The Greatest Generation

The Greatest Generation is a book and term made popular by journalist Tom Brokaw which describe those who grew up in the United States 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 material contribution to the war effort.

The Greatest Generation is the title of Tom Brokaw's 1998 book profiling those who came of age during World War II in the US, stemming from his attendance at the D-Day 40th anniversary celebrations. In the book, Brokaw wrote, "it is, I believe, the greatest generation any society has ever produced". He argued that these men and women fought not for fame and recognition, but because it was the "right thing to do".