Louis Zamperini. Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In: Lessons from an Extraordinary Life. New York, NY: Dey Street Book, November 18th, 2014. 238 pp.
I had mixed feeling about the book. There’s no question that Louis Zamperini lived an extraordinary life. Louis Zamperini is an Olympian, war hero, celebrity and famous convert of Billy Graham’s ministry. Here in this book Zamperini talks about his life in his own words.
First with the positive. It was insightful to hear Zamperini’s life being described by the one who knows it best: Zamperini himself. I actually picked this book over Laura Hillenbrand’s biography of Zamperini because of the firsthand account. I know the recent movie must have made this book popular but I wanted to read the book first before I watch the film (if I ever get around to it). There were times I appreciated the first hand humor of Zamperini himself. You get a feel for his personality. You also get the feel of his positive “can-do” attitude. I also appreciated the book for its stories of Zamperini meeting different kinds of people throughout his life. What an interesting life he lived! Very unusual for then and even for today. I thought the most interesting chapters in Zamperini life was his account of being a POW in a Japanese prison camp and a notorious prison guard nicknamed “the Bird.” I remember hearing this story for the first time during the Winter Olympics on Television when I was a kid in the 90s. The fact that Zamperini was able to forgive this man was such a powerful testimony—and no doubt it has made Zamperini a famous household name for so many generations.
Yet on the other hand since Zamperini is often associated for his Christian conversion I also was disappointed with Zamperini’s shallow theology found in the book. There’s not necessarily a biblical view of sin reflected in his worldview. There’s a lot of unhealthy emphasis on self-confidence. Zamperini at times sounds like a Pelagian. I think even the positive part of the Gospel such as grace and mercy wasn’t as biblically explained. I was really disappointed really. Zamperini’s talk about loving and kissing Angelina Jolie was also kind of weird. He’s talking about kissing her on the lips and saying that he told Brad Pitt that he wished he could have her. I cringed. Awkward. She’s married. Biblically speaking, there’s a line drawn somewhere between lusting after a man’s wife and there’s also a lack of personal wisdom with some personal boundaries with someone else’s man’s wife. Some might have thought it was cute—but if it wasn’t a famous Olympian who survived in a plane that’s shot down in the Pacific who had a movie based upon his life—would people have thought Zamperini was a creepy old man let alone being Christ-like?
Purchase: Amazon
Reblogged this on Talmidimblogging.
Thanks for blogging my review of this book Vince!
My pleasure Brother 😎
Good observations. I haven’t read the books but saw the movie.
You’re welcome. I’m sure you have heard of him before?
I even have a friend who sent me a DVD of his testimony.
Read Unbroken the book and enjoyed it. Saw the movie which was just okay. I read Unbroken after John MacArthur recommend it at a pastors conference I was at. This was well before the movie. I was surprised when Zamperini came to faith in the book. It was through Billy Graham as you know. His conversion was typical “say the prayer.” I can’t judge Zamperini nor do I want to. I pray he was a true disciple of Jesus. That said, I expressed my disappointment at his retelling of his conversion in the book.
Wow thank you for filling me in with the book Unbroken. I didn’t read that one because I heard “Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In” was better than Unbroken. I’m curious, did the movie mention about Zamperini’s conversion at all?
No it did not. Jolie is an atheist so I suspected that she would not want to talk about his conversion. His conversion though, in the book, plays a major role in his willingness to forgive his enemies.
Thanks, Jim. I didn’t see the movie but I heard it avoided Zamperini’s conversion story. After reading your review of his book, I wonder if there was ever much of a “conversion” to speak of?
Wow I should have read this before I asked earlier “Seeking Disciple” whether the filmed had any conversion in the plot. I’m curious, what part of Zamerini’s life did the film end with? Was it after being freed in the end of the war or did it ended with his homecoming or later in his life in the 1950s?
From the article below it stopped at chapter 33.
http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/susan-jones/franklin-graham-movie-unbroken-omits-most-important-part-louis-zamperinis
Well, he did attend First Pres. of Hollywood, so how theological could it have been?
Interesting episode at the end there. Does seem a bt odd
Yep; hey how is your daughter’s hand? Haven’t seen much of an update and I hope it isn’t because WordPress accidentally dropped you out of my WordPress reader.
Oh no sir, thanks for checking. Going well, she starts therapy today in fact!