One Book One Lexington 2008: The Greatest Generation

In his bestselling book, The Greatest Generation, journalist Tom Brokaw tells the story of the men and women who came of age during the Great Depression and World War II and went on to build modern America. Brokaw grew up knowing the achievements of his parents’ generation, but as he covered the 40th anniversary of the Allied landing at Normandy, France in 1984, he began to see — and hear — the true extent of their accomplishments.

They came home to joyous, yet short-lived celebrations and immediately began the task of rebuilding lives, families, and communities in a world that had been devastated by war. They married in record numbers, and gave birth to another generation: The Baby Boomers. Thanks in part to the GI Bill, it was possible for more of them to attend college than any society had ever educated. They gave the world new science, literature, art, industry and economic strength unparalleled in history.

As this group reaches the twilight of their lives, they have so many stories to share, stories that they may have never told because they didn’t think what they were doing was that special — because everyone else was doing the same thing.

By selecting this title for the 2008 One Book One Lexington program, the Lexington Public Library can, in a small way, pay tribute to the men and women of our community who have given us the world we have today, by helping to share their stories with you and with generations to come.

One Book One Lexington is supported by the Friends of the Lexington Public Library.

Journalist Tom Brokaw’s broadcast career has spanned over 40 years, beginning in Omaha, Nebraska. During the early 1970s, he served as the Washington correspondent for NBC News, then hosted the Today Show from 1976-1982. He went on to become the anchor of NBC Nightly News and remained in that position until 2004.

During his career, he covered the Watergate scandal, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since his retirement from the anchor seat, Brokaw has produced several specials for NBC News, including stories based on his bestselling books, The Greatest Generation and The Greatest Generation Speaks. In 2007, he authored his most recent book, Boom: Voices of the Sixties: Personal Reflections on the ‘60s and Today.

March 15 through April 18 the library will be recording WWII oral histories. People wanting to tell their stories, whether they were veterans or lived on the home front, are invited to schedule a time to record by calling (859) 231-5577. The oral histories recorded during this time will be submitted to the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, where they will be preserved as part of a national online database of oral histories.

Do you have your own World War II story from either firsthand or secondhand experience? Did your family talk about the war, or were those memories something that remained buried like the memories of those featured in the book?
Brokaw emphasized the themes of personal responsibility, honesty, and integrity as traits important to those who fought in the war. Has our country lost those personality traits?
Brokaw mentions that sometimes those exposed to so much inhumanity decide either consciously or unconsciously to devote their lives to those less fortunate or to good works. How is that different from today where, according to Charles O. Van Gorder, people think, “How much money can I make?” not “What can I do, how much can I help?”
Brokaw says this generation, raised in the Depression and asked to fight World War II, has no expectations for what they deserve and what is owed them. What difference do you think that made in their outlook and behavior as compared to later generations who had high expectations for what they wanted and deserved?
Brokaw mentions a common lament of the greatest generation: “Where is the old-fashioned patriotism that got them through so much heartache and sacrifice?” Looking at the current political situation in the United States, how do we compare to the “greatest generation?”
World War II opened the world up for the people who served. Not only did they leave the communities they lived in for other U.S. and international locations, but they were exposed to different career choices and options that would not have been available to them if they had stayed home. They were also introduced to women working in jobs believed to be solely men’s work and to people of different races. How much did World War II and this incidental exposure shape how our country looks today?
A World War II veteran observed “peace is never more than a period of sanity between wars for rebuilding and planning the next one.” Do you agree with this comment, or are you optimistic that such a war won’t happen again?
Although many view this group as “the greatest generation,” many believe that they are far from perfect. Discuss the mistakes that were made. Consider such things as letting racism continue for so long, and being slow to respond to the place of women in society.
Was this America’s “greatest generation?” Why or why not?

Enjoy many exciting programs about our 2008 One Book One Lexington selection.

Films of the Greatest Generation

Central Library, 231-5549

Casablanca - Tuesday, April 1, 2 & 6:30 PM
The Bridge on the River Kwai - Tuesday, April 8, 2 & 6 PM
The Best Years of Our Lives - Tuesday, April 15, 2 & 6 PM
From Here to Eternity - Tuesday, April 22, 2 & 6:30 PM

Beaumont Branch, 231-5570

Casablanca - Wednesday, April 9, 6:30-8:30 PM
The Bridge on the River Kwai - Saturday, April 12, 1 PM
Victory - Wednesday, April 16, 6:30-8:30 PM

For Adults, reservations required.

Tates Creek Branch, 231-5580

Casablanca - Saturday, April 5, 1-4 PM
The Best Years of Our Lives - Saturday, April 12, 1-4 PM

Meet Molly and Learn About the Greatest Generation

Tuesday, April 1, 1-2:30 PM - Eagle Creek Branch, 231-5560
Ages 6-12, reservations required.

When I Was a Kid

Thursday, April 3, 10:30 AM, Central Library, 231-5534
Ages 6-12, reservations required.

Victory Through Air Power

Sunday, April 6, 2 PM
Northside Branch, 231-5590, Ages 10-up.

Weapons of WWII

Monday, April 7, 7-9 PM
Northside Branch, 231-5590, For Adults.

Swinging/Bailando el Swing

Tuesday, April 8, 6-7 PM - Village Branch
231-5575, Ages 8-up. Las edades 8 and up.

Tea With the Greatest Generation

Wednesday, April 9, 6-8 PM - Northside Branch, 231-5590
Ages 15-up, reservations required.

My Memoirs: Voices of a Generation with Arwen Donahue

Thursday, April 10, 1:30-2:30 PM Tates Creek Branch, 231-5580
For Adults, reservations required.

Animated Shorts of World War II

Thursday, April 10, 7 PM
Northside Branch, 231-5590, Ages 10-up.

Celebrate the Greatest Generation: Show and Tell

Saturday, April 12, 2 PM
Eagle Creek Branch, 231-5560, All Ages, reservations required.

Film Discussion Group: One Book

Monday, April 14, 6 PM
Eagle Creek Branch, 231-5560

Gardening for Victory: A Home Gardener’s History

Tuesday, April 15, 7 PM - Tates Creek Branch, 231-5580
Wednesday, April 16, 2 PM - Eagle Creek Branch, 231-5560
Tuesday, April 15, 6 PM - Village Branch, 231-5575
Thursday, April 17, 7 PM - Beaumont Branch, 231-5570
Saturday, April 19, 10 AM - Central Library, 231-5530
Saturday, April 19, 2 PM - Northside Branch, 231-5590
For Adults, reservations required.