It is, according to david halberstam, surely the greatest book ever written about a city. David halberstam i think about robert caro and reading the power broker back when i was twentytwo years old and just being mesmerized, and. Robert caro spent most of his career writing the use of raw political power by nyc urban planner robert moses and about the political life of lyndon b. The power broker by robert caro alltime 100 nonfiction. Caro, of course, is responsible for two totems of american political biography. The main characters of this history, biography story are robert. I first picked up the power broker when it was published 25 years ago. Everywhere acknowledged as a modern american classic, winner of the pulitzer prize, and chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest books of the twentieth century, the power broker is a.
Long an admirer of robert a caros biographies of lbj, i confess i had ignored the power broker because at first glance a book about a man who built bridges, roads, parks and civic buildings sounded. Robert caros response to robert moses response to robert caros the power broker one aspect of robert moses that my book attempts to portray is that of the smearer of reputations, the purveyor of. Sep 16, 1974 one of the most acclaimed books of our time, winner of both the pulitzer and the francis parkman prizes, the power broker tells the hidden story behind the shaping and misshaping of twentiethcentury new york city and state and makes public what few have known. Fortyfive years after publishing the power broker, robert caro still blames robert moses for killing the city he loves asked at a new york times timestalks on tuesday night whether he has. Caro, 9780394720241, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Time magazine chose it as one of the hundred top nonfiction books of all time. Robert caro, author of the power broker, discusses his book and the legacy of robert moses, in this rather adversarial interview. However, caro s tremendous, artfully compiled detail, based on dozens of interviews and exhaustive sourcehunting, ensure that the power broker will be acclaimed as the definitive monument to moses, as well as a key study of the web of political figures connected with, and against, moses career. No personal library in new york, however, seems complete without robert caros first hefty workhis monumental biography of the largerthanlife urban planner robert moses, the power. The power broker, about the new york public servant robert moses, responsible for nearly 50 years of sweeping. This damning portrait of the planner who most shaped modern new york, aside from being a considerable work of. Ostensibly a biography of robert moses, the building and. Oct 23, 2015 t echnically, robert caros book the power broker is a biography of urban planner robert moses, but that description feels laughably inadequate on multiple counts.
Caro is a twotime pulitzer prize winner for his books the years of lyndon johnson. Robert moses and the fall of new yorka sevenyear ordeal that took the book through three publishers and. Caro is simply one of the best nonfiction books in english of the last forty years dominic sandbrook, sunday times. Since then ive reread it three or four times over the years. The power broker, 40 years later the new york times. Moses is pictured as idealist reformer, and political manipulator as his rise to power and eventual domination of new york state politics is documented. From the twotime pulitzer prizewinning author of the power broker and the years of lyndon johnson series. Robert moses and the fall of new york, the latter of which was written at the new york public library s allen room. Robert moses and the fall of new york pdf epub book. But the power broker is first and foremost a brilliant multidimensional portrait of a manan extraordinary man who, denied power within the normal framework of the democratic process, stepped outside that framework to grasp power sufficient to shape a great city and to hold sway over the very texture of millions of lives. On power is a 102 minute discussion by biographer robert caro of his fascination with the topic of political power. Awarded the pulitzer prize for biography, robert a. Feb 11, 2018 robert caro, author of the power broker, discusses his book and the legacy of robert moses, in this rather adversarial interview.
Robert caro pieces together the story of how and why robert moses did so to weave a. Apr 10, 2019 fortyfive years after publishing the power broker, robert caro still blames robert moses for killing the city he loves asked at a new york times timestalks on tuesday night whether he has had second thoughts about the books subtitle robert moses and the fall of new york given the citys economic resurgence, caro was unequivocal. Everywhere acknowledged as a modern american classic, winner of the pulitzer prize, and chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest books of the twentieth century, the power broker is a huge and galvanizing biography revealing not only the saga of one mans incredible accumulation of power, but the story of the shaping and misshaping of new york in. Caros first book, and despite the brilliance of his years of lyndon johnson series, its still his best. It is a true monument to caro that this book has remained in print in both hc. Robert caro, in full robert allan caro, born october 30, 1935, new york, new york, u. Robert moses and the fall of new york paperback july 12, 1975. Mar 06, 2020 caro spent seven years writing the power broker about new york city insider robert moses and his influence on the city. Apr 01, 2019 caro, of course, is responsible for two totems of american political biography. Robert moses response to robert caros the power broker. Caro is simply one of the best nonfiction books in english of the last forty. Robert caro winner of the pulitzer prize, the national.
