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The Generous Years: Remembrances of a Frontier Boyhood
Autobiography
160 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1968
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
October 16, 2018
rating: 3.5
In this memoir Huntley focuses as much on the history, and on the natural history, of Montana as it does on his life and his family. (He was born in Montana in 1913.)
Only a few pages into the book (p 5), I decided that I probably would have liked CH based on what he had to say about the buffalo slaughter (the evidence of which he saw in the form of bleaching bones):
Americans were preoccupied with the squandering of their inheritance, and they went about it with energy and dispatch.
About tumbleweed (which I don't see much anymore, p 52-53):
It was about 1917 or 1918 that the Russian thistle first appeared on the prairie. It probably spread and propagated as the native buffalo grass declined, for without the grass there was little to impede the thistle from tumbling across the land, sowing its millions of microscopic seeds. ... It broke loose from its flimsy roots in the early fall to bounce and tumble across the land and reseed itself, then it piled up in great mountainous drifts against the fences, stretching the wire and breaking posts.
I also appreciated his comments about his winter attire (p 125):
Clothing in those years was invariably heavy and bulky, coarse and unmanageable. One went about like a padded Manchurian peasant. ... Grandpa said that half the winter was spent putting mittens on and off in a constant compromise between warmth and dexterity of the hands. ...
This is not an exciting tale, nor particularly riveting. By next year, I suspect I'll be left with only an impression. But I did enjoy the hours I spent being introduced to the Montana landscape, much of which I expect has not changed all that much.
In this memoir Huntley focuses as much on the history, and on the natural history, of Montana as it does on his life and his family. (He was born in Montana in 1913.)
Only a few pages into the book (p 5), I decided that I probably would have liked CH based on what he had to say about the buffalo slaughter (the evidence of which he saw in the form of bleaching bones):
Americans were preoccupied with the squandering of their inheritance, and they went about it with energy and dispatch.
About tumbleweed (which I don't see much anymore, p 52-53):
It was about 1917 or 1918 that the Russian thistle first appeared on the prairie. It probably spread and propagated as the native buffalo grass declined, for without the grass there was little to impede the thistle from tumbling across the land, sowing its millions of microscopic seeds. ... It broke loose from its flimsy roots in the early fall to bounce and tumble across the land and reseed itself, then it piled up in great mountainous drifts against the fences, stretching the wire and breaking posts.
I also appreciated his comments about his winter attire (p 125):
Clothing in those years was invariably heavy and bulky, coarse and unmanageable. One went about like a padded Manchurian peasant. ... Grandpa said that half the winter was spent putting mittens on and off in a constant compromise between warmth and dexterity of the hands. ...
This is not an exciting tale, nor particularly riveting. By next year, I suspect I'll be left with only an impression. But I did enjoy the hours I spent being introduced to the Montana landscape, much of which I expect has not changed all that much.
May 16, 2011
I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of farmland in this book although it made me homesick for my father.
July 9, 2025
This very short autobiography was a surprise. I had thought the length meant no real substance but I was wrong. The author recalls a time period in American history that is barely remembered except through great-grandparents (assuming they are still alive) and historical archives. I was a child when Chet Huntley was a part of the Huntley Brinkley report and so my memories of him are not only connected with his news partner, but those memories are extremely dim. And so the author's own memories and revelations are an eye opener particularly in that his earliest years took place on an actual (mostly) uninhabited prairie. I felt I was there, in the past experiencing a life that is no longer possible.
March 11, 2019
Born in 1914, Chet rememberers the buffalo grass waving above his head on their farm in northern Montana.
This book follows Chet and his family’s efforts to farm in Montana, and after disappointing weather for several years, their movement around the state as they followed their father, a telegrapher for the railroad.
This book provides rich history and the perspective of a boy who was there.
This book follows Chet and his family’s efforts to farm in Montana, and after disappointing weather for several years, their movement around the state as they followed their father, a telegrapher for the railroad.
This book provides rich history and the perspective of a boy who was there.
January 19, 2021
I enjoyed Huntley's nostalgic, humorous & historic stories of growing up in Montana during the 1910s & 20s. Adult fans of Little House on the Prairie will enjoy it, too. His family endured crop killing hail, locusts, drought, and disease before their barn was struck by lightening and burned to the ground. Left me feeling fortunate and my own hardships incredibly small.
June 28, 2021
I enjoyed Huntley's nostalgic, humorous, & historic stories of growing up in Montana during the 1910s & 20s. Adult fans of Little House on the Prairie will enjoy it, too. His family endured crop killing hail, locusts, drought, and disease before their barn was struck by lightning and burned to the ground. His stories left me feeling fortunate and my own hardships incredibly small.
October 19, 2022
This is a wonderful memoir of life in 1920s Montana, encompassing both ranch life and railroad towns. Huntley is a wonderful writer, both clear and lyrical--at times rhapsodic!--and the pacing of his anecdotes is excellent, whether he's telling a story about ranch disasters, school boy hijinks, the camaraderie of railroad workers, hobo camps, or how he and a friend foiled a bank robbery. I picked it up because I remember Chet Huntley as a broadcast journalist from my childhood, and I was both surprised and impressed by the beauty of his prose. Anyone who likes frontier stories of the American West should find a copy of this book and savor it.
June 13, 2025
A story of boyhood remembrances from a pioneer childhood in Montana. Totally my style.
August 25, 2014
I have had this book on my shelves for over 14 years, it was my grandmother's and either due to sentimentality or laziness I never picked it up to read. I decided to go through her books, started to read Chet's autobiography and couldn't put it down. What a beautifully written book...and still relevant for today. It's joyful, funny, bittersweet, all within one page. One moment I was laughing, other I was tearing up. A must read for anyone interested in the "old" west, Montana, railroads or journalism.
September 7, 2015
I have absolutely no idea how this book came to be in my possession. That mystery is what made it pick it off my shelves to read during my annual beach week (which is just an excuse to read a lot in a place that is not my house).
Mr. Huntley had a fascinating life and some of the stories in this book could have absolutely been expanded into a full-length, captivating book. As-is, it's a somewhat surficial memoir that obviously didn't want to get too deep.
Mr. Huntley had a fascinating life and some of the stories in this book could have absolutely been expanded into a full-length, captivating book. As-is, it's a somewhat surficial memoir that obviously didn't want to get too deep.
June 11, 2023
I found this old book at a thrift store. For the younger generation, Chet Huntly did the evening news on NBC in the 1950's and 1960's. These were my growing up years. In this memoir he recalls his growing up years in Montana. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and enjoyed reading about towns and areas that I am familiar with. It is a great memoir set circa 1920's.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews