performing arts

Russert offers in this boook, i.e. , Big Russ and Me: Father and Son--Lessons of Life by Tim Russert (Author) a nostalgic look at the childhood and formative years of himself and his nation. He merges characteristics of the NBC Going Home0 series, which features news anchors revisiting their roots, and Tom Brokaw's The Greatest Generation0 . 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 Crockett0 . Russert recalls his early interest in television news shows, watching Meet the Press0 interviews with Nixon,ennedy, and Castro. At the center of it all was Russert's father, a man the news anchor has unabashedly declared as his hero.

The background story behind this book is learning from your elders. In this particular one, we are talking about Tim Russert and how he explains the way that his father's knowledge (something that most children never appreciate until after the fact) and experience shaped his life. We learn of Big Russ, as he refers to his father, and how he was raise in poverty, was a WWII vet with an admirable record and his ability to raise his four children and support his household while holding down two jobs for a good part of his life. That, in itself, shows the character of Big Russ.

As is the dream of every parent, Russert's life is anything but representative of the suffering his father witnessed. A wealthy lawyer, Capital Hill insider and married to a celebrity journalist, Russert is the success story his father could brag about to any and everyone.

The book provides a nostalgic walk through time as the author reflects on his own life as well as that of his country. By the time you finish the book, you can understand why Big Russ earns the biggest title that any father can ever dream of. That of being seen as a hero in his own son's eyes. No amount of money or honors can ever top such a title as that.

Even though the reviews are more against than for the book-I personally enjoyed it. It is honest and forthcoming. Ok Dad wasn't the perfect father, but he was dad...he was there...he loved, and the son speaks of him as more of a hero than a father figure (I found that very respectful). Remember no home or life is perfect, and at the end of the day...what you do find is love in a family like this. I highly applaud this author and his book. <br /> Other great books to read:The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter,Nightmares Echo<br />