by Tim Russert
First published 2005
Tim Russert opens his heart to share memories of his father, the man everyone called Big Russ. The celebrated journalist takes readers back to his childhood in working-class Buffalo during the 1950s. His father returned from World War II with quiet pride and unshakeable values. Big Russ taught his son about responsibility through daily example. He showed him that hard work matters more than talent alone. The family's Catholic faith shaped their weekly rhythms and moral compass. Sports brought father and son together on weekends and summer evenings. Russert describes how his father's love of country ran deep but never turned into empty rhetoric. Big Russ believed in America because he had fought for it. He passed down lessons about loyalty, integrity, and service without ever preaching. The memoir captures how one father's steady presence shaped a son's character and career. Russert shows readers the man behind his own success in journalism and politics.
Genres: family, 20th-century, american, autobiography, non-fiction, biography-memoir
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family
Setting: Buffalo
Period: 1950s
Paperback · Miramax