Rating: 
Summary: Great discussion-starter
Review: As I was reading this book we were talking about it around the office and it has led to some great discussions because there are 3 different generations represented in my office and 3 very different perceptions of "the greatest generation". Whether you agree with the premise or motives behind war, or believe there is a God or not, or if you just want to read what some very interesting characters have to say, Harry Stein's book is a must read.
The men themselves have great life stories to share, and I have to admit, I've developed a bit of a crush on the crusty and crazy Moe. If he were only 45 years younger and single....
Stein has done an outstanding job of tying in the ideals from his parents' generation to his experience in the 60s to the changes that are sweeping our country now. I don't think he demonstrated "liberal guilt" as much as he just blatantly reveals that maybe the social changes of the 60s, although had their history-making moments, may have gone too far in some ways and undermined what the older generations had worked for.
If nothing else, pick up a copy and read Chapter 14. Outstanding. Well-written and thought provoking. This is one to share.
Rating:
Summary: codgerfest
Review: For those of us who grew up in the pre-WWII era, we can identify with the tales of pre-war, wartime, and post-war discussions which are bandied about among guys who were mostly service veterans. Harry Stein has adroitly delved into the personalities of each, and one feels that he knows each of the cast personally by the end of the reading. From the blunt but innocence of "Moe," we are privy to the earthy approach of some of the others. We get to know about the mental acumen of "Cooper" and are saddened by his physical deterioration. Kudos to Harry Stein for bringing us another version, but focused on fewer people, of "The Greatest Generation."
Rating:
Summary: A Step Back In Time
Review: For those of us who grew up in the pre-WWII era, we can identify with the tales of pre-war, wartime, and post-war discussions which are bandied about among guys who were mostly service veterans. Harry Stein has adroitly delved into the personalities of each, and one feels that he knows each of the cast personally by the end of the reading. From the blunt but innocence of "Moe," we are privy to the earthy approach of some of the others. We get to know about the mental acumen of "Cooper" and are saddened by his physical deterioration. Kudos to Harry Stein for bringing us another version, but focused on fewer people, of "The Greatest Generation."
Rating: 
Summary: Physician Heal Thyself
Review: Harry Stein seems to be suffering from the conservative equivalent of liberal guilt. Contemplating the inequities of a 60's draft that he admits to having evaded, Stein philosophically strokes his chin and says, I still think the war was wrong, but maybe I should have gone; it might have been character building. Forget about the millions dead; Harry Stein could have had a character building experience!It is indeed odd that in this ode to personal responsibility, Stein so often uses the circumlocution "my generation" when he is so clearly talking about himself. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions, of his own generation fought in that war he avoided. One of them (and only one of them) is running for president right now. Another problem with this book is the way it writes off, in a way that sometimes borders on contempt, its female cast of characters. The male leadership of the 60's "revolution" that Stein now says he regrets his role in was notorious for relegating women to the kitchen and the bedroom. Reading this book, one can't help but wonder if that wasn't one part of that revolution that Stein would have kept. Indeed, the WW2 generation men Stein is writing about often seem to respect the women in their lives far more than Stein does. In spite of its flaws, however, this is a book well worth reading. If you can get past Stein's neo-conservative handwringing, there is a story here. It is a story worthy of Steinbeck, and (polemical digressions notwithstanding) Stein tells it very well indeed. This book fills an important gap in the social history of modern America, and I can only hope that some day that Stein will grow up enough to write about his own generation with the same respect and nuanced understanding that he gives the men who raised them.
Rating:
Summary: codgerfest
Review: Hey - I meant to give this 5 stars in my review! Must've hit 4 by mistake. I obviously liked the book a lot - I bought 8 copies! Please change my rating. Thanks. Susan in Spencertown
Rating:
Summary: Age Shall Not Weary Them Nor The Years Condemn
Review: How to make a group of seemingly ordinary superannuated buddies utterly fascinating. The immediate parallels might seem to be "Band of Brothers", "The Greatest Generation", "Faith of Our Fathers", or something by Mitch Albom. Furgedaboudit. This is better; much better. You really get to know & enjoy this lively group, just simple guys at first, but ultimately, you realize, complex. And you'll understand how guys from humble beginnings who were allowed to develop to their full potential in a free society helped make America great in the Twentieth Century. You'll also understand what distinguishes these guys from too many self indulgent ban-the-bomb, burn-the bra members of the author's own generation, to the detriment of the latter.
