Part 53: Mark 10:42-45

Solomon Northup's memoir, 'Twelve Years a Slave,' recounts his harrowing experiences as a free black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Deep South. The book vividly describes the brutal conditions of slavery and the struggles he faced during his twelve-year bondage. It became a significant abolitionist text, providing firsthand insight into the inhumanity of slavery.

Unbroken tells the extraordinary life story of Louis Zamperini, who gained national attention as a runner in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. During World War II, Zamperini survived a plane crash in the Pacific, drifted on a raft for weeks, and endured brutal treatment as a Japanese prisoner of war. The book chronicles his incredible endurance, inner strength, and eventual redemption after the war, including his struggles with PTSD and his finding solace in religion. Hillenbrand's narrative is enriched by extensive historical research and interviews with veterans and their families, providing a detailed account of the Pacific front during World War II and the personal experiences of those involved.