Primarily a WWII story of war and survival from a POW camp, the first 5 chapters are about the track career of Zamperini who competed as a 19 yr old in the famous 1936 Olympics in the 5000m, an event in which he competed in just 4 times prior to the Olympics. Growing up poor, always stealing food, he engorged himself on the ship taking the US Olympic team to Berlin. He gained 12 lbs. on the voyage. In the Olympics, best known for Jesse Owens, Zamperini made the finals of the 5000m. In the finals, nervous as hell, competing in front of 100,000, he came from the middle of the pack to run an incredible and legendary last 400m in 56 sec. to finish 8th as the fastest American, breaking an American record (14:46). His performance brought about a brief meeting with Hitler after the event.
It has a lot of anecdotal facts about fellow US runners and the track community. Zamperini's rival runners Don Lash, and Norman Bright were mentioned. Don Lash was expected to be the best US 5000m runner in the '36 Olympics, but Zamparini stunned the track world and finished in a virtual tie with Lash in the US Trials.
The foot note on Norman Bright - who was expected to make the Olympic team but failed, was particularly touching and related to Masters Track:
"Bright wouldn't have another shot at the Olympics, but he would run for the rest of his life, setting Masters records in his old age. Eventually, he went blind but he kept right on running, holding the end of a rope while a guide held the other. "The only problem was that most guides couldn't run as fast as my brother, even in his late seventies," wrote his sister Georgie Bright Kunkel. "In his eighties his grand nephews would walk with him around his care center as he timed the walk on his stopwatch."
I loved that foot note. I aspire to be Norman Bright. Also mentioned were the great miler Glen Cunningham and sprinter Peyton Jordan, who later went on to be a record setting Masters sprinter.
The remainder of the book, which I have yet to read, is a harrowing war story of survival. Thanks to Iska for the book.
Louis Zamperini is still alive at age 94 and lives in CA.
It is wonderful that my brother Norman Bright has had recognition in the book UNBROKEN.
ReplyDeleteI am writing a short book about his life as he has never had a book written about him.
I have just finished a column for the WS Herald in my community about another famous track star--Doris Brown who broke many records in her day.
She knew of my brother and admired him.