Tom Brokaw

Classics from the broadcaster's bookshelf.

 

 

Tom Brokaw presided over NBC Nightly News for 22 years as anchor and managing editor, receiving practically every major award in broadcast journalism, including two DuPonts, a Peabody, and several Emmys. He has also written six books of non-fiction, most notably The Greatest Generation. His new book, The Time of Our Lives, offers advice gleaned from his own experiences and those of other innovators about how we can revitalize the promise of the American Dream. When we asked him to pick three favorites, Brokaw responded: "Selecting just three favorite books is an unfair request, not unlike being asked to name your favorite child. So my list is conditional. It represents favorites in personal categories rather than a list of the all time, couldn't live without, best books ever written." Enjoy!

 

Books by Tom Brokaw

 


 

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

By Dee Brown

 

"Nonfiction: As a native South Dakotan who lived among the Sioux, I was shamefully ignorant of Native American history, culture, and lifestyle until this important book came along."

 

 

 


 

Main Street

By Sinclair Lewis

 

"Fiction: A hugely popular book when it was published, Main Street has lost some of its appeal as America becomes more of an urban nation, but Lewis's definitive work remains the seminal novel on small-town life."

 

 

 

 


 

Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage

By Alfred Lansing

 

"Inspirational: The story of Shackleton's epic adventure and survival at the South Pole is unfailingly awe inspiring."

May 22: America's "Great Migration" westward began on this day in 1843, some 1,000 heading west in the first pioneer exodus over the Oregon Trail. Small groups had been making the five-month trek for several years, but this marked…

Do you recall the tagline from the very first Superman movie? "You'll believe a man can fly!" Well, I'm tempted to craft such a hyperbolic assertion for China Miéville's…

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Books CDs, DVDs to know about now
The Legend of Pradeep Mathew

When a hard-drinking Sri Lankan sportswriter faces liver failure, he decides it's finally time to track down once-great  cricket star Pradeep Mathew. Shehan Karunatilaka's big-hearted, madcap novel reverberates with echoes of A Fan's Notes and Netherland. A Discover Great New Writers selection.

I Must Not Think Bad Thoughts

His subjects range from the suicide note as literary genre to the theme-parking of the Holocaust. But though Mark Dery's "drive-by essays" are sure to court controversy, the writer's commitment to entering intellectual no-fly zones make this collection a daring, bravura work of cultural criticism.

Old Ideas

With dates announced for his upcoming Old Ideas concert tour, we celebrate the inimitable Leonard Cohen: bard, survivor, legend. His most recent album is a return to form for the balladeer, exploring signature themes of lust and longing, spirituality and struggle, all overlaid with a droll sense of humor as familiar as Cohen's prophetic voice.