice; Devil at My Heels is an unforgettable memoir from one of the greatest of the “Greatest Generation;†a living document about the brutality of war; the tenacity of the human spirit; and the power of faith.
#8810 in Books Abbott Karen 2015-09-08 2015-09-08Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.23 x 5.31l; .0 #File Name: 0062092901544 pagesLiar Temptress Soldier Spy Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
Review
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful. Four amazing women in the Civil WarBy SassyPantsThis is a thorough and well researched book about four passionate women; each committed to winning the war. The book spans the years of the Civil War from 1861-65; with an epilogue explaining the fates of the women after the war. The book takes place predominately in Virginia. I grew up there; so I especially enjoyed reading about places I had visited many times as part of Virginia History; taught in schools. Guess what was not taught in school in the 1970's? The role of women in our state's early history!Four very different women are profiled. Belle Boyd is 17 years old when the war starts. She is a force of nature and has no fear. She also has quite an ego and has big aspirations to be the most valued and famous spy. Rose O'Neal Greenhow was head of a spy ring and a notorious flirt who had "relations" with many men. She was about 36 years old when the war started. Rose and Belle were fighting for the Confederacy. Fighting for the Union were Emma Edmondson and Elizabeth Van Lew. Elizabeth was a 43 year old spinster who passed important messages through the Richmond Underground and gained permission from a Confederate general to visit Union prisoners. Emma is my favorite. She joined the Union army as Frank Thompson. She worked in the hospital; fought; and also passed messages. She left the war on her own terms and became Emma again.I was blown away by the bravery and conviction of these women. I learned so much about spy tactics and the dangers involved. Sadly; all of these women came to an unhappy end. One died in service to her county; a couple lost children or married unhappily. All of them ended up nearly destitute. The book is well written; detailed; and contains some nice photos. I also read one of Ms. Abbott's other books; Sin in the Second City. I enjoyed this one more. My only negative comments are that I had some difficulty keeping track of the characters and I thought the book bogged down and moved slowly at times. I would still recommend it.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. On Often Untold Aspect of the Civil WarBy Andy GlassAll in all this was an excellent collection of history/biography covering a rarely told element of the Civil War - or any conflict for that matter. The book shares the stories of four women from both sides of the war; and their efforts to aid their cause. As I read this book; my thought was; "well; yeah; of course women who were away from the front lines did things that were courageous and compassionate." Thing is; there's not much depth in terms of reading material on that aspect of things. I was very impressed with two of the women; Emma Edmonds and Elizabeth Van Lew. Don't want to put a spoiler in here; so I'll just say that these two had some steel in them. The others did as well; for other reasons; but Edmonds and Van Lew struck me more than the others. This should be required reading for all young people; regardless of gender; as it tells an important aspect of the Civil War that just isn't covered in many places. Excellent read!2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. ok but not outstandingBy Jo in Northern MIInteresting but not one I would read again. It was a bit hard to follow as the book chapters kept going between the women through time. The book did not leave a big impression on me. The time periods of the women's lives were basically the same so there was some overlap in their experiences. The author did a good job of showing how different war loyalties separated families and friends and how local society treated those who did not follow the crowd in supporting "their" side.
