Rating: 
Summary: A good primer for the generations who followed
Review: The Greatest Generation doesn't recreate the overwhelming experience of WWII as well as War of the Rats or The Triumph & the Glory, or other recent best-selling novels set during WWII, but it is pretty good at what it does--which is recounting in a straight forward fashion some of what that generation endured to win a war that had to be won.
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully told...maybe too beautifully.
Review: Although less journalistic and more tributary in nature, this book hearkens back to a time that people of my generation still yearn for; a diffuse monochrome tapestry of what was once an ideal and simpler time. Or was it? Certainly there was greater emphasis placed on drawing distinctions between right and wrong, good and evil; but it seems that my memory, not unlike this book, perhaps, suffers a bit from reflective glossing. It's unlikely that any soldier sprawled out face-first on a French beachhead was reminiscing fondly about how good his life had been to that point. But certainly the demarcation lines were more clearly illustrated...Hitler was a malevolent sociopath and Churchill, a divine leader. I just wished this book had fleshed-out more of those gray areas. In fact, I recently had the opportunity to read a story about our most contemporary conflict, the war on drugs. A war, I might add, that is being fought not in the Jungles of Colombia or in the streets of LA, but rather, it is being fought in the hallowed corridors of Corporate America. Unlike "The Greatest Generation," this book seems to capture the multiple hues of gray that speckle the American canvas. The book, "Inside Job: Deep Undercover as a Corporate Spy," was one of the most engrossing and moving stories it has been my displeasure to read. That's right, the zeitgeist of this tortuous tale of ambiguous ethics and diffuse corporate operations is such that it captures best what is so different about society today versus fifty years ago. Read both of these books back-to-back and you will see what I mean.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad.....but I expected better
Review: Overall, I enjoyed this book, however, I felt that the greatest generation was given short shrift by Brokaw's concentration on war experiences. This is my parents' generation and it has always been apparent to me that their greatest strengths (and weaknesses) were forged in both the Depression and in World War II. Yet the significance could have been better shown in their many accomplishments (and failings)in shaping post-WWII America. Maybe an opportunity for a REAL sequel here (the follow-up book, Greatest Generation Speaks, is just a recycling of material not used in this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A book with great potential left unfulfilled
Review: I found this book to be disappointing. I agree with Tom Brokaw's premise that the World War II generation may be the greatest in American history, and for the reasons he cites. It is a pity that he doesn't follow through with a book that really proves his argument. What Brokaw gives the reader is a series of brief, fluffy profiles of the lives of World War II veterans from many walks of life. These stories are interesting as far as they go; unfortunately, Brokaw doesn't delve deep enough to support the main contention of his book. He seems to have concentrated on individual achievements during the war (which were inarguably outstanding), but gave relatively short shrift to his subjects' postwar achievements (which to me should have been the essential proof of Brokaw's overall premise. After all, many veterans who served in the decades since World War II have also become community leaders, doctors, lawyers, engineers, and politicians; it may be fairly argued that many of their achievements, while not yet fully tested in the crucible of history, will prove as significant as those of the generation Brokaw writes about). I also was left questioning how careful the author was in selecting the subjects about which he wrote. It seemed many of his selections were based on his own personal knowledge of the people he chronicled. Perhaps, with more research, he could have found subjects whose achievements after the war provided better support for his argument.Like other reviewers, I found the author's writing to be at best average. He writes very much like he speaks; as a long-time viewer of NBC Nightly News, I found myself almost able to hear Brokaw's voice as I read along. "The Greatest Generation" is a book which I feel has great potential left unfulfilled. It could have been a towering chronicle of the lives of some genuine American heroes, but falls short due to obviously inadequate research and a lack of focus. Its one major redeeming feature is that it has made generations of Americans since World War II understand better, and respect more, the people whose sacrifices during the war really did change the second half of the twentieth century. In doing that, this book does serve an admirable purpose.
Rating:
Summary: Poorly Written Book; Lacks Support For The Overall Premise
Review: One thing is certain - Tom Brokaw is no author. His writing abilities are fair at best. He paints broad conclusions without support. He drills on and on with cliches while giving little attention to the fascinating facts that should have dominated his account. Although many of the individuals for whom chapters are devoted have lived fascinating lives, Brokaw demonstrates an uncanny ability to reduce these stories into fluff summaries. He pays relatively little attention to what one would expect to be a main focus - combat experience. For example, Brokaw states that everyone knows about Bob Dole's war record and injuries so Brokaw won't repeat it in the book. Yet he repeats in detail aspects of Dole's political experiences with which the public is surly much more familiar. The war is much more interesting, and is the basis for the book, so why skip it? Because of these flaws and Brokaw's sub-par writing style, I finished reading this book with less respect for Brokaw's intellect than when I started. On a larger scale, the premise of the book is a simple one - that the World War II generation is the greatest generation America has put forth. However, Brokaw seems to ignore the issue of cause and effect. Brokaw fails to explain why the WWII generation caused the successes of WWII and beyond, as opposed to factual circumstance (the existence of the war and the already-existing might of the USA) simply providing avenues for success. For the majority of the people in the book, there is only a tentative connection between the war and their later endeavors. Wouldn't any generation have come to the defense of the USA? The simple fact that great individuals lived and participated in the war does not prove Brokaw's point. A book narrating the lives of great people could be created for ANY generation. Are the people that make up Generation X less able? Or is it simply that these individuals have not been forced to prove themseleves in a manner such as those in WWII? Of course, the majority of these questions are unanswerable. I agree that the USA and the world owes a great debt to the WWII generation. They have built the world as it is today. Brokaw simply presents no proof, and could not offer any proof, that other generations, if given the same situation, would not have performed as well, if not better.
Rating:
Summary: The book of the twentieth century
Review: The generation that Brokaw wrote have been through World War I and II. All the people listed in the book have moved me to look beyond how the wars have affected America. Americans are real people. A very moving book.
Rating:
Summary: Yes this is a history book, but then again...
Review: As a future historian I am amazed in how journalists can write a book on a historical topic and think they are giving an accurate historical portrayal. When I bought The Greatest Generation I was looking forward to reading some priceless primary material. I was very disappointed. The men and women who lived through WWII do have unique qualities that are not seen in other generations, but does that mean they are the greatest? I think not. They made mistakes like every other generation. There was divorce, spousal abuse, fatherless children, STD's, double standards. I respect the men and women who fought this war on the home front and the war front a great deal, but are they truly the greatest? No generation was truly great, many were just very unique. As Americans we should honor that uniqueness, but we should not forget that each generation has made their share of mistakes.
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.
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