Boomer: The Story of a Generation: 1946-2024

I've read many of Patrick's books over the years and, whatever the subject, once I have picked one up I find myself unable to put it down. He writes with deep knowledge and great insight but makes everything he writes readable and accessible. His style is clear and engaging and he can be both witty and moving, not least when he writes of his own experiences and adventures. I hope this and the other 5 star reviews Patrick has received will encourage him to continue to write and others to buy and enjoy his work.

I very much enjoyed Patrick Lane's journey through the past.As I am the same age , much was familiar; the rationing, smogs, bombsites, bland food etc. He writes well. His prose is clear and uncluttered and above all interesting. Like a lot of good writers he has played many parts in his life and this is reflected in his writing. The book carries on to the present and his analysis of topical problems is sure-footed.A great read and highly recommended.

As a baby boomer thought might be some interesting points in this book but couldn't put it down.. Really good balance between the personal and the history and think i will get for my kids and grandkids as easy read history of the time after the second world war till today

There is so much detail well researched and well written by an author born in and lived through the baby boom years. But this book exceeds a dry historical account and offers fascinating person glimples of what it was like to grow up in the 50s and 60s UK. But so much more - how technology has developed from basic mainframe computers to the modern electronic wonders. I can't list all the marvelsYoung or old should read it!

This review was originally written and posted by Steve Moss in Canada on September 6, 2023, but did not appear on the US Amazon website which is why I am reposting it - even though I do not necessarily agree with all of his criticisms.Boomer is a comprehensive exploration of the most fortunate and perhaps most deplorable generation in history. It is trans-Atlantic and almost encyclopedic in scope, taking in an entire panoply of social, economic, cultural and political events in the US and Europe since the second world war. What sets the book apart is not just its insight into the period but its rich perspective on timeless and universal human problems. Alexander does not hold back from exploring the difficult and painful. Boomers benefitted from an age of unprecedented social and technological advance but spent their days largely celebrating the inherent selfishness of prosperity. While the world’s population increased fourfold, from 2 to an unsupportable 8 billion people, boomers grew extraordinarily wealthy, ignoring a legacy of intractable political and environmental problems for the next generation. Born into an age of rising decadence, they unwittingly broke an unspoken intergenerational contract through unfettered consumerism and reckless expansion of atmospheric carbon, sheltered from economic reality and inequality by spiralling house prices and social welfare systems. The result was to squander an age-old generational inheritance and leave a world with as many or more problems than when they entered it.

Patrick's depiction of growing up in Great Britain following WWII rings true and tells us much about the country and its citizens. Similarly, describing his travels through the southern USA in the 1960s, Patrick captures the ethos so prevalent throughout the area. In other words, Patrick obviously has a keen eye for - and sensibility to - the people and culture of where ever he is. His history of the time of Boomers is unfailingly interesting and personal. The book is a totally engaging look at a time and its cast of charactersand is full of keen insights. Bravo.Ned Mast

I found this book extremely interesting. It held my attention. Many of these sorts of books can become a little tedious. This book did not.I am a baby boomer and I liked the way the author explained the decades. My early life was similar to that of the author. Although being born in Ca, we didn’t have rationing after the war.My very first TV show memory was also of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.I highly recommend this book. I even think my teen and age 20’s grandchildren would find it informative and hold their interest.

I have read many of Patrick Alexander's fiction and nonfiction works and enjoyed them all. This examination of our time as Boomer's is his best and most impressive work. Patrick has the ability to bring everything together and make a cogent point of it all. Well worth the read and the time invested. Great job, Sir.