The book, "Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption", is due out on November 16, publisher Random House has announced.

Unbroken  tells the story of Zamperini, a World War Two bombardier who crashed in the Pacific, survived on a raft for 47 days, and was then captured by the Japanese and held as a prisoner of war for more than two years.

A film is set to be made of the book with Nicolas Cage tipped to play the role of Zamperini..

Zamperini, the son of Italian immigrants, blamed his failure to win a medal in Berlin on eating too much food on the boat trip over.

"I was a Depression-era kid who had never even been to a drugstore for a sandwich," said Zamperini, who is now 93 and living in Hollywood.

"And all the food was free. I had not just one sweet roll, but about seven every morning, with bacon and eggs.

"My eyes were like saucers.”

By the end of the trip, Zamperini had gained 12 pounds.

He finished eighth in the 5,000 metres, but his final lap was fast enough to catch the attention of Adolf Hitler, who insisted on a personal meeting.

As Zamperini tells the story, Hitler shook his hand, and said simply: "The boy with the fast finish."

Two years later in 1938, Zamperini set a US collegiate mile record of 4min 08.3sec which stood for 15 years.

Zamperini's speed earned him the nickname "Torrance Tornado".

He would have have lined up as one of the favourites for a medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 1940 if the War had not intervened and the Games been cancelled.

"I met him several times at fund-raising events and Olympic dinners over my years with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), and every time I introduced him, I was riveted by seeing him and listening to him, for he is the quintessential hero," said Mike Moran, the former communications director of the USOC who has written a blog on Zamperini that is published today on insidethegames.  

Hillenbrand's debut title, a non-fiction account of the racehorse Seabiscuit, became a US bestseller, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was made into a 2003 feature film that was nominated for seven Academy Awards and two Golden Globes.

Hillenbrand spent seven years working on the book about Zamperini, which her editor has described as "a story of fierce determination in the face of nearly insurmountable challenges, set against a backdrop of a fascinating period in American history."

To read Mike Moran's blog click here.

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