The Power Broker

Robert Moses and the Fall of New York

By: Robert A. Caro

Narrated by: Robertson Dean

Length: 66 hrs and 9 mins

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

Critic reviews

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)

Gotta be the best audiobook I’ve read

Just an amazing book. The Obama blurb on the book jacket really caught my eye. Consider the following.

Robert Moses got into power and held on to it by being FOR what no one could be against. Namely, parks, roads and bridges.

Obama read this book at 22 and was mesmerized by it.

Obama got into power and held on to it by being FOR what no one could be against. Namely, health insurance for all - Obamacare.

wonderful

Being something from New York, this is a wonderful read. wonderful performance as well.

Great story, great narration, amazing value

A long investment of time for sure, but so worth it. The content and narrator are top class. I found listening at 1.3x speed was best for my preferences. If you have any interest in history, government, New York, city planning, or journalism, jump in.

This book has many shorter books within, like the section on Al Smith and the chapter "One Mile."

A fascinating book about power

Although not as enjoyable as Caro's fabulous series on LBJ, still definitely worth listening to. While some parts of the book can get repetitive and bogged down, other parts of the book are exciting and offer penetrating analysis in the nature of power and the story' rich cast of characters. The reader does an outstanding job!

Loved the book and the Narration, HATED R.M

Great book.
Perfectly narrated, evocative and deep felt about a horrible horrible man!
The best part came at the end, the fall of Robert Moses. Yes, R.M did a lot of good for the city, but he also caused irreparable harm.
Incredible book though.

Power Corrupts, no matter who it is.

If you could sum up The Power Broker in three words, what would they be?

Even Heroes can get corrupt.

What did you like best about this story?

The intrigue, the strategy behind the scenes, the need to wait 4 decades to have a more powerful, wealthy politician usurp the untouchable self-appointed dictator Robert Moses. What started as heroic, intelligent and altruistic actions by a smart do-gooder who "made a difference", morphed into insensitive, massively destructive, dismissive dictatorship that was unstoppable - only until Rockefeller could check-mate Moses . I highly recommend this to any one - especially the green earth persons and political junkies.

What about Robertson Dean’s performance did you like?

Voice quality was excellent and seamless. i enjoyed the voice impersionations of

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

no laugh no cry. I was not surprized by the details. I see the corruption every day in politics that affects everyone's daily lives.

Any additional comments?

A cautionary tale to citizens that yearn for a "savior" to solve big, corrupt or unsolved problems due to inaction by elected persons. be careful what you ask for. Have checks and balances.

Stunning, brilliant, illuminating

Simply
One of the most engaging and illumination historical works I’ve ever experienced. Caro is brilliant and the reading performance was perfect.

Engaging and interesting

Big commitment, but learned a ton about the history of New York and how political power works.

One of the greatest biographies of all time

You will learn more about the lives of those tangentially related to Robert Moses than you would from some biographies of those same men. A master class of Non Fiction, truly worth the 50+ hours you’ll spend listening.

Everything’s coming up Moses

A staggering amount of information about a man who’s barely if ever mentioned in history courses and yet shaped New York and America in such shortsighted ways they are doing damage even to this day.