BIG RUSS & ME Father and Son: Lessons of Life

This memoir is a romantic take on growing up in a working-class Irish-Catholic family in the 1950s. David Guion ably reads Tim Russert's collection of anecdotes about his upbringing in Buffalo by his father, Tim Russert, Sr., the "Big Russ" of the title. Fans of "Meet the Press" will enjoy the stories of the long-running show's current host, especially those that shed light on the father-son relationship. The anecdotes and Guion's reading are professional and polished. However, listeners used to Russert's pugnacious style on television may feel they're getting a toned-down version of the man. The carefully selected anecdotes will also have the listener wondering about the events that didn't make it into this rosy memoir. R.F. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]