Robert A. Caro

Moses is pictured as idealist reformer and political manipulator as his rise to power and eventual domination of New York State politics is documented

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

The Power Broker

The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro is a riveting and timeless account of power, politics and the city of New York by 'the greatest political biographer of our times' (Sunday Times) - chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time and by the Modern Library as one of the 100 Greatest Books of the Twentieth Century. Now also a Sunday Times Bestseller. The Power Broker tells the story of Robert Moses, the single most powerful man in New York for almost half a century and the greatest builder America (and probably the world) has ever known. Without ever once being elected to office, he created for himself a position of supreme and untouchable authority, allowing him to utterly reshape the city of New York, turning it into the city we know today, while at the same time blighting the lives of millions and remaining accountable to no one. First published in 1974, this monumental classic is now widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest books of its kind.

Alawander Bouston 

Hospitality has always been a potent political weapon. Moses used it like a master. Coupled with his overpowering personality, a buffet often did as much for a proposal as a bribe.

Nate vdv

Patrick Book

This is a must-read for anyone who has any interest in politics and power, for anyone who thinks they know how political machines operate and how power is utilized. 

This is an impossibly dense, detailed, encyclopaedic compendium of how one idealistic civil servant can leverage his unique genius to create for himself a seat of power that for 40 years could not be taken away by Mayors, Governors, or even Presidents. How a vision for providing recreation to the residents of one of the world’s densest cities led to a man building endless roadways for the sake of building them, even when it proves nearly ruinous for the city. How hubristic self-assurance blinds the powerful to their own ideals, and how the pursuit of power can be never-ending, at least until you take one step too far and lose it all. 

This is nearly 1,300 pages of spellbinding, intricate storytelling focused on the most fascinating subject of which you’ve never heard. You won’t be able to put it down, so but a copy — or else you’ll end up like me and It will take you a year to read the library’s. Either way, you will be grateful you did. This might be the most impressive book I’ve ever read.

rumbledethumps

What can I say about this book that has not been said by many other people? This is one of the best biographies I have ever read, a biography of a man and a city.

What one man did to shape the lives of the millions of people who have lived in the New York City area, one man whose name relatively few people would be familiar with, is simply mind-boggling. I sometimes listened to this book while walking around this great city I call home, and was stunned by how much of what I saw around me was shaped by Robert Moses.

If you have any interest in New York City, government, city planning, or what people will do to achieve and keep power, I highly recommend this book.

Andrew Louis

At no point in the 1000+ pages did I find myself thinking "hmm, that was a useless paragraph."

Garrett Jansen

Arnav Shah

Fiorello La Guardia loved glass bricks. Robert Caro is a national treasure.

Robert Moses and the fall of New York

The power broker

Melody Izard

A monster of a book.

I didn't know who Robert Moses was before I read this book. Now I want to run the NY marathon again so I can pay better attention to the bridges and connecting streets that Moses was responsible for.

Caro likes to explore how power corrupts. I yelled out loud at some of the ridiculous things Moses does just because he could.

Omar Fernandez

I stopped reading this, didn't complete it. It's very long. It's interesting. Robert Moses is an interesting case study on someone who can do a lot. A lot of good, a lot of bad, a lot of both. He did a lot for his own satisfaction and power and when left uncontrolled this would manifest in a combination of good and bad contributions to society. The book, as I read it, is a cautionary tale of a man knowing how to game a system with all sorts of complicated incentives which, when exploited, can result in unparalleled power. Which is what Bob Moses did. 

I don't know what I'm missing, but after tens of hours on this book I plan to sit back and relax. It was entertaining, but not intriguing enough to go on for another 20+ hours.

Nick Simson

An important and vital biography and political history of public works in the U.S.A.'s largest city.

Every public servant, every designer, and everyone committed to democracy should read this book.

Stephen Schenkenberg

Pierre

D VA

Jeff Roche

The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro is a riveting and timeless account of power, politics and the city of New York by âe~the greatest political biographer of our timesâe(tm) (Sunday Times) âe" chosen by Time magazine as one of the 100 Best Non-Fiction Books of All Time and by the Modern Library as one of the 100 Greatest Books of the Twentieth Century. Now also a Sunday Times Bestseller. The Power Broker tells the story of Robert Moses, the single most powerful man in New York for almost half a century and the greatest builder America (and probably the world) has ever known. Without ever once being elected to office, he created for himself a position of supreme and untouchable authority, allowing him to utterly reshape the city of New York, turning it into the city we know today, while at the same time blighting the lives of millions and remaining accountable to no one. First published in 1974, this monumental classic is now widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest books of its kind.

The Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

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