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  • The Power Broker

  • Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
  • Written by: Robert A. Caro
  • Narrated by: Robertson Dean
  • Length: 66 hrs and 9 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (96 ratings)

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The Power Broker

Written by: Robert A. Caro
Narrated by: Robertson Dean
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Publisher's Summary

PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • A modern American classic, this huge and galvanizing biography of Robert Moses reveals not only the saga of one man’s incredible accumulation of power but the story of his shaping (and mis-shaping of twentieth-century New York.  One of the Modern Library’s hundred greatest books of the twentieth century.

Robert Caro's monumental book makes public what few outsiders knew: that Robert Moses was the single most powerful man of his time in the City and in the State of New York. And in telling the Moses story, Caro both opens up to an unprecedented degree the way in which politics really happens—the way things really get done in America's City Halls and Statehouses—and brings to light a bonanza of vital information about such national figures as Alfred E. Smith and Franklin D. Roosevelt (and the genesis of their blood feud), about Fiorello La Guardia, John V. Lindsay and Nelson Rockefeller.

But The Power Broker is first and foremost a brilliant multidimensional portrait of a man—an 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. We see how Moses began: the handsome, intellectual young heir to the world of Our Crowd, an idealist. How, rebuffed by the entrenched political establishment, he fought for the power to accomplish his ideals. How he first created a miraculous flowering of parks and parkways, playlands and beaches—and then ultimately brought down on the city the smog-choked aridity of our urban landscape, the endless miles of (never sufficient) highway, the hopeless sprawl of Long Island, the massive failures of public housing, and countless other barriers to humane living. How, inevitably, the accumulation of power became an end in itself.

Moses built an empire and lived like an emperor. He was held in fear—his dossiers could disgorge the dark secret of anyone who opposed him. He was, he claimed, above politics, above deals; and through decade after decade, the newspapers and the public believed. Meanwhile, he was developing his public authorities into a fourth branch of government known as "Triborough"—a government whose records were closed to the public, whose policies and plans were decided not by voters or elected officials but solely by Moses—an immense economic force directing pressure on labor unions, on banks, on all the city's political and economic institutions, and on the press, and on the Church. He doled out millions of dollars' worth of legal fees, insurance commissions, lucrative contracts on the basis of who could best pay him back in the only coin he coveted: power. He dominated the politics and politicians of his time—without ever having been elected to any office. He was, in essence, above our democratic system.

Robert Moses held power in the state for 44 years, through the governorships of Smith, Roosevelt, Lehman, Dewey, Harriman and Rockefeller, and in the city for 34 years, through the mayoralties of La Guardia, O'Dwyer, Impellitteri, Wagner and Lindsay, He personally conceived and carried through public works costing 27 billion dollars—he was undoubtedly America's greatest builder.

This is how he built and dominated New York—before, finally, he was stripped of his reputation (by the press) and his power (by Nelson Rockefeller). But his work, and his will, had been done.

©1975 Robert A. Caro (P)2011 Random House Audio

What the critics say

1975, Francis Parkman Prize, Winner

1975, Pulitzer Prize — Biography, Winner

"Caro has written one of the finest, best-researched and most analytically informative descriptions of our political and governmental processes to appear in a generation." (Nicholas Von Hoffman, The Washington Post)

"This is irresistibly readable, an outright masterpiece and unparalleled insight into how power works and perhaps the greatest portrait ever of a world city." (David Sexton, The Evening Standard)

What listeners say about The Power Broker

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Thorough and incredible

Probably the best biography I have ever read, and the best piece of behind the scenes political reporting as well. It's long, but never feels tedious.

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The most incredible book I have ever read

I randomly heard this book brought up on a podcast and I thought I would check it out. When I saw how long it was I was shocked - it would be the longest book I had ever listened to but I figured I'd give it a shot, even if I was unlikely to finish it.

I was less than an hour into the book when I knew definitively that this is one of the best books I have ever listened to. I not only went on to devour the book, but I also have started listening to the other Robert Caro books which are on Lyndon Johnson. They are equally amazing. I could not recommend this or any other Robert Caro book more. #Audible1

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Not even done yet, but...

This may be my favorite book. Ever. And I'm maybe a quarter way through it.

A few people I greatly respect made mention of The Power Broker and that was enough to pique my curiosity. While I was daunted by the 66 hour+ length, I found myself enthralled in moments and stopped worrying.

Robert Caro has done something spectacular here: a rich work of non-fiction that is as compellingly written as it is painstakingly researched. He doesn't embellish or reconstruct; he doesn't need to. He had thousands of hours of interviews to draw on (including with Moses himself) and source documents that clearly had him digging in newspaper morgues and public archives for years. Caro presents this encyclopedic detail with a fine sense of narrative. He evokes some great visuals and sets context beautifully. In one instance, he spends a half-chapter just detailing how difficult it was for New York families in the 20s to find any kind of outdoor recreation and you can palpably feel their frustration. Later, the account of the opening of Moses' renovated Central Park Zoo—a project important to Moses as tribute to his friend, diminished former NY Governor Alfred E. Smith—carries surprising emotional weight.

Robertson Dean provides outstanding narration, though I'll confess I find his diction a little slow. I've been enjoying the book at 1.4x speed and it's been perfect (and cuts about 20 hours off the run-time).

I recommend this most particularly to anyone interested in the way government works ANYWHERE. But even past that, it's a worthwhile read even as a piece of entertainment. It's astoundingly engaging for something this long and well-crafted.

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One of most insightful non fiction books

Very elegantly written, beautiful naration, an absolute treasure of book. This book easily makes my top 3 best ever read non fiction books

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Richly thick

Couldn’t get through this in regular book form - so dense and just long. Truly cracked it in audio version with brilliant narrator to match the quality of the narrative and depth of research. The second half in particular is filled with episodes that will leave you gob smacked and wanting your own concrete tour of NYC.

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In Awe

One of the best biographies ever written on any person, on any subject, at any time, in any place.

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Amazing book but bad narration

Was really looking forward to this book but one of the most lethargic narration I have ever come across. Does not do justice to this amazing book

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It’s as good as they say

Loved it. Can’t believe the man was real. So many impossible feats. And such an a-hole!

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Required reading

Want to better understand the mess of the 21st century? Listen to this tale of the 20th and it’ll all make sense

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The greatest biography of all time

After finishing this monster of a biography in about 3 months I can confidently say it is the best non-fiction book I have ever read and probably the best biography I will ever read. it manages to paint the perfect picture of an individual in an incredibly fair and honest way, never resorting to unfounded ad-hominem attacks. It is brilliantly well researched without seeming dull or uncessesary. Every chapter is brilliantly written with an ability to carve out an engaging story from real events like a great work of fiction. Despite its long length it never dragged on. Now that it's finished, I feel happy to have read it, but empty knowing that I must find something else to read that even compares.

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