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Tim Russert

Big Russ and Me, Father and Son: Lessons of Life Hardcover – May 10, 2004

by Tim Russert (Author)

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"The older I get, the smarter my father seems to get. Hardly a day goes by when I dont remember something that Big Russ taught me."

Over the last two decades, Tim Russert has become one of the most trusted and admired figures in American television journalism. Throughout his career he has spent time with presidents and popes, world leaders and newsmakers, celebrities and sports heroes, but one person stands out from the rest in terms of his strength of character, modest grace, and simple decencyRusserts dad, Big Russ.

In this warm, engaging memoir, Russert casts a fond look back to the 1950s Buffalo neighborhood of his youth. In the close-knit Irish-Catholic community where he grew up, doors were left unlocked at night; backyard ponds became makeshift ice hockey rinks in winter; and streets were commandeered as touch football fields in the fall. And he recalls the extraordinary example of his father, a WWII veteran who worked two jobs without complaint for thirty years and taught his children to appreciate the values of self-discipline, of respect, of loyalty to friends.

Big Russ and Me, written in Russerts easygoing, straight-talking style, offers an irresistible collection of personal memories. Russert recalls the dedicated teachers who stimulated his imagination and intellect, sparking a lifelong passion for politics and journalism, and inspired a career that took him from editor of his elementary school newspaper to moderator of Meet the Press.

It has been an eventful and deeply satisfying journey, but no matter where his career has taken him, Russerts fundamental values still spring from that small house on Woodside Avenue and the special bond he shares with his fathera bond he enjoys now with his own son. As Tim Russert celebrates the indelible connection between fathers and sons, readers everywhere will laugh, cry, and identify with the lessons of life taught by the indomitable Big Russ.

Print length

336 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Miramax Books
Publication date

May 10, 2004
Dimensions

5.63 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

1401352081
ISBN-13

978-1401352080
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Veteran newsman and Meet the Press moderator Tim Russert is known for his direct and unpretentious style and in this charming memoir he explains why. Russert's father is profiled as a plainspoken World War II veteran who worked two blue-collar jobs while raising four kids in South Buffalo but the elder Russert's lessons on how to live an honest, disciplined, and ethical life are shown to be universal. Big Russ and Me, a sort of Greatest Generation meets Tuesdays with Morrie, could easily have become a sentimental pile of mush with a son wistfully recalling the wisdom of his beloved dad. But both Russerts are far too down-to-earth to let that happen and the emotional content of the book is made more direct, accessible, and palatable because of it. The relationship between father and son, contrary to what one would think of as essential to a riveting memoir, seems completely healthy and positive as Tim, the academically gifted kid and later the esteemed TV star and political operative relies on his old man, a career sanitation worker and newspaper truck driver, for advice. Big Russ and Me also traces Russert's life from working-class kid to one of broadcast journalism's top interviewers by introducing various influential figures who guided him along the way, including Jesuit teachers, nuns, his dad's drinking buddies, and, most notably, the late New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, whom Russert helped get elected in 1976. Plenty of entertaining anecdotes are served up along the way from schoolyard pranks to an attempt to book Pope John Paul II on the Today Show. Though not likely to revolutionize modern thought, Big Russ and Me will provide fathers and sons a chance to reflect on lessons learned between generations. --Charlie Williams

From Publishers Weekly

Meet the newsman's father in this stupendously entertaining book. The senior Tim Russert served in WWII, married and settled in South Buffalo, N.Y., worked days for the Sanitation Department, drove a night truck for the local evening paper and raised four kids. The younger Russert's memoir begins as a tribute to his dad and the lessons he taught through the years, but also takes ample time to tell how Russert junior grew up and became the moderator of Meet the Press. His neighborhood in the 1950s was tightly knit, Irish Catholic and anchored by the institutions of marriage, family, church and school. Nuns and Legionnaires shaped young Russert's character; in high school, his Jesuit instructors strengthened and solidified it. John Kennedy's short life and career still resonated when Russert began law school in 1970. He worked on Daniel Patrick Moynihan's 1976 campaign, then on the senator's staff. A friend of Moynihan provided the link that brought Russert to NBC and the Today show. He first appeared as a panelist on Meet the Press in 1990, becoming moderator in 1991. Throughout his private and public life, Russert continually turned to his father for advice, and the older man's common sense served the younger pretty much without fail. The memoir is candid and generous, so warm-hearted that readers should forgive the occasional didactic touch (and it's a soft touch). There are hard ways to learn life lessons; fortunately, readers have Russert to thank for sharing his with them. 16 pages of b&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Bookmarks Magazine

