Greatest Generation
| Generations |
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Intervals taken from Generations by Strauss and Howe |
The Greatest Generation is a term coined by journalist Tom Brokaw to describe the generation of Americans[1] who grew up 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 war's home front made a decisive materiel contribution to the war effort. Some of those who survived the war then went on to build and rebuild United States industries in the years following the war. It follows the Lost Generation of the 1920s and precedes the Silent Generation of the 1950s. On a world scale this generation is often referred to as "The Veterans".
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Tom Brokaw's book
Broadcast journalist Tom Brokaw wrote in his 1998 book The Greatest Generation, "this is the greatest generation any society has produced." He argued that the soldiers fought not for the fame and recognition, but because it was the right thing to do. The book was a great popular success.[2] Some critics and historians found the phenomenon overblown, or simplistic.[3][4] Others felt an implied criticism of the Baby Boomer generation, and defended that generation's social values against those of the Greatest Generation.[5]
In their 1991 book Generations, the historians William Strauss and Neil Howe use the term "G.I. Generation" to describe those born in the United States from about 1901 through 1924.
See also
- Military history of the United States during World War II
- United States home front during World War II
- Great Depression in the United States
Notes
- ^ Hun, Tristram (June 6, 2004). "One last time they gather, the Greatest Generation", The Observer. Retrieved on 14 July 2008.
- ^ Kaye, Harvey J. (November 5, 2006). "Gift From The Greatest Generation". TomPaine.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
- ^ Duke, Paul (Winter 2002). "The Greatest Generation?". The Virginia Quarterly Review. Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
- ^ Elder, Sean (July 31, 2000). "The sappiest generation". Salon.com. Retrieved on 2008-07-14.
- ^ Yardley, Jonathan (January 24, 2006). "The Big Boomer Theory". Retrieved on 14 July 2008. Review of The Greater Generation: In Defense of the Baby Boom Legacy by Leonard Steinhorn. ISBN 0312326408.
References
- The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw (1998)
- The Great Boom 1950-2000: How a Generation of Americans Created the World's Most Prosperous Society by Robert Sobel
- Generations by Strauss and Howe (1992)
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