Synopsis
Inspired by the thousands of letters Tom Brokaw received in response to his bestselling book The Greatest Generation, The Greatest Generation Speaks highlights selected letters that capture the spirit of those who came of age during the Great Depression.
Members of the World War II generation and their families speak for themelves in these powerful letters and Tom Brokaw reflects on why their lives continue to strike such a deep chord with Americans today. Stories of war, love, family, faith and country echo throughout the memories. These rich lives of courage, achievement and honor comprise the values that made a people and a nation great.
Publishers Weekly
Brokaw's TV anchorman voice is deep and reassuring, with a remarkable air of patriarchal authority. With so much puff-chested attitude, he launches into this tape's introduction, explaining that the letters and comments contained came to him in a responsive outpouring in reaction to his book The Greatest Generation, which chronicled the varied experiences of World War II veterans. For him, these missives expressed a shared sense of "values," since lost in American life. The material itself is far less posturing, mostly clear-eyed remembrances from former soldiers, medics, clergy and reporters who served in Europe and Asia. From the home front come stories from women munitions workers, war widows and war orphans. Finally, the author tells of making efforts to reunite parties long-ago separated by tragic events. Here, the matters described move vividly into the present, giving the program a sense of real drama and pathos. Based on the 1999 Random hardcover. (Dec.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.