Feb 18, 2007 robert caro talked about his book the power broker. This onepage guide includes a plot summary and brief analysis of the power broker by robert a. Moses is pictured as idealist reformer, and political manipulator as his rise to power and eventual domination of new york. Robert moses and the fall of new york, the latter of which was written at the new york public library. Everywhere acknowledged as a modern american classic, winner of the pulitzer prize, and chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest books of the twentieth century, the. However, caros tremendous, artfully compiled detail, based on dozens of interviews and exhaustive sourcehunting, ensure that the power broker will be acclaimed as the definitive monument to moses. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 44 pages and is available in paperback format.
All of the good deeds and bad deeds are recorded over more than 66 hours of audio and judged by robert caro, master biographer. Aug 30, 2011 in this epic biography truly it tops out at more than 1,000 pages, robert caro tells the tale of americas greatest builder, the urban planner, who without ever being elected to office, used every mechanism of power at hand to construct the modern big apple its beaches and parks and playgrounds and highways and tunnels and. The art of political power, with robert caro and william hague intelligence squared. Robert moses and the fall of new york paperback july 12 1975 by robert a. Robert moses and the fall of new york book in epub find out the power broker robert a caro pdf download get the power broker robert a. After working for many years as a reporter, caro wrote the power broker 1974, a biography of new york urban planner robert moses, which was chosen by the modern. Johnson with emphasis on his early years and his time in the us senate. If anyone knows who the interviewer is, please let me know and i. Robert moses and the fall of new york, everywhere acclaimed as a modern classic, was chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest nonfiction books of the twentieth century. Everywhere acknowledged as a modern american classic, winner of the pulitzer prize, and chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest books of the twentieth century, the power broker is a huge and galvanizing biography revealing not only the saga of one mans incredible accumulation of power, but the story of the shaping and misshaping of new york in the.
Robert caros response to robert moses response to robert. Read the power broker pdf ebook listen to the power broker robert a caro audiobook read online the power broker. And hes written four of five planned volumes on president lyndon. It is a true monument to caro that this book has remained in print in both hc and pb over these years. Robert caro talked about his book the power broker. Caro is able to make the most mundane traffic planning commitee meetings into shakesperian drama and power struggles. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. From the twotime pulitzer prizewinning author of the power broker and the years of lyndon johnson. Caros biography of robert moses, the power broker 1974, is considered one of the most influential biographies of all time. In the process we learn as much about robert caro and his values as robert moses. Nov 16, 2015 the art of political power, with robert caro and william hague intelligence squared.
Johnson and robert moses went beyond studies of the men who were their subjects to investigate the practice of political power in the united states. The book focuses on the creation and use of power in local and state politics, as witnessed through moses use of unelected positions to design and implement dozens of highways and bridges, sometimes at great cost to the communities he nominally served. Robert moses and the fall of new york is a 1974 biography of robert moses by robert caro. Robert caro spent most of his career writing the use of raw political power by nyc. Long an admirer of robert a caros biographies of lbj, i confess i had ignored the power broker because at first glance a book about a man who built bridges, roads, parks and civic buildings sounded bland compared to the complex personality of lyndon johnson. This biography of this biography of user created clips from this video. And hes written four of five planned volumes on president lyndon johnson. This massive work is at the same time a biography of robert moses and the metropolitan new york city area. This biography of robert moses won a pulitzer prize in 1974. The power broker pdf by robert a caro the power broker. Moses is the subject of caros pulitzerwinning 1974 biography the power broker, now published in. Jul 12, 2017 in the spring of 1974, after robert a. T echnically, robert caros book the power broker is a biography of urban planner robert moses, but that description feels laughably inadequate on multiple counts.
The first edition of the novel was published in september 16th 1974, and was written by robert a. Robert moses and the fall of new york, published by vintage. Robert moses and the fall of new yorka sevenyear ordeal that took the book through three publishers and two. Robert allan caro born october 30, 1935 is an american journalist and author known for his biographies of united states political figures robert moses and lyndon b. If anyone knows who the interviewer is, please let me know. Power brokers on robert caros the power broker bloomberg. Caro spent seven years writing the power broker about new york city insider robert moses and his influence on the city. Robert caro stands by his power broker subtitle and. Robert moses and the fall of new york, everywhere acclaimed as a modern classic, was chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest nonfiction books of. Robert moses and the fall of new york by caro, robert a. Biographer robert caro on fame, power and working to.
126 1416 233 107 879 1032 286 1475 1268 546 614 1005 389 907 50 440 1432 313 928 484 287 104 445 1197 1443 478 696 1130 209 1399 311