Never Give Up

In this inspiring story, the New York Times bestselling author of The Greatest Generation chronicles the values and lessons he absorbed from his parents and other people who worked hard to build lives on the prairie during the first half of the twentieth century.

“In these chaotic times, what can we learn from history? As a citizen, husband, father, and grandfather, I have drawn on the lessons I absorbed . . . from my working-class family. My parents’ generation was grateful for new opportunities, but they never took the better times for granted. . . . The most enduring lesson I learned from them? Never give up.”

Tom’s father, Red, left school in the second grade to work in the family hotel—the Brokaw House, established in Bristol, South Dakota, by R. P. Brokaw in 1883. Eventually, through work on construction jobs, Red developed an exceptional talent for machines. Tom’s mother,