100 Books Like The Greatest Generation

Before I began to read this book, I knew it was about the men who raised the stars and stripes atop Mt. Suribachi, a photograph of which became an iconic image of the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Pacific War. Indeed, the book meticulously conveys the story of the six flag raisers, men who were representative of the U.S. Marines and those who fought at Iwo Jima.

Their lives are fascinating in themselves. But as I discovered, the book is much more. It a gripping account of the Battle, where the Americans sustained more casualties than the Japanese, a moving tribute to the courage, valor, and camaraderie of the Marines, and a thorough exploration of myths surrounding the flag raising and its effects on the flag raisers.

The Mosquito Bowl was a football game between two Marine regiments that was played on Christmas Eve 1944 on Guadalcanal. Only one brief chapter is devoted to the game itself, which, as one reviewer noted, “is both a pretext and an organizing principle for the book.”

Bissinger tells the stories of several of the players, many of whom were from big-name schools. The players came alive as I learned about their families and upbringing, achievements on the gridiron, how they became Marines, and their wartime experiences. I was reminded of the sacrifices their generation made. I cared about them and hoped they would survive the bloodbath at Okinawa, where fifteen of the players in the Mosquito Bowl were killed.

This book is about the author’s brother, Elden: life in his hometown of Vega, Texas, and his experience as a Navy seaman aboard the USS Franklin. Elden’s letters provide the framework for the story but consist almost entirely of small talk and gossip. Yet as Rogers expands on the letters, I learned how life in Vega differed from today’s world and how it was affected by the war. Rogers’ reconstruction of Elden’s almost daily experience during the year he served in the Navy was also enlightening.

The Franklin was the most heavily damaged aircraft carrier to survive the war, and Rogers provides gripping accounts of a kamikaze attack at Leyte and a horrific bombing near mainland Japan in March 1945 that killed over 800 seamen, including his brother Elden.

Of the books I have read consisting of collections of World War II letters, this is the best. The significance of mail during the war cannot be overestimated. Mail was a morale booster for the troops and a lifeline between loved ones at home and those on the war front. A massive number of letters—in the billions—were transmitted.

Charles and Barbara’s letters cover over four years in their lives, from August 1941 to November 1945. Mail sustained their relationship when they were often separated during their courtship and early years of their marriage, and during the 18 months that Charles was in Europe. Through their correspondence, I learned about the private lives of ordinary people caught in the sweep of history.

I love anything WWII, and especially books devoted to this era. When I heard about a book by Cleo Lampos and Gail Kittleson that was dedicated to food research during WWII, I purchased it, very curious. And I have not been disappointed!

With twenty-four fact-filled chapters covering the home front, the military, and European challenges, I have come to appreciate how food played a valuable role in the war, bringing the Greatest Generation, especially women, together in America. I had never heard of the role potatoes, M&Ms, and spam played in the war, plus much more.

The photographs and recipes enrich the authenticity of this well-researched book.

This could be the American version of The Words of War, since it has the same qualities and flaws, this time focusing only on American troops (in Europe as in the Pacific). The quality of the letters is excellent, and I know how difficult it is to find some with historically relevant content (due to the censorship of the time). They were in fact collected during the war, thanks to solicitations through Indiana newspapers, and the authors chose 131 letters out of the 3,500 they received! As far as I am concerned, my selection for my own book was even stricter and more difficult, since I was not dealing with one American State but with all the allied countries, that I was collecting the letters by myself (auction sites, other collectors...), and that this search was done 70 years after the facts. Anyway, those are fantastic accounts!

Although the title of this non-fiction book suggests the level is for teenagers, as a baby boomer, I thoroughly appreciated the author’s portrayal of the historical arc of the war.

Hands down, it’s a great book for adults as well. Mack-Jackson’s timelines and descriptions of the major battles and military strategies, including the prelude to World War II, are very well researched and written for easy comprehension of a worldwide war.

The allegiance to country and sacrifices to a cause beyond self of the Greatest Generation American soldiers, pilots, and sailors can never be doubted after reading this book.

This book is a gift to readers of World War II history. I had had it on my to-be-read list for years and finally opened the page earlier this year.

The prose is heart-grabbing and nerve-rattling and helped me better understand the unfathomable—flying in a WWII-era bomber, my hands frostbitten and bleeding, a tiny piece of shrapnel lodged in my eye as I try to reassemble my plane’s radio. Far from just another story of young men doing their duty to their country.

In this book, Adams demonstrates the irony of his book’s title.

While characterizations about World War II as a “good war” flourished for decades after the conflict ended, The Best War Ever punches holes in this narrative. Like all wars, Americans on the battlefield experienced brutality, boredom, atrocities, and life-long trauma. Americans on the home front were never as united at the time as they would later remember.

While myths about World War II continue to circulate in the twenty-first century, Adams shows that they are no longer unchallenged.

I was so taken by the first handsome volume of Soldiers’ Stories that I submitted stories for this one. The Wilson family story is laid out so well across eleven pages of this treasure. Five brothers served. Only two came home.

There are stories of men and women from every branch of the service, some who survived, some who did not. The memoirs are written by the veterans themselves, by family members, or interested friends.

There are stories about the Manhattan Project, Red Cross workers, Rosie the Riveter, men who have adopted the overseas graves of American fallen, even one who found dog tags in Belgium and did the research to find family members. One veteran is honored by memories of his 12-year-old great-grandson. Michelle Obama's grandfather's service is also documented.