The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

This is such an amazing listening experience! If this was fiction you would say it was way too far fetched. Truth is so much stranger. Of my 300 audible books this is in the top 5. For those of you who have been lucky enough to read.. Master of the Senate.. this is the book end for that fab series on lyndon johnson. It was robert caros purpose to expose the workings of power on the local and national level, hence this award winning masterpiece of research and writing, taking almost 10 years to write, AND the lyndon johnson series, the last of which were still waiting for impatiently. I learned so much about power, politics and how the world really works by reading caros masterpieces. If you dont like long books- Be forewarned it is long, really long! I wouldnt cut a single word out of it though. It was actually been cut and edited back to fit in a paperback form. A must read, as far as I'm concerned

If you grew up in the New York area, as I did, whether you've even heard of him or not, Robert Moses had a dramatic impact on your life. Virtually every highway in NY and Long Island is where it is because Moses said it should be and most parks are either there because of Moses or look that way they do because of him.

Moses was a controversial figure, to be sure, and Caro pulls no punches in criticizing him thoroughly and harshly in many cases (a Moses sympathizer might argue that the entire book is one long hit piece). But the book also brilliantly chronicles the story of one of the great bureaucrats in the world history; a man who simply know how to get things done and get them done his way, come Hell or high water. Elliot Spitzer once said that if a Moses biography would be written today, it would be entitled

The way Caro traces the development of Moses' personality from young good government idealist to power-obsessed king of his own feifdom.

The confrontation with Wagner on inauguration day over the appointment to the city planning board summed up Moses in a single incident.You could hate the man and have more power than the man, but you still couldn't resist doing what he ordered you to do.

This is not really a funny or sad book, though some of the anecdotes are pretty funny.

Top 3. Quite simply the greatest combined work of public administration, urban planning, political biography, and big city politics ever. For any young man or woman who is considering a career in public service, read this first. It is superior to any single graduate course in public administration of political science, and provides an important tutorial on how the real world works. The audio version is wonderful

Caro's LBJ series is the only serious competitor in the field of 20th century political biography.

Spoiler alert; one example of the power of Robert Moses was how he was able to push around Governor and then President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

This audiobook is one of the best ever. The narrator was simply wonderful. I listened at 1.5x playback speed, which for me was perfect.

There is simply nothing better than a great narrator reading a wonderful book to you!

Robert Caro is a master author.

This book should be required reading in college political science classes as a classic study of political power. Moses' life spanned decades during critical development of NYC. Moses was good and bad.

If you are a New Yorker or visit New York City often, this book is a must. And, if you just like a damn good story, this is it.

Sound over the top? Its not. This is that oh so rare super-book that leaves you gasping at its unimaginable stupendednes . Doubt it? check out its amazon ratings or try to find an award it hasnt won. You may recognize Caro from his masterful Lyndon Johnson multi-book bio which includes MASTER OF THE SENATE. or his just released volume of said- titled The Passage Of Power

You may not have heard of Robert Moses before but once you read this you'll wonder how thats possible ! I really don't know what else to say other than its a masterpiece that's not to be missed and its in the top 5 of my 900 titles. Very long book but worth every word! Well narrated and a MUST READ if there ever was one.

OH hbo is making a mini series of this book that should be coming out in a year or 2

I purchased this for my husband because he has always been interested in history. He had just finished the book by the same author, Robert Caro, about Lyndon B Johnson....not someone he cared for. He found this very interesting also and thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. Definitely would recommend this book.

Absolutely! great writing and great narration.

Robert Moses from an idealist to a power monger.

He brought life to the characters in the book.

Great man doesn't mean nice man. When I finished this book (66 hours but never boring) I was left with the impression he was like Lance Armstrong, hugely driven and talented but a sociopath if you get in his way. One of those people you'd rather read about than meet. He did remake the face of New York in many ways and he never held office. Makes you wonder how the raw politics work in your own city.

The history was fascinating as well. You'll learn about everyone from Al Smith up to Nelson Rockefeller and everyone in between. Plus how he won a feud with Roosevelt when he was President.It's about Tammany politics and the history of New York from the 1890's up to the 1970s. The reader had a nice even voice too.

with out a doubt.- Caro is at his peak in this intese study of a complex man who live only for power. He is both good and evil

the complexity of moses

He heeps you interested

The central park incident

To call this a work of history does not do the author justice. The book will also be of interest to students of political science, urban planning, law and legislative drafting, finance and engineering. While the length of the book may be daunting, I found myself caught up in drama and the tragedy of the story. "The Power Broker" equals if not surpasses Caro's multiple volume biography of Lyndon Johnson-high praise indeed.