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Dec 01, 2011

Stephanie rated it:

I have a strong interest in history, so I found this to be a fascinating peek into the lives of the WWII generation.

This is a series of little real-life vignettes about various people who served in the war in various capacities, and the effect it had on their lives after they returned to civilian life. These are stories of profound loss, life-long love, deep and abiding friendships. There are stories about women who blazed trails in careers previously closed to women because they s More...

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Oct 21, 2007

Melanie rated it:

my friend Joyce loaned me this book and I am having a hard time putting it down.. I have always been interested in WWII and this book allows a glimpse into the lives of the men and women who eagerly served their country either here or abroad. one thing I find so entrancing are the individual life stories. It starts with where they were in their lives when the war was raging, what was going on in our country at that time and before, how they participated and what happened to them after the war More...

1 comment like (1 person liked it)

Dec 30, 2011

Pamela rated it:

The style of writing wasn't the most readable, thus four stars (thought Brokaw would be a more engaging writer), but the reader is definitely persuaded that the WWII generation was the greatest generation, simply by the stories themselves. In fact, Brokaw could have included more stories of the home front effort because what singles this generation out is the fact that an entire generation of men and women was directly affected by the war effort; perhaps no complete generation since has been so More...

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May 14, 2010

Jessi rated it:

"It is a generation of towering achievement and modest demeanor..."

This book celebrates how amazing my grandfather's generation was. After reading it, I was saddened that this generation is almost lost to us, inspired by the stories, and grateful that this book was written to preserve a people so extraordinary and selfless.

"...wars are celebrated for what they achieved. For the warriors who live, the consequences of war become a lifelong condition." More...

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Aug 18, 2009

Chandra rated it:

Alright, I am cheating just a bit by reviewing it now because I do have about 15 pages left to go...but I have enjoyed reading this book for a couple of reasons. First, it was one of the many books I inherited five years ago from my father-in-law that I simply haven't had a chance to read. Secondly, the book has been an interesting read. Brokaw has very positive things to say about each of the "heroes" highlighted in the book (some famous, some not). One of the themes he continually re More...

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Jun 06, 2010

jane rated it:

I was born July 1941-my father had fought in the" African Theatre" but was home-I remember as a family rationing butter-remember mother assisting the American Red Cross-rolling bandages and helping with some of the wounded veterans hospitalized in a large estate nearby in N.J.

I wish I had read this book after my father finished it before he passed away.

I just recently learned of the Euola Gay plane that dropped the Atomic bomb over Hiroshima and its up to date More...

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Oct 04, 2009

Johnny rated it:

There are some fascinating stories in The Greatest Generation, many of which elicited "I didn't know that!" and "I'm glad I didn't have to go through that!" as I read them. At times, I found myself with watery eyes as I perused some particularly emotional account. I'm glad I read the book, really I am. However, the whole collection of mini-biographies left me feeling like I'd just experienced the USA TODAY McPaper version of these biographical accounts. So, if you're wonderin More...

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May 22, 2010

Jenifer rated it:

I have only so much tolerance for war stuff, but this down-to-earth collection of stories about WWII veterans was homey enough to keep my attention. It was not so much gruesome stories of wartime, but what these remarkable men and women did with their lives after the war. I loved thinking about how they had missed home and civilian life so much that when they got home they were so determined to finish their educations, marry and start their families and get to work; not in that order, but all at More...

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Jul 20, 2010

Ralph rated it:

"Those of us who lived have to represent those who didn't make it." ~Joe Foss, World War II hero

The Greatest Generation are undeniably "great". They were witnesses of the Great Depression, the bombing of Pearl Harbor, World War II, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, the civil rights movement, the collapse of communism, and the rise of the American economy.

Brokaw talks about how ordinary people became heroes home and abroad. He talks about how the War he More...

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Jan 05, 2012

Bill rated it:

Great book. We know nothing of sacrifice for the betterment of our families and countrymen. Let me ask "Why didn't this greatest generation do a better job in teaching their values to their children and their children's children?". The many people in this book are nothing short of amazing and have accomplished more than I ever will. I wonder how many of them if given a chance would take a different attitude toward raising the next generation. I pray for the day that each generatio More...

