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Summary:
In Boom!, Tom Brokaw, one of America’s premier journalists and the acclaimed author of The Greatest Generation, gives us an epic portrait of another defining era in America: the tumultuous Sixties. The voices and stories of both famous people and ordinary citizens come together in this “virtual reunion” as Brokaw takes us on a memorable journey through a remarkable time, exploring how individuals and the national mood were affected by a controversial era and showing how the aftershocks of the Sixties continue to resound in our lives today. In the reflections of a generation, Brokaw also discovers lessons that might guide us in the years ahead. Race, politics, war, feminism, popular culture, and music are all delved into here. Brokaw explores how members of this generation have gone on to bring activism and a Sixties mindset into individual entrepreneurship , as we hear stories of how this formative decade has shaped our perspectives on business, the environment, politics, family, and our national existence. Remarkable in its insights, wonderfully written and reported, this revealing book lets us join in these frank conversations about America then, now, and tomorrow.
Bonus DVD: Excerpt From 1968 with Tom Brokaw, A History Channel special
Praise for Boom!
“Tom Brokaw does an excellent job of capturing an exciting, controversial period in American history and Boom! is a worthy addition to his growing canon.”–New York Post
“[Tom Brokaw] approaches this magnum opus with warmth, curiosity and conviction, the same attributes that worked so well for his Greatest Generation.” –The New York Times
“[A] verbal scrapbook of the Sixties . . . [Boom! shows] that the era’s core issues–racism, women’s rights, a nation-dividing war–remain central today, and that the values boomers championed haven’t yet gone bust.” –People (four stars)
“Packed with memorable people, places, events . . . A ‘virtual reunion’ of 1960s folks telling what they did back then, where they’ve been since and how they assess that tumultuous decade.” –Chicago Tribune
“Genuinely fascinating recollections . . . plenty of memorable anecdotes.” –The Wall Street Journal
Customer Reviews:
Average Customer Rating:
A terrific ride!
Customer Rating:
For people like myself, who came of age in the early 60's, this book is just great. Brokaw deserves tremendous credit for his professionalism and his agreeable style. It was wonderful to retrace those steps, relive those times with Tom (also my age), especially through the biographies of all those people. Wonderful that he thought to put in so many photos of them, then and now!
How To Make A Mountain Out Of A Dung Hill
Customer Rating:
It isn't fair of me to compare Boom! to The Greatest Generation, since the topics are dissimilar and few subjects contain the power and scope of a discussion of World War Two. That said, Boom! was not on the same plane as Brokaw's earlier book, and frankly this one bored me, which came as a surprise. I only mention The Greatest Generation in the same context as Boom! because Mr. Brokaw and many others did before me. To be blunt, Boom! rode on Generation's coat tails.
I suppose I can point out two main problems with Boom!--subject matter and tone.
Firstly, admittedly, I did not intensely care about its subject matter or (with some exceptions) the people whose stories Boom! contained. Several hundred pages on the causes of the 1960's divide in American society does not make for compelling or uplifting reading, and the players in those times were frequently unworthy of enshrining. The opportunities Brokaw gave his interviewees to reflect too often became acts of glorifying what to them was a time of great personal meaning: more often than not their "glory days." Add to this the simple truth that I found myself disliking most of those about whom I was reading, disapproving of Brokaw's closed-mindedness once he had decided which side he would come down supporting (c'mon does he have to use the word "redneck" so readily?) and feeling that too many of those re-telling the story of the "real" (as opposed to the calendar) 1960's weren't worthy of the star treatment they were getting.
Yes, I was disappointed in Boom! and finished it knowing less about the zeitgeist of the era than about the egos of those who were there. Brokaw was able to use his personal fame and street cred from The Greatest Generation to get a bloated book published when a less famous writer would have had her manuscript cut to ribbons by a less fawning editor. After Boom! I....find myself not liking Tom Brokaw that much anymore.
1960's
Customer Rating:
Tom Brokaw is right on in this book. I enjoyed going back to the 60's. It was another time and another era. I was glad to be part of it.
Surprised
Customer Rating:
First, let me just say that I am surprised. I figured a left wing media guy with a left wing reputation would have written a left wing book, but this wasn't the case. Having been in college in the late Sixties myself, I lived through much of what this book talks about. I wondered what happened to some of the prominent figures of the time. Brokaw does a tremendous job of reporting fairly on all topics and interviewing both the left wing and the right wing zealots of today, no matter how they began during Boom times. I read the book very slowly, trying to savor it, and I will do it again.
Very Informative Book
Customer Rating:
Since I was 15 in 1968 I came in on the very end of the Sixties. I learned that there was a whole lot more going on than I had realized. If you have a yearning to know what it was like, then do yourself a favor and read this. I found it very easy to read. You will be introduced to names you may have heard, but had no idea what their contribution to life was.
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