Brave Men, Gentle Heroes: American Fathers and Sons in World War II and Vietnam

By Michael Takiff

Book Overview

Brave Men, Gentle Heroes presents the frank, moving, and harrowing stories of men who served in World War II and of their sons who served in Vietnam -- fathers and sons bonded as deeply by their common experience in war as by blood. These are men who served in the army, navy, air force, and Marine Corps. Officers and enlisted men, career servicemen and citizen soldiers. Men of European, African, Asian, Latino, and Native American ancestry. Men who speak with the authentic voices of an Indiana farmer, a Brooklyn bus driver, a Louisiana businessman, a Seattle machinist. The contrasts between World War II and Vietnam are everywhere in these compelling accounts: the clear aims of World War II, the muddled goals of Vietnam; the heroes' welcome accorded World War II veterans, the scorn heaped upon their sons. But the stories in Brave Men, Gentle Heroes are also rich with elements intrinsic to all wars and all soldiers: courage, honor, service, duty, youth, adventure, fear, idealism, love of country and of family, exasperation with military bureaucracy. In these pages you will find war's carnage and war's heroism, war's purpose and war's futility, war's meaning and war's tragic meaninglessness. Taken together, the stories in Brave Men, Gentle Heroes tell the history of two wars, each the defining experience of a generation. This is history told not at the level of presidents and generals, but through the recollections of men who shouldered the rifles, manned the ships, and flew the planes. We're familiar with the effects of the two wars on world politics. But what did they do to American families? Molded by the awful crucible of war, these seemingly ordinary men offer extraordinary insights into what it means to be a warrior, an American, a father, and a son. Brave Men, Gentle Heroes is a book for those who have been to war and those who have been spared its horror. It is a book for individuals to reflect upon and families to share.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 006621081X
• ISBN13: 9780066210810
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 552 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 6.6" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

It's like listening to everyone's grandfather...

I have always been interested in history and the wars that come along with it. My grandfather served 30 years in the Navy and fought in WWII, Korea, and 'Nam. Because of all that time he had spent serving his country he felt that nobody else in the family should ever have to enter the military. I didn't know why until I read this book. The stories of the fathers and their sons were so vivid and grim and sometimes humorous. My grandpa would only ever tell me the humorous stories he had throughout his service. This book is like listening to a bunch of grandfathers and fathers tell their stories in a most intimate way. No glossing it over, just the raw truth. Now I understand why my grandpa refused to let me join the Navy after highschool. He had done enough for all of us. He didn't want us to go because of all of the trauma he still deals with! These men in the book are wonderful men. They're not perfect and don't claim to be. Read this book and reflect on the men and women in the military, past and present.

So worth it!

Before I read this book, I had little interest in warfare. The title caught my interest and I figured I'd give it a shot.Even if you're a pacifist, even if war is the last thing you care to read about, this book is just an amazing read. It's a war book that reads like a novel with each story you read. You learn about the history, and you're learning about it first hand. I've never learned so much about World War II or Vietnam from the perspective of a real person. It's not just the facts, it's the emotions, it's every detail. I would reccommend this book to anyone looking for a good, emotional read, not just a war enthusiast.

Sensitively and well written, very engaging and moving

This book is riveting and I'm so glad I bought it. As a 50-year-old whose father served in WWII and who narrowly missed being drafted for Vietnam, our relationships to the two wars affected our father-son relationship deeply. These fathers and sons talk about their war experiences, and how the wars affect their lives and relationships.The author has done a great job of finding father-son pairs and presenting their compelling stories.

Riveting narratives about fathers and sons

If you are a student of history, or you are into family dynamics, or you just like a compelling story, this excellent read is for you. The author interviewed father and son pairs who are World War 2 and Vietnam War vets about their lives and experiences. These stories are riveting and moving, sometimes funny, sometimes sad, sometimes horrifying but always vividly descriptive. If you were alive during these wars, or if you weren't, you will also get a thoughtful historical perspective from the narratives and from Takiff's excellent commentary.

A penetrating picture of the men who fought our wars

Having treated veterans of WWII and Vietnam for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I recommend this book highly. Mr. Takiff has written a profound account of what war does to the human spirit. "Brave men, gentle heroes' is well written with interesting biographic details which add to the insightful pictures of our veterans. Hearing their own voices adds to the power of the message.