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Apr 07, 2011

Suzy rated it:

To be honest, this book wore thinner and thinner on me until I almost considered quitting (sorry Meg). I guess I liked it fine at first, but the nothing-but-profiles format became boring and pat. I was really quite surprised to find what a sophomoric writer Tom Brokaw is--is that the difference between broadcast journalists and print-media journalists? Or was he "dumbing down" his writing for mass appeal? The book would have been much better had he made some connections, braved som More...

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Nov 28, 2010

Karen rated it:

Everyone should read this book! I have become obsessed with WW2 fiction for some reason, but I typically read something from the viewpoint of a civilian in a European setting. I loved reading about U.S. citizens and their experiences. Tom Brokaw had me hooked in the first few pages when he mentioned "Americus, GA" in the introduction because that is my hometown! I truly do believe the people born in the teens and twenties will always be the greatest generation. We recently lost my husb More...

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Aug 05, 2011

John added it

Brokaw pays tribute to the generations that lived through the depression and War Two. This crucible formed a generation of Americans of character and grit. It is fortunate that these people had these traits, because they were undeniably simpletons, after all, they voted for FDR 4 times. It is almost like they wanted the depression to go on forever.

OK, that was mean, after all it wasn’t their fault they were gullible; nutrition wasn’t as good then and no doubt this effected their brain develop More...

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Jul 27, 2010

MaryHelen rated it:

I thought this book was well done. Perhaps Brokaw's assertion that those who served in WWII were the greatest generation bears scrutiny; there have certainly been many great generations. However, I have such clear memories of my father and my uncles, their admirable roles during WWII, and how they resumed productive lives following the war. So many men served the country during WWII and then went on to lead good lives, mostly very family- and values-oriented. Most of these proud and patrioti More...

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Dec 20, 2011

Andrew rated it:

I was sadly disappointed in this book, I expected much more. I've found the work by Steven Ambrose and Ken Burns on the WWII generation fascinating and inspiring, but Greatest Generation comes up short. Brokaw's writing was stiff and lifeless, often reading like a high-school student's book report. The book seems to focus on quantity over quality. The short vignettes on each individual never really give the reader much time to appreciate the person or their story. And Brokaw seems to finish More...

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Jul 26, 2011

Sarah rated it:

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 the More...

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Jun 23, 2009

Katie rated it:

This book is great! It's the first thing to give me true perspective into the war. I always looked at it as glamourous, ignoring the horrors and thinking they were the minority. I now see just how tragic war is, and how it can destroy the lives of all who were involved. Both the living and the dead. I also got insight into both the culture during the time of WWII and the culture in our day.- I think I like it better back then.- To anyone who might be intrigued in reading this though please be aw More...

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Jul 27, 2009

Brad rated it:

In our generation, we can only grasp the idea what our grandparent's generation went through growing up through the age of the first world war, the depression, the dust bowl and the rise of Fascism in Europe and Japan, and the growth of a nation into a super power. Yet at the same time, each generation struggles like none other before. Famine on mass levels, mass genocides, corruption within the "systems" that we have to abide in order to even take a deep breath. My only problem is th More...

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Dec 08, 2009

Tom rated it:

I think any book that gets people to read about history is a good thing. Using short, anecdotal descriptions of various people who contributed to the war effort in WWII Brokaw's book does an excellent job of illustrating the hard work and honor of many members of that generation. There is also a strong theme of providing perspective for our later, somewhat over-entitled generations. However, Brokaw communicates this in the first few pages and then repeats it over and over again throughout the bo More...

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Mar 18, 2009

Mitzi rated it:

I really enjoyed this book. The generation he is referring to is the one that fought in WWII (so born in the late teens, early 20s). It was just a really uplifting read. The entire book is broken up into mini-biographies of countless veterans who participated in the war effort. The first half was much more interesting than the last half. I, personally, have an obssessive interest in WWII, so I really loved the first half - it was filled with the accounts of everyday soldiers - no one you wo More...

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Feb 23, 2011

Sonia rated it:

What has always impressed me about that generation was their modesty and positive attitude. I love talking to them and it's sad to see them dying off. However, after living through the hardships of the Depression and the War, they were still able to live the "American Dream" - maybe the only generation who did. Hard work got them what they wanted - not always the case now. So, even though I agree with Brokaw that this may have been The Greatest Generation, we have to remember that More...

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Oct 22, 2009

Allison rated it:

There are many good life lessons to be learned from reading this book (or even from reading one half of the book...which is all I got through). The short-story biographies are amazing and worth reading, but I couldn't "get in" to the book so eventually I gave up. Maybe I'll pick it up and finish it later. The book kind of makes me feel like I come from a generation of slackers. I'm sure that wasn't the writer's intent and that the younger generations would only have themselves to More...

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Dec 14, 2010

Sarah rated it:

I don't know what I was expecting. This wasn't really it. Memoirs + History = ??? The audiobook is read by the author, and I am so used to associating his voice with the news that it was difficult for me to get to the emotions of the book. At times I felt preached, mostly when I should have felt as if I was getting a tid bit of wonderful advice from my elders. Part of that is my current mindset (don't you tell me I can't do it all!) along with the delivery.

There were several stor More...

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Jul 31, 2010

Ann rated it:

I had wanted to read this book for a long time, and I am glad I finally did. However, it was much different than I thought it was going to be. The book is well written, and the stories are mostly very poignant. This book was written pre-9/11, and it was interesting to read it in a post-9/11 world, especially concidering some of the comments the WWII veterans had made to Brokaw. I also read this book with the background of knowing my grandparents, who survived the Great Depression and WWII -- More...

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Apr 27, 2009

Beth rated it:

I loved these true stories. This people profiled in this book had true character.

My favorite story was about the ROMEO club. Retired Old Men Eat Out. It told about a group of men from Cambridge, MA who grew up together, served in the war, and still get together monthly to eat out. I loved that they included their priest. It reminded me so much of my dad, who is Catholic, and was in the navy in WWII.

My other favorite story was about a nurse who was 27 when the war bro More...

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Sep 11, 2008

Ron rated it:

Such an engaging topic, too bad Brokaw wasn't up to it. The typical superficial twaddle we've come to expect from our broadcast journalist.

0 comments like (2 people liked it)

Jan 14, 2009

bookczuk rated it:

I really wanted to like this book- the idea of a memoir of the greatest generation is fabulous. Unfortunately, I though Mr Brokaw got a little- how can I say this nicely- dull in the telling of a fabulous tale.

But, if one has never met some of the amazing individuals that collectively make the greatest generation, it will do. I am just blessed to have met many folks who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War, and heard them speak for themselves.
More...

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Jun 18, 2011

Evelyn rated it:

#256
Stories of those in my parents' generation who lived through the Depression, World War II and lived lives of service, honor and responsibility because of the lessons learned from these events. Difficulties like these build character

Why didn't Mr. Brokaw include those who contributed by serving their country as conscientious objectors? My dad fought forest fires in Glacier National Park for the Civilian Public Service. He worked for $2.50 a month and fought fires on foot More...

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Sep 22, 2010

Judy rated it:

I know that this book has been hailed as one of the "must-reads" for those interested in World War II, but I found The Greatest Generation to be fairly mediocre. I felt that too often Brokaw inserted his experiences rather than concentrating on the vets he was covering. I will say that Brokaw has a pretty good grasp of the fighting that was going on in both theaters, but he only covered them in vague terms when describing actions where these vets were active.

I did appreciat More...

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Aug 24, 2009

Lori added it

Everytime that I went to my grandparent's house, for the past three years, they would run to the bookshelf and say "I have a book that i really want you to read" And I would say "I already have it, I will read it and get it back to you soon." Then they'd try to hand me a Bill O'Reilly book and I'd simply say "no thanks."

My grandparents really wanted me to read this book so that I would understand their conservative ways. I do understand them more and More...

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