The Greatest Generation Speaks
by Tom Brokaw
Overview
From the Publisher
"I first began to appreciate fully all we owed the World War II generation while I was covering the fortieth and fiftieth anniversaries of D-Day for NBC News. When I wrote in The Greatest Generation about the men and women who came out of the Depression, who won great victories and made lasting sacrifices in World War II and then returned home to begin building the world we have today--the people I called the Greatest Generation--it was my way of saying thank you. I felt that this tribute was long overdue, but I was not prepared for the avalanche of letters and responses touched off by that book.
"Members of that generation were, characteristically, grateful for the attention and modest about their own lives as they shared more remarkable stories about their experiences in the Depression and during the war years.
"Their children and grandchildren were eager to share the lessons and insights they gained from the stories they heard about the lives of a generation now passing on too swiftly. They wanted to say thank you in their own way. I had wanted to write a book about America, and now America was writing back.
"The letters, many of them written in firm Palmer penmanship on flowered stationery, have given me a much richer understanding not only of those difficult years but also of my own life. They give us new, intensely personal perspectives of a momentous time in our history. They are the voices of a generation that has given so much and wants to share even more.
"Some of the letters were written from the front during the war, or from families to their loved ones in harm’s way in distant places. There were firsthand accounts of battles and poignant reflections on loneliness, exuberant expressions of love and somber accounts of loss.
"It seems that everyone in that generation has something worthwhile to contribute, and so we have included some pages in The Greatest Generation Speaks for others to share memories at once inspirational and instructive.
"If we are to heed the past to prepare for the future, we should listen to these quiet voices of a generation that speaks to us of duty and honor, sacrifice and accomplishment. I hope more of their stories will be preserved and cherished as reminders of all that we owe them and all that we can learn from them.
— Tom Brokaw
My thoughts
As we were boxing up things from the estate of a family member, I came across this book on audio tape. I'd purchased the book intending to read it, however I hadn't gotten around to reading it yet. I brought the tapes home thinking I might get to them before I got to the book.
My opportunity came when some work was needed on the house before we put it on the market. I popped in the cassette tapes and started peeling wallpaper.
I was unprepared for the impact these audio tapes would have on me. Many a day tears would run down my cheeks as I scraped wallpaper, listening to the audio tape. The stories were incredibly powerful and touching, and I was literally moved to tears. I learned so much about the people who lived during World War II. You have to respect them for all they went through and for the sacrifices made.
I was mistaken about the book, however. I didn't realize that The Greatest Generation and The Greatest Generation Speaks
were two different books. Speaks is the sequel to The Greatest Generation. Regardless of the order in which you read the books, I highly recommend them. These are stories that deserve to be told.