And, I'd gather, giving the back of his hand to such self indulgent boomers is what has kept the author off TV's list of PC author-interviewees. But, lest I've done the author a disservice by making his book sound like an angry work or a pure message book, be assured it's not. It's subtle & nuanced, to use an au courant buzzword & all open-minded boomers will love it. As will all non boomers. Thomas Comerford Dallas TX
Rating: 
Summary: they speak for themselves the best
Review: I enjoyed listening to Stein's transcription of these fascinating, eccentric and brave men. They have a lot to say and Stein gives them their due..but when he starts editorializing, he can be a bit annoying. In his introduction(and at various times throughout the book) Stein gets into the "good old days" business. Those days weren't all that good.
Also, I think he asumes that all of the "greatest generation" were rather conservative. Not true. They probably were more self-reliant and a bit more brave..though some were brave communists and so on, who fought in the Spanish Civil War or in the leftist underground.
All the same, he does honor these special WW11 veterans and I am glad I read the book.
Rating:
Summary: Harry Stein Does it Again
Review: I've been a Harry Stein fan for 25 years. It's (unfortunately) kind of a cult thing. I read his 'Ethics' columns in Esquire for years. 'Hoopla' is on my top ten most re-read novels. I call myself a writer but 'Hoopla' is one of those amazing books you read now and again which makes you want to take up another preoccupation like, say, finger painting. Since, I've read every novel or non-fiction book he's written and was entertained, educated and/or moved each time. This being said, when recently given 'The Girl Watchers Club' by a friend, I confess the subject matter didn't raise the customary excitement. Yeah, yeah, the Greatest Generation, saved humanity in the last crystal-clear good guys-bad guys war. I know this already, I honor them and know, deep-down, that their generation evinced a whole lot more character and courage than my 60's one ever did, or, more to the point, continues to do. A few nights later,late but wide-awake, I picked the book up expecting to be lulled to sleep soon enough. Well I wasn't, instead I got hooked and couldn't put it down until around 4 AM. Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, these WWII vets had all led amazing if mostly quiet lives. Harry Stein cost me two more relatively sleepless nights as I couldn't wait to get back to the Girl Watcher's Club each evening. It is a book which highlights Stein's strengths when he's wearing his journalist hat--a truly conversational tone. The sort of conversation you have with a good, trusted friend who happens to be incredibly smart and insightful in the bargain but possessed with the sort of genuine modesty and self-doubt you hope you too possess. In short, these men, veterans of a horror I can only try to imagine, went on to lead full lives without anger and personify everything that is great about America and ought to be conserved and honored. We're a nation of quirky, industrious, funny, generous and basically good people. Reading this fine book reminds us of this truth. It makes you want to be as life-affirming as Moe and Boyd and Harry, to emulate their positive attitudes in the face of an increasingly baffling and dangerous world.
Rating:
Summary: Codgerfest
Review: Mr Stein gracefully puts his ideology aside for this book and lets Moe, Stewart, Huff and Cooper take over. And let me tell you, these guys have a lot to say - and on every subject imaginable! (You mean my generation didn't invent sex???) As they unsentimentally recount their war experiences & limn the sublime and tragic details of their lives, you come to realize not what divides the generations who succeed each other on this planet, but what binds us together: our utter human-ness and dependance on each other. It's a truly inspiring book, filled with moments large and small and has something to say to everyone, regardless of his or her generation or political persuasion
Rating:
Summary: Measuring Up
Review: Mr. Stein's new book, though flawed, is certainly a cut above the rest of his books. His biographical sketches are kind and light-hearted. The story technique is well-crafted and flows smoothly. The interviews have depth and clarity. The dialog is witty and understated. He portrays all the characters, including himself, with affectionate charm. In stark contrast to, and interspersed in, this delightful story, are pages of hackneyed, dreary, mean-spirited moralizing. They reveal Mr. Stein's darker side, that of a pompous, judgmental misogynist. Perhaps if wiser editing prevails, Mr. Stein's future books will be worthy of his talent. I'm looking forward to his next effort.
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