Unbroken: Part II

by Laura Hillenbrand
Laura Hillenbrand recounts the tumultuous and amazingly true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who, after surviving 40 days adrift at sea, became a prisoner of war in Japan during World War II.

Here are links to our lists for the book: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. bonhomie
    a disposition to be friendly and approachable
    Phillips floated along contentedly in Louie’s chatty bonhomie; Louie liked Phillips’s quiet steadiness, and thought him the kindest person he’d ever met.
  2. ebullient
    joyously unrestrained
    The crew’s girl magnet was Harry Brooks, a good-looking, ebullient radioman and waist gunner from Michigan.
  3. myopic
    unable to see distant objects clearly
    Flat-faced, rectangular, and brooding, the B-24 had looks only a myopic mother could love.
  4. turbulence
    instability in the atmosphere
    Navigating the nine-inch-wide bomb bay catwalk could be difficult, especially in turbulence; one slip and you’d tumble into the bay, which was fitted with fragile aluminum doors that would tear away with the weight of a falling man.
  5. cajole
    influence or urge by gentle urging, caressing, or flattering
    The B-24’s wheels had no steering, so the pilot had to cajole the bomber along by feeding power to one side’s engines, then the other, and working back and forth on the left and right brakes, one of which was usually much more sensitive than the other.
  6. reconnaissance
    the act of scouting, especially to gain information
    Tooling around the island in borrowed cars, they came upon several airfields, but when they drew closer, they realized that all of the planes and equipment were fake, made of plywood, an elaborate ruse designed to fool Japanese reconnaissance planes.
  7. incessant
    uninterrupted in time and indefinitely long continuing
    Louie was drained, both from the combat and the incessant quivering of the plane.
  8. attrition
    a wearing down to weaken or destroy
    In World War II, 35,933 AAF planes were lost in combat and accidents. The surprise of the attrition rate is that only a fraction of the ill-fated planes were lost in combat.
  9. inadvertently
    without knowledge or intention
    A man inside, trying to avoid falling, inadvertently grabbed the life raft-release handle.
  10. purgatory
    a temporary condition of torment or suffering
    Canton was a seething purgatory in the shape of a pork chop, consisting mostly of coral and scrubby plants huddled close to the ground, as if cringing from the heat.
  11. plaintive
    expressing sorrow
    His eyes bulged, and his upper body was wet with blood. He lifted one arm toward Louie, a plaintive expression on his face.
  12. rudimentary
    being or involving basic facts or principles
    Brooks was laid on a stretcher, placed on a jeep, and driven to a rudimentary, one-room infirmary.
  13. unscathed
    not injured
    Phil was unscathed; Louie had only a cut on his arm.
  14. torpor
    inactivity resulting from lethargy and lack of energy
    Back on Hawaii, he sank into a cold torpor. He was irritable and withdrawn.
  15. relegate
    assign to a lower position
    The bomber was relegated to errands, and the ground crewmen began prying parts off it for use on other planes.
Created on Mon May 12 18:06:15 EDT 2014 (updated Mon Jul 07 12:42:23 EDT 2025)

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