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Working cover art

Working

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

"One of the great reporters of our time and probably the greatest biographer." (The Sunday Times, London) 

From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Power Broker and the Years of Lyndon Johnson series: an unprecedented gathering of vivid, candid, deeply revealing recollections about his experiences researching and writing his acclaimed books.

For the first time in audiobook form, Robert Caro gives us a glimpse into his own life and work in these evocatively written, personal pieces. He describes what it was like to interview the mighty Robert Moses and to begin discovering the extent of the political power Moses wielded; the combination of discouragement and exhilaration he felt confronting the vast holdings of the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Austin, Texas; his encounters with witnesses, including longtime residents wrenchingly displaced by the construction of Moses' Cross-Bronx Expressway and Lady Bird Johnson acknowledging the beauty and influence of one of LBJ's mistresses. He gratefully remembers how, after years of working in solitude, he found a writers' community at the New York Public Library and details the ways he goes about planning and composing his books.

Caro recalls the moments at which he came to understand that he wanted to write not just about the men who wielded power, but about the people and the politics that were shaped by that power. And he talks about the importance to him of the writing itself, of how he tries to infuse it with a sense of place and mood to bring characters and situations to life on the page. Taken together, these reminiscences - some previously published, some written expressly for this book - bring into focus the passion, the wry self-deprecation, and the integrity with which this brilliant historian has always approached his work.

©2019 Robert A. Caro (P)2019 Random House Audio

What the critics say

"As an audiobook performer, Robert Caro doesn't display much polish, but there could be no finer voice for describing his career as an investigative writer.... That distinctive, indigenous voice transforms what would have been a stray assembly of reminiscences, old interviews, and magazine pieces into a compelling narrative of the writerly life.... Caro is 82, and the story he tells is an inspiration to every would-be writer, told with authenticity - and artistry - that no polish could enhance." (AudioFile Magazine)

“Superb.... Writing with customary humor, grace, and vigor, Caro wryly acknowledges the question ‘Why does it take so long’ to produce each book. Caro provides both the short answer - intensive research - and a longer, illuminating explication of just what that entails.... The results may take longer, but, as readers of Caro’s work know, it is always worth the wait. For the impatient, however, this lively combination of memoir and non-fiction writing will help sate their appetite....” (Publishers Weekly

“The iconic biographer...offers wisdom about researching and writing.... In sparkling prose, Caro...recounts his path from growing up sheltered in New York City to studying at Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia to unexpectedly becoming a newspaper reporter and deciding to devote his life to writing books.... The author shares fascinating insights into his research process in archives; his information-gathering in the field, such as the Texas Hill Country; his interviewing techniques; his practice of writing the first draft longhand; and his ability to think deeply about his material. Caro also offers numerous memorable anecdotes.... Caro’s skill as a biographer, master of compelling prose, appealing self-deprecation, and overall generous spirit shine through on every page.” (Kirkus Reviews)  

What listeners say about Working

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  • 2021-09-22

Very informative

Would have liked to hear more about interviewing techniques. His persistence and integrity were inspiring.

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Robert Caro is a machine.

Robert Caro, being a well known writer, should have been in my focus years ago. Regardless, I'm excited to have discovered Caro, and his passionate writings. He displays a deep understanding of humanity, and offers evidence and accountability to his descriptions of Robert Moses and LBJ. Definitely will be reading The Power Broker, as well as, his 5 volume collection on Lyndon Baines Johnson.

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Turn Every Page

As close to an autobiography as we are going to get for Robert A. Caro; set against his lifetime pursuit of the description of political power, and his two white whales, Robert Moses and Lyndon Baines Johnson.
Loved hearing it in his voice, in the cadence of his native New York City.

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A teasure

Robert Caro is a prolific and exceptional writer, and he is just as good a narrator. My main trigger to buy this title was the fact he did the narration himself. His pronounced New York accent and timbre was perfect, and needed to be on this very important book about his craft. Bravo.

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A Wonderful Distillation

Reading Caro is always wonderful, but it takes too long. Not with this book. A real gift!

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