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All interviews were conducted by the author, except where noted otherwise. As some seventy-five interviews were conducted with Louis Zamperini, citations of these interviews are not dated.

ABBREVIATIONS

AAFLA Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles

AFHRA Air Force Historical Research Agency

BGEA Billy Graham Evangelistic Association

HIA Hoover Institution Archives

NACP National Archives at College Park, Maryland

NHC Naval Historical Center

NPN No publication named

NYT New York Times

RAOOH Records of Allied Operational and Occupation Headquarters

RG Record Group

SCAP Supreme Commander of Allied Powers

Preface

1 Raft: “42nd Bombardment Squadron: Addendum to Squadron History,” September 11, 1945, AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, Ala.; Louis Zamperini, telephone interview; Robert Trumbull, “Zamperini, Olympic Miler, Is Safe After Epic Ordeal,” NYT, September 9, 1945.

2 Four-minute mile: Charlie Paddock, “Sportorials,” April 1938 newspaper article from Zamperini scrapbook, NPN; George Davis, “For Sake of Sport,” Los Angeles Evening Herald and Express, undated 1938 article from Zamperini scrapbook; George Davis, “Cunningham Predicts Zamperini Next Mile Champ,” undated article from Zamperini scrapbook, NPN; Paul Scheffels, “4 Minute Mile Run Is Closer,” Modesto (Calif.) Bee, February 14, 1940.

PART I

Chapter 1: The One-Boy Insurgency

1 Graf Zeppelin: Douglas Botting, Dr. Eckener’s Dream Machine: The Great Zeppelin and the Dawn of Air Travel (New York: Henry Holt, 2001), pp. 146–88; “Zeppelin Shatters Record,” Salt Lake Tribune, August 11, 1929; “Zeppelin at L.A.,” Modesto News-Herald, August 26, 1929; “Zep to Sail Tonight for N.Y.,” San Mateo Times, August 26, 1929; “Graf Zeppelin Bids Adieu and Soars Homeward,” Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune, August 8, 1929; Louis Zamperini, telephone interview; Peter Zamperini, telephone interview, March 2, 2006; Rick Zitarosa, Navy Lakehurst Historical Society, email interview, April 25, 2006; Lyle C. Wilson, “Eckener Follows Lindbergh Trail on Homeward Trip,” Daily Northwestern (Oshkosh, Wisc.), August 8, 1929; W. W. Chaplin, “Graf Zeppelin on Long Trail around World,” Jefferson City Post-Tribune, August 8, 1929; “Big German Zep Starts World Tour,” Moberly (Mo.) Monitor-Index, August 8, 1929; “Zep’s Ocean Hop Starts in Midweek,” Salt Lake Tribune, August 20, 1929; Karl H. Von Wiegand, “Graf Zeppelin Rides Typhoon Trail to Port,” Salt Lake Tribune, August 20, 1929; Miles H. Vaughn, “Graf Zeppelin Scores Great Hit with Orient,” Billings Gazette, August 28, 1929; “In the Spotlight of Today’s News,” Waterloo (Iowa) Evening Courier, August 26, 1929; “Zeppelin Will Continue Flight Tonight,” Waterloo (Iowa) Evening Courier, August 26, 1929; “Mikado of Japan to Receive ‘Graf’ Voyagers at Tea,” Waterloo (Iowa) Evening Courier, August 20, 1929; “Stars Playing Hide and Seek with Zeppelin,” Salt Lake Tribune, August 25, 1929.

2 Hitler’s speech: David Welch, Hitler: Profile of a Dictator (London: Routledge, 1998), p. 80.

3 “like a huge shark”: Botting, p. 180.

4 Looked like monsters: Ibid., p. 181.

5 “fearfully beautiful”: Louis Zamperini, telephone interview.

6 Family history: Peter Zamperini, telephone interviews, October 19, 22, 2004.

7 Boyhood stories: Art Rosenbaum, “Zamperini Cheated Death Nine Times,” San Francisco Chronicle Sporting Green, March 3, 1940; Maxwell Stiles, “Fire Threatened Career of Zamperini as Child,” Los Angeles Examiner, undated, 1938; Peter Zamperini, telephone interview, October 22, 2004; Louis Zamperini, telephone interviews; Sylvia Flammer, telephone interviews, October 25, 27, 2004; Louis Zamperini, interview by George Hodak, Hollywood, Calif., June 1988, AAFLA.

8 “Pete never got caught”: Sylvia Flammer, telephone interview, October 25, 2004.

9 Italians were disliked: Peter Zamperini, telephone interview, October 15, 2004.

10 “You could beat him”: Sylvia Flammer, telephone interview, October 25, 2004.

11 “Louie can’t stand it”: Peter Zamperini, telephone interview, October 17, 2004.

12 Louie’s parents: Peter Zamperini,