Russert tackles many issues and ideas in this memoir, including blue-collar ethics and the belief that success comes from hard work and discipline. Not only does Russert explore his relationship with his father, but he also discusses the workings of a tight Irish-American community back in the days when the Kennedys ruled Camelot. It’s hardly a surprise that The Weekly Standard called Big Russ & Me “part autobiography, part sociological study, [and] part political history.” An added note: reviewers didn’t seem to mind Russert’s frank sentimentality. Perhaps that’s because the genuine thread underlying Russert’s memoir made at least one grown male reviewer cry.

From Booklist

Russert offers a nostalgic look at the childhood and formative years of himself and his nation. He merges characteristics of the NBC Going Home series, which features news anchors revisiting their roots, and Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation. Russert celebrates his father's generation, young men who went off to Europe for World War II and returned to create the largest middle class the U.S. had ever known, a generation known for their stoicism and sense of duty. Taciturn about his war experience, Russert's father only slowly recalled his experiences: a friend who saved his life, facing life and death so far from home, smuggling a mascot red chow overseas. Russert recalls his tight-knit neighborhood in working-class Buffalo, dominated by the Catholic Church and the American Legion. His father worked for the sanitation department, with a second job driving a newspaper delivery truck, to provide for the family. Neighbors looked out for each other as children played hide-and-seek and capture the flag, listened to radio shows, and watched television favorites, including Davy Crockett. Russert recalls his early interest in television news shows, watching Meet the Press interviews with Nixon, Kennedy, and Castro. At the center of it all was Russert's father, a man the news anchor has unabashedly declared as his hero. Vanessa Bush
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"(An) evocative memoir of a happy childhood." -- People

"A profoundly satisfying story of a father and his son." -- Wall Street Journal

"A testament to solid values, hard work and filial devotion." -- The New York Times

"Russert writes of his roots with an engaging warmth and humor." -- USA Today

"Russert's loving portrait of his dad will inspire you to call home. Grade: B+" -- Entertainment Weekly

"[Russert speaks] from the heart in a particularly American way...a fulsome, sincere Father's Day greeting." --Kirkus

About the Author

Tim Russert is NBC Newss Washington bureau chief, moderator, and managing editor of Meet the Press, political analyst for Today and Nightly News, and host of the Tim Russert Show on CNBC. He lives in Washington, D.C. with his wife, writer Maureen Orth, and their son, Luke.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Miramax Books; First Edition (May 10, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1401352081
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1401352080
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.63 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #288,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #309 in Fatherhood (Books)
- #2,475 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies
- #8,452 in Memoirs (Books)

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4.6 441 ratings

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kim s

Don't miss this!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 4, 2023

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A wonderful telling of a precious life. Like Big Russ, this story is full of hope!What a country! What a life!

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MikeTheWordsmif

Well worth your time.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on October 10, 2013

Verified Purchase

Prior to this year, I had no idea that Russert had even written anything on a personal level, let alone concerning his father. I was assigned the book as part of an upper-level remarketing project while completing my BBA, so I was concerned with a deep reading of Russert's work. Many may find the piece dated, as it was written mainly concerning Russert's father, a World War 2 veteran. However, as one delves deeper into the lives of Russert and his family, one comes away with a deep and startling understanding of the values which we as a society have abandoned in our pursuit of money and power, and how truly warped the American Dream has become. I, for one, am glad that the work was assigned to us, and I urge anyone seeking a deeper knowledge of both the Russert family and America as it was to peruse 'Big Russ'.

7 people found this helpful

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RJTRULES

TJR's Legacy of Life

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 16, 2008

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Just purchased a copy of Tim's book on Big Russ and lessons on life after spending much of this past weekend viewing his tributes on MSNBC. I'm purchasing this book to have as a memoir of how to live life and achieve the ultimate here on earth, which is a legacy. Not just any legacy, but one enriched with touching others both near and far. While Tim was the gold standard of journalists, he's the elite standard as a human being. My father had a similar untimely death at a similar age, and viewing Tim's personal story, relationships, and family bonds has made this a personal must read for me. Tim Russert made all of us feel that he was one of us, which is why the political news scene and that bond of trust and credibility will be so sorely missed. Tim, thanks for your boyish enthusiasm, every-man sensibility, and good old fashioned faith and adherence to living a life with values.

