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Summary: A Unique Perspective on the last World War
Review: I received this book as a gift, and actually was quite reluctant to read it- How interesting could a bunch of stories about unknown men and women be? Very interesting is the answer. This is the only book of its kind- that I know of- that takes this perspective on the World War II effort- and, possibly, this perspective is one of the most important that we have overlooked. Machines didn't win the war, big business didn't win the war, the leaders of the free world didn't win the war-- Individual people won the war. And that's why I think this is possibly the best book about World War II I've ever read.
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Summary: if you love history and biographies......
Review: then this book should be open and in your lap. mr. brokaw and company have done a magnificent service in resurrecting the passion of commitment and patriotism these american's have exuded for 70+ years. we may know these people as our brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, parents and grandparents but soon you will know them as the people who made difficult decisions and sacrifices for our freedom and future. this will give you a new understanding of why your family and friends who lived through this era are the way they are. in my opinion, this book should be required reading for every high school student in the country.
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Summary: Cheerleading, not History
Review: It is rather disingenous for Tom Brokaw to suggest that he is addressing a neglected topic with his book. The men who fought in the Revolution, the Civil War, and WWII are already the most celebrated military heroes in American history.It is also disingenous to suggest that the soldiers who served in WWII were any better than those who fought in, say, the Civil War or WWI or Vietnam. Despite the gloss Brokaw puts on his account, war is an ugly, brutal, soul-destroying thing, not at all uplifting or romantic, except perhaps in terms of the camraderie among combat soldiers. All wars have their heroes and cowards, their brilliant victories and their demoralizing disasters.I once saw Tom Brokaw on a talkshow, promoting his book, and in response to a question from the host, he was forced to awkwardly and reluctantly suggest that the American GI in WWII was better than the American GI in Vietnam. He said this was due to "bad training."Brokaw is obviously no military historian. I doubt that he could provide many specifics about those instances in WWII when badly-trained, badly-led U.S. units were mauled by veteran enemy troops (one thinks most readily of Kasserine Pass, New Guinea, and the behavior of certain American units at the beginning of the Battle of the Bulge). I doubt also that Brokaw knows much about those instances in which well-trained, well-led U.S. units in Vietnam prevailed in the face of a tough and resolute foe like the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese (Ia Drang Valley, Operation Starlite, Howard's Hill, Hue City, Bloody Ridge, etc., etc., etc.).It is true that U.S. units in Vietnam became terribly demoralized and ineffective in the last years of the war, but that was less the result of some type of generational divide as it was to the political situation; when the U.S. began pulling out of Vietnam, those troops still on the ground saw no reason to be the last man killed in a war that the country was unable to win. There were, one might note, also plenty of demoralized and ineffective units in a "good war" like WWII.Tom Brokaw simply doesn't seem to realize that the average American GI has done a good job in all of our wars, from the Revolution to Somalia. That is not to say that those who won WWII do not deserve to be honored for their bravery and sacrifice---they obviously do---but it is to say that Brokaw should not by implication denigrate the bravery and sacrifice of men who fought in unpopular wars like Korea and Vietnam in order to celebrate his so-called Greatest Generation.It is true that this Greatest Generation was able to build an economy in this country in the post-war years that provided educational and career opportunities and a standard of living for its citizens that was unheard of in the history of the world. This Greatest Generation, however, was as unable as any other generation to mend the racial divide in America (one could argue that busing and affirmative action have only made the problem worse), and it provided dismal political leadership in Korea and Vietnam. One might also mention McCarthyism, voter fraud by JFK, and, last but not least, Nixon and Watergate.Brokaw's account is basically cheerleading, not history, and is so white-washed and sunny as to be unbearable. I've always wondered if Brokaw would have written this book if SAVING PRIVATE RYAN had not sparked such a surge in WWII nostalgia.
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Summary: A Generation worth writing about.........
Review: The Greatest Generation is a wonderful collection of stories from men and women who served during the WWII, both on the front and at home. They come from all walks of life, big cites and small towns, black and white, rich and poor. With thousands of veterans pasting away everday, this book has given the men and women credit for preserving democracy and setforth the American morals and values. Many young men and women lost their lives for freedom I enjoy today, it's a shame some of the reviewers below criticize this book.
