The Greatest Generation

I was listening to NPR the other morning and they were interviewing Tom Brokaw about his new book Boom. He was on the air pimping his new book, but also telling stories about his career and the many crazy things he has reported on over the years. Naturally, talk turned to his book The Greatest Generation. Call me a Gen X whiner, but the nickname that Brokaw coined for the folks that lived as young adults through World War II irritates me to no end. I am in no way trying to diminish the sacrifices made by those who pulled us through those challenging years! But this title does leave me with a feeling of defeat - kind of a "why bother" attitude that my generation is famous for.

I've never read this book, so I am not sure of the context of the moniker's creation. It just seems so absolute, and since it is quoted so often, it caught on pretty fast. I wonder if Brokaw realizes how far-reaching the sobriquet would be when he created it. It certainly has colored my view of my own generation and others - and not for the better. Perhaps that is the bane of my generation.