Kidnapped by Nuns

And Other Stories of a Life on the Radio

By: Bob Fuss

Narrated by: Bob Fuss

Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's summary

Take a journey over the last four decades of news, from Hollywood to Washington and around the world, from Andorra to Zimbabwe. Ride the campaign plane with Ronald Reagan; get the inside story of why Congress is such a disaster; and share adventure travel stories from a globetrotting correspondent. Retired CBS news correspondent Bob Fuss has traveled with half a dozen presidents and covered Congress for more than 20 years. In this audiobook he includes travelogues from his adventures around the world.

One unique aspect of his story is that while millions of radio listeners heard his reports every day, none knew he was disabled and has always walked on crutches.

©2015 Robert Fuss (P)2015 Robert Fuss

Critic reviews

"Absolutely no one could tell Bob Fuss's story better than he does! Fuss was a radio news correspondent from 1974 to 2014. With great enthusiasm, he tells of traveling the world to cover several Papal visits, six presidents, 20 years of Congress, multiple Academy Awards ceremonies, and more. Fuss was also an intrepid pleasure traveler, and in his signature conversational style, he takes listeners with him on those trips as well. One of his greatest achievement he mentions only briefly: He was born with multiple handicaps and used crutches all of his life to walk. Thus, he's not only a treasure trove of fascinating information but also an inspiration. Listeners, prepare for a fast-paced, humorous look at the world through the eyes of a unique and gifted man. S.G.B." ( Audiofile)

"Readers in want of adventure need look no further than Fuss's memoir. Petrified shark, the Stalin Peace Prize, the slap of a distrustful, amorous sea lion—40 years of his memories as a national radio correspondent (including more than one kidnapping tale) are distilled into hilarious reads with journalistic punch." ( Stanford Magazine)

A fascinating memoir!

I loved this audiobook! It is a fascinating memoir of a life lived reporting on the history, politics and politicians of the past 40 + years. It is of particular interest to me because I remember most of what Bob Fuss reported on. He gives details and background information that really brings to life the people and events in a fresh new way helping to make the listener experience or re-experience history from the Reagan years in the White House to the present.

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My only criticism is the speed at which Fuss speaks. He talks fast. However, I did finally get used to it, and it was less of a distraction than it was in the beginning.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in not just WHAT happened in politics but WHY and HOW it affected the USA. His travelogues are fascinating as well as Fuss has traveled all over the world.

Gripping stories from storied reporter

Would you listen to Kidnapped by Nuns again? Why?

Kidnapped By Nuns is a short novel that recounts the 30 year career of Bob Fuss, a reporter for the API. Bob Fuss interviewed presidents, dicatators, actors, and many we know as famous. The book is organized in chapters for each interview subject, eg presidents. Although the chapters aren't organized in any order, each story-and Bob Fuss' crisp, nonplussed, and modest recounting--is better than the next.

Who was your favorite character and why?

No character, but Bob Fuss' stories on the presidents is what sticks in my mind the most. It really exemplifies the journalist's immense talent and objectivity, and I learned a few things.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

I listened to this book in one sitting, will listen to it again for its historical context, and highly recommend it to anyone who loves american history.

Any additional comments?

The only reason I gave Kidnapped By Nuns 4 stars was for its title. The namesake story was Bob Fuss' most disingenuous story, and not even a story at that. I think the book would be serviced better with a different title. How about "Reagan's not all Bad" ?

Fascinating memoirs. Definitely worth listening to

KIDNAPPED BY NUNS

Author: Bob Fuss

Type of Book: Audiobook - Unabridged

Narrator: Bob Fuss

Length: 6 hours, 46 minutes

Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Travelogues, Short Stories

Release Date: March 13, 2015

Publisher: Robert Fuss

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

* I received a free copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book details the forty year radio journalism career of the author. These are his memoirs.

Bob Fuss is handicapped and walks with crutches, but he does not use this as an excuse and he legitimately could have especially in the years before America's Disability Act was put in place. If anything, he goes out of his way to prove that his "disability" is not a factor in his job performance or even in his lust for life's adventures.

The kidnapping of Patty Hearst and her subsequent conversion to the beliefs and radicalism of her captors was Bob's first major story.

He goes on to tell stories about his career and intersperses them with travelogues and other personal anecdotes.

While he does mention names of some of the famous people he either worked with or interviewed, he does not fall into the trap of gratuitous name-dropping. I like the fact that he does not resort to such cheap tactics.

The only issue I had with the narration was the speed with which the narrator reads. It is so fast that often inflection suffers. The speed is actually dizzying at times and I would have enjoyed it more if he had slowed down and let the listener catch up. I tried to change the speed of my iPod from "regular" to "slower" but that just made it sound ridiculous. He does mention the fact that he had to learn how to describe an event and record the details of it in a 30 second soundbite so I assume this is why he reads so fast. He slows the pace for a few chapters and then for some reason he speeds back up.

I found that the book's description does not do it justice. When it mentions Bob's long time coverage of politics it conveys an assumption that there will be an excessive amount of political detail. This is not the case. Yes, there is mention of politics and political figures but this book contains just the right amount.

Bob Fuss has lived an extraordinary life. He has been a witness to natural disasters, military coups, cults, assassinations, sports events, political conventions and elections and has travelled to over seventy countries. Not too shabby for a man whose parents were told that he would probably not live past childhood.

He is astute and compassionate. I didn't think I would ever write the word "compassionate" when referencing a journalist, but Bob Fuss is obviously not a typical journalist. This is probably due to a variety of factors, not the least of which is that he was a radio journalist and not a television journalist. He was unable to rely on visual theatrics since you can't see a radio broadcast and instead used his wit and knowledge to engage his listeners.

His extensive travels and by extension his exposure to many cultures also contributed to the formation of the engaging personality that resulted in a very successful and long career in radio.

This audiobook is worth buying. It engaged me from the beginning and maintained my interest throughout. It is obvious that during his years of reporting he held opinions on what he was reporting about, but professionalism stopped him from giving opinions and instead reported only facts. Now that he is retired he is free to voice those opinions and we are the lucky recipients who get to hear what he really thinks.

I rate this memoir as 5 out of 5 stars both for the story and for narration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (Information and photo obtained from his website)

Bob Fuss has been a national radio reporter since 1974 when he graduated from Stanford at the age of 19. He's covered hollywood celebrities, space exploration, crime, coups, natural disasters and national politics. Before retiring as a CBS News Correspondent in 2014 he covered Congress for 23 years and traveled on Presidential Campaigns beginning in 1980. An award winning journalist he previously worked as a correspondent for UPI Radio Network and NBC Radio. His travels have taken him to all 50 states and more than 70 countries.
Fuss was honored in 2015 with the Career Achievement Award by the Radio and Television Correspondents Association