Tim, thanks for laying this book down for all of us. Your legacy is secure.

11 people found this helpful

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Sharon G

The loss of a Great Man

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 24, 2008

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After listening to the week of tributes to Tim Russert we had to purchase the book. The book is a wonderful tribute to his Father and all the Fathers that instilled the core value in the 40's and 50's born children. After my 63 years on this earth and raising 2 girls, I finally got it. Tim's Father said it all in one sentense. You will always be loved but your never entitled. No matter what age you are, your always going to have to work on gaining the respect and admiration from people you have known for years, as well as the people you meet today and want to have their friendship in the future. this book is a great lesson for young and old. Tim Russert was an honest and truely Great person. He will be missed but his wisdom in this book will be cherrished.

2 people found this helpful

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Janet E. Fefe

Lessons on Being a Dad and a Father

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 25, 2006

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Big Russ and Me is a wonderful follow-up to The Greatest Generation. While The Greatest Generation wrote about everyday people who made everyday sacrifices to build our post-War America, Big Russ and Me shares how one man of the next generation, Tim Russert, was brought up to become an effective human being by one of those post-War men of admirable character. The book is written in a humerous and warm, loving tone. Above all, it demonstrates a man's deep respect and gratitude for his father's parenthood. Yes, one can be a dad and a father at the same time. Teaching self-discipline with a loving hand is the winning approach to raising a fine son (or daughter) who contributes to both the spiritual advance of manhood and to whatever endeavors the child chooses.

10 people found this helpful

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Sue M. Nagamoto

AN ADMIRABLE FATHER, AN ADMIRABLE SON

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 31, 2008

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Tim Russert has written a wonderful, well-deserved, tribute to his father. It's also an unintended tribute to himself. After all, as a good, worthy son, he absorbed his father's valuable lessons of morality, life and living and displayed it in his own life. And the tributes never come across as boasting or bragging. He tells it all with a great sense of humor.

I have recommended this book to dozens of friends and family members, young and old. If you don't get a lump in your throat, reading about the positive thinking, fair-minded, objective, intelligent and kind-hearted father-son duo, then you must examine your life and priorities.

Do read the book!

3 people found this helpful

Helpful

M. Lozano

A warm read of love between a father and son

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 7, 2015

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"Big Russ & Me" is a heart-warming read of a son's love for his father. Life should be simple. It always made me smile how Big Russ always came back to that very notion when Tim would recount the days growing up or making harder decisions later in life during his career. I highly recommend this read. Tim, we miss your honesty and integrity you brought to American news. There was no one like you.

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Steve Blakeman Moorcroft WY

GREAT BOOK

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on February 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

I knew that would be a good book because Tim Russert wrote it. But I was wrong. It is a great book!!! While I agree with Russert much of the time politically, I do admire his ability to be fair, civil and a genuine human being. The world is a better place because of him. Tim Russert will be missed.

Helpful

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ユーカリプス

父と息子の心あたたまるアメリカンストーリー

Reviewed in Japan 🇯🇵 on June 18, 2006

Verified Purchase

アメリカの3大ネットワークの１つであるNBCの看板番組Meet the Pressの司会者を務めるTim Russertが、清掃局と新聞配達の2つの仕事を勤勉に続けつつ、深い愛情で子供たちを育て上げてくれた父への誇りと、感謝の念を、自身の半生を軸に綴ったアメリカンストーリーです。筆者がNY州北部のバッファローで、周囲に温かく支えられながら成長していく様がユーモアたっぷりに描かれています。ケネディ大統領暗殺など、アメリカの歴史が「少年」としての筆者の視点から描かれている点もとても興味深いです。わかりやすい英語で書かれているので、一気に読めるはず。

4 people found this helpful

Translate review to English

Norseman

Good Read

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on February 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

Only just begun but based on my pleasure from reading Wisdom of our fathers, would highly recommend

Wynn Capricci

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on September 20, 2015

Verified Purchase

Great

M. E. Jones Williams

Politics

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 18, 2014

Verified Purchase

A really good read about the Russert family.. Good to have background to the well known TV presenter on Meet The Press.

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