We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II
(Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Author:
Rensin, David
Author:
Zamperini, Louis
Published:
HarperCollins 2009
Status:
Available from OverDrive
Description

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.

Also in This Series
Formats
Adobe EPUB eBook
Works on all eReaders (except Kindles), desktop computers and mobile devices with reading apps installed.
Sample Sample 
Kindle Book
Works on Kindles and devices with a Kindle app installed.
Sample Sample 
OverDrive Read
Sample Sample 
Need Help?
If you are having problem transferring a title to your device, please fill out this support form or visit the library so we can help you to use our eBooks and eAudio Books.
More Like This
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
Subjects
Subjects
Biography & Autobiography
History
Military
Nonfiction
More Details
Format:
Adobe EPUB eBook, Kindle Book, OverDrive Read
Street Date:
10/06/2009
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780061972768
ASIN:
B004GUT1JQ
Librarian Reviews
Published Reviews
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

David Rensin. (2009). Devil at My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II. HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

David Rensin. 2009. Devil At My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival As a Japanese POW in World War II. HarperCollins.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

David Rensin, Devil At My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival As a Japanese POW in World War II. HarperCollins, 2009.

MLA Citation (style guide)

David Rensin. Devil At My Heels: A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival As a Japanese POW in World War II. HarperCollins, 2009.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
Copy Details
LibraryOwnedAvailable
Shared Digital Collection22
Staff View
Grouped Work ID:
95e9c863-6192-8322-8d95-f1dac9a0bd6a
Go To Grouped Work
Needs Update?:
No
Date Added:
Jun 12, 2018 17:54:29
Date Updated:
Apr 18, 2024 16:11:39
Last Metadata Check:
Apr 25, 2024 18:15:03
Last Metadata Change:
Apr 25, 2024 18:15:03
Last Availability Check:
Apr 25, 2024 18:15:09
Last Availability Change:
Nov 25, 2023 14:56:37
Last Grouped Work Modification Time:
Apr 26, 2024 02:10:38

OverDrive Product Record

images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG100.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG200.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG150.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG400.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
formats
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780061972768
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B004GUT1JQ
      • name: Kindle Book
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780061972768
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • id: ebook-overdrive
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780062118851
mediaType
eBook
primaryCreator
    • role: Author
    • name: David Rensin
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
Devil at My Heels
dateAdded
2014-09-26T21:34:56.227Z
contentDetails
      • href: https://link.overdrive.com?websiteID=141&titleID=220648
      • type: text/html
      • account:
          • name: Sacramento Public Library (CA)
          • id: 1151
sortTitle
Devil at My Heels A Heroic Olympians Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II
crossRefId
220648
subtitle
A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II
id
DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832
starRating
4.4

OverDrive MetaData

isPublicDomain
False
formats
      • fileName: DevilatMyHeels_9780061972768_220648
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 1193239
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780061972768
      • rights:
            • type: Copying
            • value: 0
            • type: Printing
            • value: 0
            • type: Lending
            • value: 0
            • type: ReadAloud
            • value: 1
            • type: ExpirationRights
            • value: 0
      • name: Adobe EPUB eBook
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-epub-adobe
      • onSaleDate: 4/16/2024
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-epub-adobe
            • url: https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-410/0293-1/DF6/60A/25/DevilatMyHeels.epub
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: DevilatMyHeels_220648
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ASIN
            • value: B004GUT1JQ
      • name: Kindle Book
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-kindle
      • onSaleDate: 4/16/2024
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-epub-adobe
            • url: https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-410/0293-1/DF6/60A/25/DevilatMyHeels.epub
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
      • fileName: DevilatMyHeels_9780061972768_220648
      • partCount: 0
      • fileSize: 0
      • identifiers:
            • type: ISBN
            • value: 9780061972768
      • name: OverDrive Read
      • isReadAlong: False
      • id: ebook-overdrive
      • onSaleDate: 4/16/2024
      • samples:
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-epub-adobe
            • url: https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-410/0293-1/DF6/60A/25/DevilatMyHeels.epub
            • source: From the book
            • formatType: ebook-overdrive
            • url: https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
keywords
      • value: World War II
      • value: Military
creators
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Rensin, David
      • name: David Rensin
      • role: Author
      • fileAs: Zamperini, Louis
      • name: Louis Zamperini
imprint
HarperCollins e-books
publishDate
2009-10-06T00:00:00-04:00
isOwnedByCollections
True
title
Devil at My Heels
fullDescription

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.

reviews
      • premium: True
      • source: Publisher's Weekly
      • content:

        November 11, 2002
        Zamperini, the son of Italian immigrants, was convinced by his younger brother to try out for the track team—and he eventually earned a spot on the 1936 U.S. Olympic team. In Berlin, he roomed with Jesse Owens and (alas) shook hands with Adolf Hitler. When WWII began, Zamperini entered the Army Air Corps and became a bombardier in a B-24 squadron. On May 27, 1943, during a search and rescue mission, Zamperini's plane crashed into the Pacific, leaving him and two other survivors in a life raft. Forty-seven days later, after one of the three had died, Louis and his pilot washed ashore on Wotje Atoll and were quickly scooped up by a Japanese patrol. Then followed more than two years of hell. After narrowly averting being executed, Zamperini wound up in prison camps in Japan itself, where his captors unsuccessfully tried to recruit him to broadcast propaganda for them. After the war, he returned home, married and tried to return to normal. But the flashbacks of his captivity, especially the psychopathic brutality of a guard nicknamed "The Bird," continued to haunt him. Alcoholism followed. Then, his wife persuaded Zamperini to attend one of evangelist Billy Graham's crusades. The author found salvation and even returned to Japan as a missionary. Although Zamperini published his story in 1957, this updated version, which includes his participation in the 1998 Winter Olympic Games ceremonies in Japan, resurrects Zamperini's heroism via Rensin, a veteran of similar collaborations. It's difficult to argue with the account they have produced of a harrowing life constantly redirected toward good works.

popularity
227
links
    • self:
        • href: https://api.overdrive.com/v1/collections/v1L1BWwAAAA2I/products/df660a25-4ab8-4cb0-8c3e-61f2d95fb832/metadata
        • type: application/vnd.overdrive.api+json
id
df660a25-4ab8-4cb0-8c3e-61f2d95fb832
starRating
4.4
images
    • cover:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-100/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG100.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • thumbnail:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-200/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG200.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover150Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-150/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG150.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
    • cover300Wide:
        • href: https://img1.od-cdn.com/ImageType-400/2363-1/{DF660A25-4AB8-4CB0-8C3E-61F2D95FB832}IMG400.JPG
        • type: image/jpeg
isPublicPerformanceAllowed
False
languages
      • code: en
      • name: English
subjects
      • value: Biography & Autobiography
      • value: History
      • value: Military
      • value: Nonfiction
publishDateText
10/06/2009
otherFormatIdentifiers
      • type: ISBN
      • value: 9780062118851
mediaType
eBook
shortDescription

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...

sortTitle
Devil at My Heels A Heroic Olympians Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II
crossRefId
220648
subtitle
A Heroic Olympian's Astonishing Story of Survival as a Japanese POW in World War II
publisher
HarperCollins
bisacCodes
      • code: HIS027090
      • description: History / Wars & Conflicts / World War I
      • code: HIS027100
      • description: History / Wars & Conflicts / World War II / General
      • code: HIS027110
      • description: History / Military / United States