"Working" and "The Good War" were two of my favorite books, filled with rich narratives based on Terkel's interviews with average Americans. Terkel was one of the country's greatest story tellers. Peter Rothberg, of The Nation, called him "oral historian, rabble-rouser and grand old man of the American left. . . . From Robert LaFollette to Barack Obama, he never pulled his punches through the chronicling of five generations of American history."
Nation appreciations include John Nichols' essay and Dennis Kucinich's eulogy. You can also read Calvin Trillin's tribute to "America's pre-eminent listener" on Terkel's 95th birthday last year.
