We the Readers Book Group: The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw

In this magnificent testament to a nation and her people, Tom Brokaw brings to life the extraordinary stories of a generation that gave new meaning to courage, sacrifice, and honor.

From military heroes to community leaders to ordinary citizens, he profiles men and women who served their country with valor, then came home and transformed it: Senator Daniel Inouye, decorated at the front, fighting prejudice at home; Martha Settle Putney, one of the first black women to serve in the newly formed WACs; Charles Van Gorder, a doctor who set up a MASH-like medical facility in the middle of battle, then opened a small clinic in his hometown; Navy pilot and future president George H. W. Bush, assigned to read the mail of the enlisted men under him, who says that in doing so he “learned about life”; and many other laudable Americans.

To this generation that gave so much and asked so little, Brokaw offers eloquent tribute in true stories of everyday heroes in extraordinary times.

Upcoming Discussions for 2026

January: Benjamin Franklin’s Last Bet by Michael Meyer

February: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson

March: The Woman’s Hour by Elaine Weiss

April: Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick 

May: American Sphinx by Joseph Ellis

June: The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw

July: Blue Highways- A Journey into America by William Least Heat-Moon