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Veteran reporter and NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw went to France to make a documentary marking the 40th anniversary of D-day in 1984. Although he was thoroughly briefed on the historical background of the invasion, he was totally unprepared for how it would affect him emotionally. Flooded with childhood memories of World War II, Brokaw began asking veterans at the ceremony to revisit their past and talk about what happened, triggering a chain reaction of war-torn confessions and Brokaw's compulsion to capture their experiences in what he terms "the permanence a book would represent."
After almost 15 years and hundreds of letters and interviews, Brokaw wrote The Greatest Generation, a representative cross-section of the stories he came across. However, this collection is more than a mere chronicle of a tumultuous time, it's history made personal by a cast of everyday people transformed by extraordinary circumstances: the first women to break the homemaker mold, minorities suffering countless indignities to boldly fight for their country, infantrymen who went on to become some of the most distinguished leaders in the world, small-town kids who became corporate magnates. From the reminiscences of George Bush and Julia Child to the astonishing heroism and moving love stories of everyday people, The Greatest Generation salutes those whose sacrifices changed the course of American history. --Rebekah Warren
YA-Brokaw defines "the greatest generation" as American citizens who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America. The vehicle used to define the generation further is the stories told by a cross section of men and women throughout the country. The approximately 50 stories are listed in the table of contents under eight topics: Ordinary People; Homefront; Heroes; Women in Uniform and Out; Shame; Love, Marriage and Commitment; Famous People; and the Arena. The individuals are brought to life by photographs within each chapter. YAs will find this book to be a good resource for decade and World War II research. Unlike any era YAs have known, the 1940s are characterized by a people united by a common cause and values. Carol Clark, formerly at Fairfax County Public Schools, VA Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
I remember these stories as I grew up during this time . I was 10 yrs old at the end of the war. My mom, dad, uncles ,cousins , friends were all involved. My parents would go to the main highway in town and pick up G.I. hitch hikers and bring them home for some of my mom's home cooking. They would ,sometimes stay over night, and then the folks would take them toward their destination as far as our gas stamp allowance would allow. I did not see this kind of love of country when I came home from Viet Nam . I am sadden at our ," What is in it for me " attitude that prevails . Great stories and only wish we had that kind of spirit and love of the USA today .
I've read about 15% of this book and so far I love it. It's well written and the stories about the lives of WWII veterans are incredible. In a world today filled with individuals who feel a sense of entitlement they didn't earn, this book reminds us of the sacrifices made, and the true cost of freedom suffered by the veterans and families who lived through WWII. What would our world be like if we had to experience what many experienced during the war years? Would we be willing to give up our luxuries in favor of the war effort? Wait in long lines at the gas pump, if there even was any gas to be had? Suffer through food shortages so the troops could be fed? I wonder. Thumbs up to the Greatest Generation. If it wasn't for them, we might all be speaking German.
Mr. Broken has captured the lives of all of the people in his book and brought them to the forefront for the current generation. It was a pleasure and an honor to read stories of courage and valor, both on the battlefield and in their future lives. This should be assigned reading for all American History courses as The Greatest Generation is slowly losing its members. My greatest honor was to be a guardian for the Honor Flight for WWII veterans to the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. The stories I heard during the flight were both humorous and tragic. Senator Robert Dole, one of the person's in the book was present to meet veterans as they arrived by bus to the memorial. This was great book, well written and very interesting.
Tom Brokaw skillfully captures the essence of the sense of urgency, importance, resourcefulness and self-sacrafice that motivated and rallied an entire generation around a common, monumental cause. This is not a glorification of war or a boast of national military supremacy; far from it. Rather, this is a rare glimpse into the personal stories of a cross section of the men and women, both overseas and at home, who played crucial roles in this part of world history.
Through their personal recollections, I gained a much deeper appreciation and reverence for what my father, stepfather, uncles and family members undertook and endured; stories of experiences that I will never fully comprehend, yet for which I will always hold deep appreciation and gratitude. I have a better understanding of what real patriotism truly is as opposed to the jingoism tirelessly flaunted in today's mainstream media.
If you hold even passing interest or casual curiosity about WWII and how it ultimately shaped our world, I highly recommend this book.
The author did a beautiful job of exploring the effects of WWII and how our fathers and uncles brothers and friends dealt with the effects. I was born during the War,but, had older sisters with friends that left to fights.And, not all returned. But, remember finding ration books, and leg makeup that they used. It was all very mysterious to me and had many questions. Reading the book made every question I asked much clearer.
This was a fantastic read about a generation that is sadly soon to be gone from this earth, but certainly never forgotten. This book tells the story of many individuals who served their country, on and off, the battlefield. The overall message being a generation that gave everything, and expected nothing in return. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys history, and who admires tireless ambition, civic pride, and for those who simp!y care to learn the very values and attributes that brought about the best moments of the 20th century in The United States of America.
This is a "must read" for anyone with any interest in WWII. One of the best things I have done in my life is go to college, even late in my life. Part of the ciriculum was two(2) U.S. history classes. I took the 1st History class reluctantly; with a disdane for history, only because of a boring High School History teacher. The college professor I had made History come alive for me and I loved it. I couldn't get enough. When I saw Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation" I got the Kindle edition, started it, and I can't put it down. His personal accounts of the lives of those he writes about makes you feel as if you are there with them. The Greatest Generation is truly, without a doubt, the generation that gave us back our country, and made us the greatest country in the world. Mr. Brokaw writes so that we can see what is happening at the time, live it, feel the pain of the loses and the pride of the defeats. If only we could go back to the way the Greatest Generation dealt with life. Ironically, My College History Professor's first name is Tom, So, to Mr. Brokaw and to Prof. Tom G. I owe you a debt of gratitude for my new love of History.
This book was written about the men and women who were born near the great depression and were thrown into the sacrifices that were required for World War II. My grandparents were members of this generation, but I think anybody growing up in America should read this book. In our ultra-convenient lives, we think sacrifice means waiting for your iphone contract to expire before upgrading. Through a number of diverse stories, Brokaw hammers home his points without it being annoyed and opinionated (like this review is). I hope that this book gets a popular advocate (Zuckerberg, Oprah, whatever) so that we can shift our culture of entitlement a little bit closer to one of duty and appreciation.
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