W. C HALL

A Story About One Father And Son--And All Fathers And Sons, July 3 2004

This is a heartwarming, uplifting book. Tim Russert's "Big Russ & Me" encompasses both his own life story and the story of his father ("Big Russ.") The senior Russert grew up in a working class family in South Buffalo, New York and went off to play his part in World War II as a member of the Army Air Force. Big Russ came home after the war, married, raised four children and worked two jobs for thirty years without complaint. In the way he's lived his life and the lessons he's taught his son, he's been an exemplar of the values Americans have treasured: honesty, hard work, loyalty, self-discipline.

The author also spins a warmly entertaining chronicle of his youth,… Read more

The Meaning Of Courage, From A Man Who Knows, Jun 27 2004

This extended essay on courage comes from a man who has displayed it in abundance, although not surprisingly, he seeks to deny or minimize that. Senator John McCain endured years of physical and psychological torture as a North Vietnamese prisoner of war and has gone on to display courage of a different, but no less real sort, in the political arena.

McCain introduces us to a variety of people who have displayed the dimensions of courage--Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Roy Benavidez, who rescued eight of his comrades in Cambodia despite suffering grievous wounds that would leave him hospitalized for months; Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, who has endured house arrest, separation… Read more

A Quest For Baseball Immortality And Human Equality, Jun 1 2004

The subtitle of this book, "The Home Run That Changed America," may seem a bit lofty to those born too soon to remember this record-breaking blow. But in these pages, Tom Stanton does a fine job of interweaving the story of Henry Aaron's chase of baseball's most hallowed record with the tale of the impact of that pursuit on the larger society. Stanton's love for the game shines through in this narrative, as does his sense of shame for those elements of the public who greeted Aaron's achievement not with praise, but scorn and hatred.

The narrative begins in the fall of 1972 with Aaron among those in attendance at the funeral of Jackie Robinson, the man who broke the color… Read more