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.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Generation--Profiles of Heros
Review: We have become accustomed to Brokaw telling us stories about heros, just in a different medium. In "The Greatest Generation", he details why people of the WWII generation were considered the Greatest Generation. These are people who survived the hardships of the depression, fought with honor for our country, and then returned home to leave productive lives while dissementating values to future generations. What touched me the most about this book, was the patriotism the people profiled in the book demonstrated. Here were people, many of them volunteers, fighting for their country and against despotism. It gave me a deep appreciation of how great our country is, and how special the people who serve in our armed forces are.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Generation
Review: Brokaw's book was interesting because it gave a variety of view points and stories. The book was well written except for when Brokaw tried to tell the stories of two or more people in one chapter. It became a little confusing because you had to keep track of who's who. Other than that The Greatest Generation is a very good book. It tell stories of love, honor, and dedication and it gives the reader a feeling of pride in our country. I recommend this book to everyone and am looking forward to read the follow up book.
Rating:
Summary: Not the greatest book
Review: The greatest generation -- without a doubt. Unfortunately, the book is not so great. It is a set of stories that all start sounding the same. The author adds very little insight to the stories. Ok, nice story, but what does it all mean? All we get are cliched observations about patriotism and work ethic. I could have reached these conclusions myself, without even reading the stories -- what value does Brokaw add? Additionally, his left-leaning bias comes through (contrast the tone in the sections on Bush, Dole and Weinberger with the ones on Inouye or Cutler). The issues of this generation, what made them great, and what led the baby boom generation that they raised so far off the track have huge potential for discussion. This book doesn't even scratch the surface of any of these issues. Instead, it is a set of similar sounding anecdotes which, though inspiring, you will forget 5 minutes after you read them. Analysis, what there is of it, is incredibly shallow and hopelessly cliched. On top of that, we are subjected to Brokaw heaping praise on his cronies and showing his liberal bias. I have the utmost respect for the WWII generation and what it accomplished, but this book doesn't do their story justice. A quick and forgettable read.
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