How the Greatest Generation Works

In "The Greatest Generation," Tom Brokaw argues that the World War II generation's perseverance through difficult times is a testament to their extraordinary character. Their remarkable actions, during times of war and peace, ultimately made the United States a better place in which to live. Born and raised in a tumultuous era marked by war and economic depression, Brokaw asserts, these men and women developed values of "personal responsibility, duty, honor and faith." These characteristics helped them to defeat Hitler, build the American economy, make advances in science and implement visionary programs like Medicare. According to Brokaw, "[a]t every stage of their lives they were part of historic challenges and achievements of a magnitude the world had never before witnessed."

Brokaw credits the Greatest Generation with much of the freedom and affluence that Americans enjoy today. "They have given the succeeding generations the opportunity to accumulate great economic wealth, political muscle, and the freedom from foreign oppression to make whatever choices they like," he writes. Despite these achievements, however, Brokaw believes that the Greatest Generation remains remarkably humble about what they've done. He concludes, "[i]t is a generation that, by and large, made no demands of homage from those who followed and prospered economically, politically, and culturally because of its sacrifices."

In an effort to personify these lofty accomplishments, Brokaw profiles a few dozen members of the Greatest Generation, including some who gained significant notoriety in the years following World War II. Andy Rooney, best known for his segment on television's "60 Minutes," was a young sergeant reporting for the Army's newspaper, Stars and Stripes, during the war. Another notable member of this generation was Julia Child, an American chef who spent the war years working for the Office of Strategic Services (a precursor to the Central Intelligence Agency). Several prominent politicians also served in World War II. George Bush, the 41st president of the United States, was a Navy Air Corps pilot who survived after being shot down during a bombing run on a Japanese target. Another was 1996 presidential candidate Bob Dole, an Army lieutenant who was gravely wounded as he led a charge against a fortified German position.

Brokaw is passionate in his favorable assessment of such people and the ideals they represent. Click over to the next page to learn what moved him to write about this generation and how others criticize his nostalgic viewpoint.

Tom Brokaw is not himself a member of the Greatest Generation, but his life and career experiences have given him a healthy respect for its members. As a child, he lived at a United States Army Ordnance Depot in Igloo, S.D. There, his father, Red Brokaw, served as a civilian snowplow and construction machinery operator, as well as a maintenance man. While Red was drafted for service in World War II, the base commander at Igloo called him back home to continue his work at the ordnance depot. Brokaw's father-in-law, Merritt "Doc" Auld was a front-line surgeon in North Africa and Italy during the war. Doc's service was so extensive that he only saw his daughter, Meredith, once during her first five years of life. These figures undoubtedly influenced Brokaw's enthusiastic view of the Greatest Generation.

Brokaw was also exposed to many men and women from the World War II generation during his illustrious 39-year journalism career. In fact, he coined the term "Greatest Generation" while covering an event celebrating the 50th anniversary of D-Day. When co-anchor Tim Russert asked Brokaw what he thought of the assembled crowd of veterans, he spontaneously responded, "I think this is the greatest generation any society has ever produced."

Not everyone agrees with Brokaw's complimentary evaluation of the World War II generation. Brokaw himself admits that the men and women of this time made mistakes when it came to McCarthyism, racism and women's rights. For many critics, however, the problem isn't only what the Greatest Generation got wrong but how Brokaw portrays them and their actions. They see his book as simplistic glorification that glosses over the desperation and bloodiness of war. Furthermore, some skeptics argue, the perceived "greatness" of that generation is due in part to the clear good-versus-evil nature of World War II. It's not known, for example, how the Vietnam generation might have responded to their defining conflict if they had faced off against Hitler instead of the vague threat of communism.

Ultimately, it's difficult to say how the Greatest Generation ranked among the others. As with any generation, they achieved great successes and perpetuated serious failures. Ask Tom Brokaw, though, and he will reiterate, "this is the greatest generation any society has ever produced."