>grows up in California as the son of Italian immigrants >becomes a world-class runner and competes for the United States at the 1936 Berlin Olympics >joins the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II >becomes a bombardier aboard a B-24 Liberator >survives a catastrophic plane crash in the Pacific in 1943 >spends 47 days drifting across the ocean on a tiny life raft >survives starvation, dehydration, storms and attacks by sharks >is eventually captured by Japanese forces becomes a prisoner of war >is repeatedly beaten and humiliated by guards >is singled out by a brutal guard nicknamed “The Bird,” who makes him a personal target >is forced to endure years of hunger, disease and physical abuse >survives until Japan surrenders in 1945 >returns home weighing only about 65 pounds >spends years struggling with the psychological scars of captivity >eventually chooses forgiveness over hatred >later returns to Japan and meets some of his former guards >spends the rest of his life speaking about resilience, forgiveness and redemption Louis Zamperini. The prisoner who refused to let his captors break him