{"product_id":"big-russ-and-me-father-and-son-lessons-of-life-9781602862623","title":"Big Russ and Me: Father and Son: Lessons of Life","description":"\u003cb\u003eAs Tim Russert celebrates the indelible connection between fathers and sons, readers everywhere will laugh and cry in identification with the life lessons of Big Russ and in mourning of Tim Russert, a big American voice in his own right.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Before his death in 2008 at the age of 58, Tim Russert had become one of the most trusted and admired figures in American television journalism. Throughout his career he spent time with presidents and popes, world leaders and newsmakers, celebrities and sports heroes, but one person stood out to him in terms of his strength of character, modest grace and simple decency--Russert's dad, Big Russ. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In this warm, engaging memoir, a #1 \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestseller, Russert casts a fond look back to the 1950s Buffalo neighborhood of his youth. In the close-knit Irish-Catholic community where 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e These deep roots stayed with Russert as he forged a remarkable career, first in government and then in media, and finally in his 16 years at \u003ci\u003eMeet the Press\u003c\/i\u003e as one of the most recognized and trusted face in television news. As Russert explains, his fundamental values sprung from that small house on Woodside Avenue and the special bond he shared with his father--values he passed down to his own son, Luke. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For this special 10th anniversary edition, Luke contributes an extensive introduction, commenting on his father's legacy, and on how these lessons passed down from his grandfather impact the third generation. Luke had just graduated from college in 2008 when his father passed away. He worked as a special correspondent and congressional reporter for NBC news and contributed frequently to various NBC and MSNBC outlets before leaving on a three-year odyssey to grieve his father's death. Luke has already shown that the ideals promoted by Big Russ in midcentury Buffalo still apply in 21st century New York, and that these lessons are as relevant for us as ever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTim Russert\u003c\/b\u003e was hired by NBC News' Washington bureau in 1984 and became bureau chief by 1989. He became the host of \u003ci\u003eMeet the Press\u003c\/i\u003e in 1991 and was the longest-serving host of the program. Over the course of his career Tim Russert won multiple awards for excellence in journalism, including an Emmy in 2005 for his coverage of the funeral of former President Ronald Reagan. He died in 2008 at the age of fifty-eight, and was mourned by friends, fans, and colleagues around the world. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eLuke Russert\u003c\/b\u003e is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who was an NBC News correspondent from 2008 to 2016, primarily covering American politics. Since leaving broadcast journalism, he is the author of \u003ci\u003eLook for Me There\u003c\/i\u003e, a travel memoir about his three-and-a-half-year journey around the world that took him to more than sixty-five countries. Based in Washington, DC, he is the son of journalists Maureen Orth (\u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e) and the late Tim Russert (NBC's \u003ci\u003eMeet the Press\u003c\/i\u003e).\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Hachette Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50515961905426,"sku":"9781602862623","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_0252f737-8ce3-4a64-a8e3-a01d7fbe54c4.jpg?v=1731016602","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/big-russ-and-me-father-and-son-lessons-of-life-9781602862623","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}