Rating: 
Summary: Greatest generation, but not the greatest writing . . .
Review: I so wanted to enjoy this book. My grandparents, people I love dearly, are part of this "Greatest Generation" so it was with great enthusiasm that I read this book. In my mind it would be a sort of homage to them. Unfortunately, I am still struggling to get past the poor writing. Obviously, Brokaw is a journalist and not a writer, but I expected that even he would be able to spin a compelling collection of stories that would make me (someone who actually already believes that they are) see this generation as being "the greatest." Sadly, Tom, it takes more than simply calling them that. I found myself wishing I could have a dollar for each time Brokaw slapped a superlative on some poorly told tale and expected me to come out feeling that these individuals were the best of the best. I am certain that there are stories out there (and maybe even some that were in the book) that would answer the promise of the book's title. Unfortunately, Brokaw (1) cannot write, and (2) is so self-important that he thought just telling me I should admire this generation would be enough. These stories should have told themselves. They did not. I was sorely disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth reading, but not for the reason Brokaw wrote it
Review: This book is well written and should be mandatory reading for Congress, the President, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff before they consider sending anyone off to war. Brokaw vividly describes how war (and WWII in particular) effects individuals. Those in combat as well as those who stay behind. Where this book falls short, however, is in Brokaw's theory that this was the Greatest Generation. This same book could have been written about the generation who fought the Civil War, WWI or any other war. Also, the individuals he writes about often disprove his own arguments. For example, several times during the early chapters Brokaw writes that this generation didn't believe in divorce. It just wasn't an option. Later in the book, however, he talks about one individual and "his ex-wives." This isn't the only contradiction in the book. Brokaw's attempt to make this book prove something more detracts from what would otherwise be an excellent book.
Rating:
Summary: Am I missing something?
Review: What is so special about this book? I am a baby boomer that has always respected the sacrifices that the WWII generation had to endure both oversees and at home. Do I need Tom Brokaw to reinforce this? Please! I stopped about half way through; to me it was 200 pages of senior citizen complaints about the younger generations.
Rating: 
Summary: A long thank you
Review: This book is in a real sense a long and general thank you letter to a generation. While the flavor of appreciation comes across as very real in this book I was hoping for a more acedemic and researched direction. I was dissapointed. The generation of the 40's deserves this book for the gratitude that it heaps on them, though I don't agree they are quite the saints as they are protrayed. Not much substance...Please some historian/writer follow the idea and write a proper book!
Rating:
Summary: Worth the read
Review: I hesitate to give this book only three stars, because it might not signify how much I appreciated reading it. I'm two generations removed from Brokaw's "Greatest Generation" and while I consider myself somewhat educated had never really appreciated the sacrifices made during WWII. So why didn't I give it a higher rating? Probably because I save those 4 and 5 star ratings for books one can truly call great -- ones which are that rare combination of style and content that result in a great work of art. There's little that is artistic about Brokaw's book, nor should there be. It is reported in a journalistic style, of course. But that being said, it is a book well worth reading and one that I recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Great topic, poor writing style
Review: Tom Brokaw has chosen a fanastic topic: the Baby boomers' parents. Their life & times, trials & stamina through the Depression, war(s), and raising families. I wish an author with a bit of distance and vision would have done the actual writing of this book. As it is, Brokaw cannonizes his subjects and does a poor job telling the real story. I hope this topic gets explored further by someone other than Brokaw, who has little talent as a writer. I was very disappointed reading this book and I made the mistake of buying gift copies for my elderly war vet friend & neighbors, and my own Father without pre-reading it. Live and learn, I guess. Sorry, I had expectations of being thrilled with this book...but wasn't.
Rating: 
Summary: Tice's Book Better
Review: Mr. Brokaw has done the century a fine service. But for my money, I prefer D.J. Tice's 'Minnesota's Twentieth Century: Stories of Extraordinary Everyday People.' You needn't be from Minnesota (or even know where Minnesota is!) to appreciate these elegantly crafted accounts of lives otherwise little-remembered. The chapter on the Influenza Epidemic of 1918 is alone worth the price of the book. And let us never forget the Duluth lynching of 1920. You've forgotten already? That's why you need this book. Five stars.
Rating: 
Summary: Tom Brokaw's, The Greatest Generation
Review: This book should be required reading for every high school history class. The sacrifices of those who fought in WWII should NEVER BE FORGOTTEN. Several chapters will give you a lump in the throat, if not tears in your eyes. However on page 139, Mr. Brokaw refers to General George S. Patton's IVORY HANDLED pistols as Pearl Handled. General Patton corrected a journalist on this subject by saying "Only a pimp in a New Orleans whorehouse would have a pearl handled pistol."
Rating:
Summary: A thoughtful portrait
Review: When I began this book, I knew it was about my parents' generation. I did not understand that it covered so thoroughly their sacrifices in and around World War II. Throughout the book, I thought about my uncle, who was in Europe and Japan during the war. I gained a greater understanding of the way members of my family, my friends' parents and people in the public eye behaved. Tom Brokaw presents a compelling picture of the values and fortitude that contribute positively to the fabric of our society. Without pointing out the differences, he demonstrates very well what we have lost in our generation. His words are minimal and important. He does not write one word that does not need to be included. The stories are spare; he draws us into the lives of the people he presents. I finished the book reluctantly, glad I read it, filled with a new understanding and wanting more. Thank goodness there is a sequel!
Rating:
Summary: They are the best of us all.
Review: The American experience today seems, all too often, full of divisiveness and distrust. I've heard my elders complain that today's youth seem too self-absorbed and have it too soft. Hard work, sacrifice and personal responsibility seem to be forgotten values. Younger Americans wonder why their grandparents are so critical. If all members of my generation sat down and read Tom Brokaw's "The Greatest Generation", I wonder how much cross-generational strife would be cleared up in the process. The World War II generation was probably the greatest generation America has yet produced. They journeyed across the seas to defeat Germany and Japan. But the work they did in the war is only half of the story. When these veterans returned home they went to college on the GI Bill (a government program of such far-reaching success that not even the most ardent anti-government conservative can dispute that government does right), and rebuilt a Depression-ravaged America. They raised a new generation of Americans, and fought what President John F. Kennedy called "the long twilight struggle" between capitalism & freedom, and communism & repression that was the cold war. Anyone who reads Brokaw's book will come away with a profound sense of admiration for the sacrifices and hard work their elders made to fight the evil that threatened the free world over the last fifty years. "The Greatest Generation" reads almost as a companion to "Citizen Soldiers", Stephen Ambrose's first-rate look at the soldiers who went off to fight World War II. It is doubtful that anyone who reads either book will walk away disappointed.
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