The Greatest Generation (book)

For the generation described herein, see Greatest Generation. For other uses, see Greatest Generation (disambiguation).

The Greatest Generation is a 1998 book by journalist Tom Brokaw^[1][2] that profiles those who grew up in the United States during the deprivation of the Great Depression and then went on to fight in World War II as well as those whose productivity within the home front during World War II made a decisive material contribution to the war effort. The book popularized the term Greatest Generation for the name of the cultural generation before the Silent Generation.^[3][4]

The Greatest Generation

Author	Tom Brokaw
Language	English
Genre	Non-fiction
Publisher	Random House
Publication date	1998
Publication place	United States

Summary

Brokaw profiles those who came of age during World War II in the United States, stemming from his attendance at the D-Day 40th anniversary celebrations. In the book, Brokaw wrote that "it is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced." He argued that these men and women fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the "right thing to do."^[5]

See also

• Military history of the United States during World War II
• United States home front during World War II