The Greatest Generation

"'I think this is the greatest generation any society has ever produced.' I know that this was a bold statement and a sweeping judgment, but since than I have restated it on many occasions. While I am periodically challenged on this premise, I believe I have the facts on my side."

So writes Tom Brokaw in the introduction to this book about the World War II generation, and he proceeds to make his case by telling individual stories of survival, courage, leadership, and trail-blazing.

I pretty much loved this book. I have always liked reading books centered around WWII, but I haven't actually read much non-fiction, and especially not exactly like this. I got what I expected and more.

I expected stories about the heroes, both celebrated and show more unsung, and their exploits in the war. I may have even expected stories about the women on the home front.

I did not expect Brokaw to tackle some of the issues this generation had to overcome. He did not shy away from segregation, both in civilian life and the military. He confronted the issue of the Japanese internment camps. He took a close look at the women in uniform during the war and the paths they had to forge to get anything that even resembled equality. I was impressed that he included those topics, and I learned a lot from the personal stories he used to make his points about these issues.

I also didn't really expect the personal stories to dwell so much on life after the war. I was a little disappointed at first; after all, the war was what drew me to the book. But I quickly got over it and realized that this generation didn't let one major event define their lives completely. They moved on and shaped the world in the ways they thought best. And that is part of what makes them great.

I'm struggling to find a way to say what I mean with this next thought. Here goes. The people who told these stories all came home to live successful lives, in big ways and small. There had to be people who came home and just couldn't adapt to civilian life. It felt like, in order for the picture to be truly complete, some of that should have been included. Of course, who wants to be interviewed about why they started drinking too much and wound up homeless, right? Or maybe those guys mostly passed away before this book was written. The point could be made that including that kind of thing would weaken the book's central argument, I know. But ignoring the facts doesn't make them go away, and addressing all the facts makes your case stronger. It's a small thing, but I noticed it because of the thoroughness of the rest of the book.

This was also an interesting study in how times have changed. This generation was very much about patriotism, duty, honor, and personal sacrifice. They had widely experienced crushing poverty during the Depression, and they never forgot the lessons they learned in those times. In comparison to our current society, where we just have to have the newest phone/video game/book, or whatever, it made me feel shallow and small. I don't think that's bad at all. Sometimes we need to be reminded about how blessed we truly are.

There are surprising tales of heroism on all fronts, both during the war and in the years following. Tom Brokaw makes a strong argument that the WWII generation was truly the greatest generation. show less

My father, who was a member of the "greatest generation" loved this book, so I felt I owed it to him to read it. It is a fine book well written and conceived. Somewhat ordinary people are profiled. They are removed from ordinary lives and put in harm's way and respond with simplicity, courage and fellow-feeling. It is a good lesson about our parents and true patriotism.

I have always enjoyed Tom Brokaw's broadcasts and expected a great read.. I was disappointed in the lack of depth and the lack of story-telling skill. My father was a member of this generation and we grew up with stories of his experiences on a Navy ship in the Pacific fleet. I was looking forward to learning more from those who were interviewed. I am intrigued by the subject but not by the delivery. I want to read Boom, but I will go into it with lower expectations.

Tom Brokaw recounts the stories of a number of people, both ordinary and famous, who served in the military during World War II, or who served in some capacity on the home front. The stories tell of what they did during the war and also go on to tell of their accomplishments after the war and how their war experience played a role in those accomplishments. Many of them learned discipline and leadership skills that were instrumental in their success. While celebrating the bravery and heroism of Americans during the war, Brokaw does not overlook America's flaws. He includes a chapter on the (mis)treatment of minorities including African-Americans and Latinos and the forcible relocation of Japanese Americans to internment camps. The book show more provides a good insight into that generation of Americans. I thought it was an interesting book. show less

I expected a bit more from this book - I think Brokaw did a good job interviewing his subjects and finding interesting people to talk to (and I would hope so, given his background and experience!) but I thought his analysis and writing was rather weak. At times I felt like I was reading a hagiography of WWII veterans, rather than a biography. I also felt that Brokaw belabored his ideas and had a hard time occasionally with the transition between his interview and his overall points. Still, I'm glad I read it, as the book had an excellent premise and raw material, it just could have used a better implementation.

Great stories, remind me of my grandparents and the stories they tell about this time in their lives. I think we can learn a lot from this generation, and I am truly grateful for the opportunities I have because of these folks.

I was troubled, though, by the unexamined implications of statements like "I'm dismayed by how women today focus on their careers." (Both of my grandmothers worked full-time to support their families -- heresy according to this book.) Also wish there was some examination of the ramifications of the choices of this generation - suburban lifestyle, dependance on cars, increased consumption, etc. Those things all have serious implications for our generation. Not a critique of the folks profiled here, but a comment show more that all of these issues are more complex than are reflected in this book. show less

Pretty good set of mini-biographes, which seek to show by example the range of virtues and lives that members of "The Greatest Generation" lived. They all had very impressive lives, of course. The writing style is a bit uneven and doesn't do them all justice, but still a very informative read.