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Summary: 4 terrific tributes from veteran newscaster
Review: The Greatest Generation is Tom Brokaw's tribute to the generation of Americans who lived through the Depression, fought in World War II and built the United States in the post-war era. It is a moving tribute to a generation that was collectively marvelous.Brokaw begins The Greatest Generation by drawing upon his coverage of the 40th and 50th anniversaries of the D-Day landings. The stories of the remarkable people who participated in that historic event and war follow from his involvement at the anniversary. Essentially, the Depression hardened that generation, the war and military service gave them discipline and the GI Bill gave them opportunities to education that they would never have had otherwise. With a combination of work ethic, discipline and education that generation achieved mightily and in Brokaw's view is indeed The Greatest Generation. The Greatest Generation starts out very strongly as Brokaw explains how he became motivated to write the book and why he considers that generation to be magnificent. The stories of ordinary people who were forged by war are truly inspiring. About half way through there is a shift from people whose names are not common to those whose names are very familiar. Brokaw talks about people like George Bush, Bob Dole and war hero Joe Foss. While their stories are inspiring, I preferred the stories of the small town doctor, the black machinist and housewife with a baby who lost her husband in Holland; everyday people. Perhaps that's Brokaw's weakness. As a newsman he has been dealing with the rich and famous for too long and is no longer comfortable with plain folks. Whatever the reason, I found the first half of his story better than the second. Brokaw's tribute is specifically aimed at Americans. However, all the values that he extols are not uniquely American. In fact, two of the people he profiles were or are married to Canadians, one of who served with the famed 82nd Airborne. Furthermore, many of the people who immigrated to the US after WWII contributed to the post-war development bringing the same value system that Brokaw highlights. Perhaps The Greatest Generation is an even greater generation than Brokaw realizes. I listened to the audio version that features Brokaw reading himself. His distinctive mid-western accent and minor speech impediment do add to the poignant stories of people leaving small town USA to fight in WWII. Brokaw brings to the story a passion that is evident when he reads it himself. All in all The Greatest Generation is an enjoyable and light analysis of a large group of people. It would have been even better if he had stuck to the regular folks and not gone for the celebrities half way through.
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Summary: Recognition at last!
Review: Mr. Brokaw relates the stories of the men and women who shaped what our world is today. It is very important that these stories be told, as we are losing so many of our loved ones because of old age. It is a book that made me want to know more about my family during that time, and I'm certain this will spur many others to ask: "What was it like back then?" Excellent job!
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Summary: "The Greatest Generation Anywhere Ever." Give me a break.
Review: Tom Brokaw pays tribute to a deserving generation in his book "The Greatest Generation." However, he does so in a rather clumsy manner. Just try and read the book without constantly picturing Tom Brokaw reading it too you from his news desk. His prose is consistent with that of a news anchor, which unfortunately does not flow when read. At one point he makes some statement that this generation is "the greatest generation anywhere ever." I mean come on, that is just absurd. My advice is to skip the sections where he writes about the generation in general (the intros, conclusion, etc.) and only read the biographical sections. These sections are the heart of the book. In my opinion, one gets more from the mouths of those who lived through it than one gets from Brokaw's ineffective attempts to glorify a whole generation. In addition, I was bothered by the book's very conservative tone. One of the most important effects of WWII was the ideas, art, and literature that came out of it. Brokaw gives no lip service to those who came out on the cutting edge of modern thought. Instead, he is intent to focus on the comparatively bland veterans who just say things like "Kids these days dont have a sense of responsibility", "It taught me how to focus", etc. He should have thrown in a portrait of Vonnegut, or Heller, or someone like that.
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Summary: Greatest Generation?
Review: Greater than all the other generations of Americans? What about the generations of men and women who formed this nation, built the states, towns, farms, died on the battlefields of the Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil War, and more. In short, what about the very people who made it possible for there to even be an American WWII generation? In my opinion, the WWII generation earns a different title: The Most Arrogant Generation. Remember they also gave us the Cold War, McCarthyism and Segregation. It was also men of the WWII generation who "led" the nation into Vietnam. (Some leadership!) Actually, what I think Brokaw meant to say, is that the WWII generation was the last great American generation. What a pessimist! Thank God for young folks!
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Summary: The most violent generation
Review: Here is a book that was hailed as a best seller before it was even released. One that was fed to the public by one of America's leading talking heads, Tom Brokaw. My grandfather was at Normandy and later helped liberate several concentration camps throughout Germany. What these experiences cost him, was ultimately his life. He rarely smiled after witnessing the horrific brutality, and inhumanity that was set loose on the world in WWII and after. This book is an attempt to rewrite, an already severely inaccurate history of this period of time. Brokaw tries to take the attention from the mass slaughter that was perpetrated by BOTH sides, and instead focus on the heartwarming yet tragic human interest stories so common to todays evening news. Living through the "greatest generation", killed my grandfather's spirit, along with millions of others like him, who instead saw in it a living hell, and a disgrace to humanity.
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Summary: The heroes are in the book, NOT the book itself
Review: I did find this repetitive and at times boring. To be quite honest with you I skipped many, many pages because it was much of the same style of writing. Here we have heroes who have done amazing, courageous things only to have those heroics watered down with bland writing. It just goes to show you that almost anyone who can read, look good on a t.v. screen and speak clearly can be an anchorman
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