Letters from the Greatest Generation, Howard Peckham
Letters from the Greatest Generation, Howard Peckham
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Letters from the Greatest Generation
Writing Home in WWII

Author: Howard Peckham, Shirley A. Snyder, James H. Madison

Narrator: Donald Corren

Unabridged: 16 hr

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/05/2016

Synopsis

Victory and defeat, love and loss are the prevalent realities of Letters from the Greatest Generation, a remarkable and frank collection of World War II letters penned by American men and women serving overseas.Here, the hopes and dreams of the greatest generation fill each page, and their voices ring loud and clear. “It’s all part of the game but it’s bloody and rough,” wrote one soldier to his wife. “Wearing two stripes now and as proud as an old cat with five kittens,” marked another. Yet, as many countries rejoiced on V-E Day, soldiers were “too tired and sad to celebrate.” While visiting a German concentration camp, one man wrote, “I don’t like Army life but I’m glad we are here to stop these atrocities.” True to the everyday thoughts of these fighters, this collection of letters can be as amusing as it is worrying. As one soldier noted, “I know lice don’t crawl so I figured they were fleas.”A fitting tribute to all veterans, this book is one every American should own.

About Howard Peckham

Howard Peckham (1910–1995) was a professor emeritus of history at the University of Michigan. Aside from writing several books for both children and adults, he was also a founder and early editor of American Heritage.

About Shirley A. Snyder

Shirley A. Snyder (1924–1999) was an editor for the Indiana Historical Society. She edited for the Indiana Historical Bureau for thirty-one years.

About James H. Madison

James H. Madison is the Thomas and Kathryn Miller Professor of History Emeritus at Indiana University–Bloomington.

About Donald Corren

Donald Corren is an audiobook narrator and a New York actor with leading credits on and Off-Broadway, as well as numerous television appearances. On Broadway, he costarred with Judy Kaye in the critically acclaimed production of Souvenir, and replaced Harvey Fierstein in the seminal production of Torch Song Trilogy. His Off-Broadway appearances include The Soap Myth, Dietrich & Chevalier, The Last Sunday in June, Stephen Sondheim’s Saturday Night, and the original New York production of Tomfoolery. His television credits include eight seasons as forensic tech Medill on NBC’s Law & Order, as well as his current role as Dr. Kurian on Syfy’s Z Nation.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Alifa on July 06, 2022

I got this book because the letters were collected from Hoosiers, and as a Hoosier myself, I was interested. The veterans (some of whose letters are published posthumously) are writing from the various battlefields of World War II, or during the occupation of Japan. Most harrowing are the accounts fr......more

Goodreads review by Patrick on March 03, 2019

After starting this book I realized that all the letters were from service men and women from Indiana. Since I spent a good portion of my younger life as a Hoosier I found this even more interesting. Some very interesting letters, Each letter is prefaced by a short bio of the writer. many of these w......more

Goodreads review by Melinda on December 18, 2017

This book was very well put together. Each section had a short history as well as a description of each person who wrote the letter. As I was reading the letters, I really felt like I was there. I could feel what each person was feeling, and I felt the sadness as I realized that some of the letters......more

Goodreads review by Jane on March 03, 2019

World War 2 Story This is an excellent book. It is letters written home by soldiers during the war. They are from every theater and from all ranks. The letters are thoughtfu and tell of every day happenings as well as big battles. So many of them seemed to be grateful to serve in the war......more

Quotes

“These letters build up a picture of war, piece by piece, until the total effect is almost unbearable…Every American should read them at least once a year.” Indiana Magazine of History

“An intimate portrait of the mundane and remarkable, of heroism and terror, of friendship and loss.” Matthew L. Basso, author of Men at Work

“These letters give voices to the men and women who served, letting them tell their own stories of loss, heartbreak, and hope. A fitting honor for all veterans.” Ray Boomhower, author of John Bartlow Martin

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