On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared--Lt. Louis Zamperini. Captured by the Japanese and driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor.

The one-boy insurgency -- Run like mad -- The Torrance tornado -- Plundering Germany -- Into war -- The flying coffin -- "This is it, boys" -- "Only the laundry knew how scared I was" -- Five hundred and ninety-four holes -- The stinking six -- "Nobody's going to live through this" -- Downed -- Missing at sea -- Thirst -- Sharks and bullets -- Singing in the clouds -- Typhoon -- A dead body breathing -- Two hundred silent men -- Farting for Hirohito -- Belief -- Plots afoot -- Monster -- Hunted -- B-29 -- Madness -- Falling down -- Enslaved -- Two hundred and twenty punches -- The boiling city -- The naked stampede -- Cascades of pink peaches -- Mother's Day -- The shimmering girl -- Coming undone -- The body on the mountain -- Twisted ropes -- A beckoning whistle -- Daybreak.