Big Russ and Me: Father and Son - Lessons of Life Book

Tim Russert is perhaps the most admired man in television news. As NBC-TV's Washington bureau chief, producer; moderator of Meet the Press, the longest-running TV news program of all time; and host of the Tim Russert Show; he has garnered a huge fan base with his quick wit and candor. And every Tim Russert fan knows that Tim's #1 hero, hands down, is his dad -- Big Russ.

Big Russ and Me is an intensely personal, charming, down-to-earth look at Russert's roots, growing up a hometown guy in 1950s working-class Buffalo, the son of a larger-than-life man and proud WWII veteran. From the indelible bond that links him to his father, to the lessons learned from his old-fashioned Catholic upbringing, from his passion for the Buffalo Bills and the New York Yankees, to the importance of hard work, the grace of daily obligations, and patriotism, Russert's reflections hit the very epicenter of American values.

Rich with personal anecdotes and Russert's easygoing style and straight-talking charm, Big Russ and Me will be embraced by his myriad fans -- and will delight dads across the country on Father's Day and for years to come.

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. Agent, Bob Barnett. (May 10) Forecast: Ads in the national press as well as the Buffalo News, along with TV satellite and radio drive time tours, and a 17-city author tour, should help Russert's memoir to take off. Readers of Tom Brokaw's books will enjoy it, as will dads of all ages. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.