Working

De: Robert A. Caro

Narrado por: Robert A. Caro

“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: an unprecedented gathering of vivid, candid, deeply moving recollections about his experiences researching and writing his acclaimed books.

Now in paperback, 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.

To understand more about Robert Caro's research, see the Sony Pictures Classic documentary “Turn Every Page.”

Interesting

Robert Caro is one of my favorite biographers. In this book Caro discusses his life but mostly provides information about how he and his wife do research about a topic. The number one take away I got from this book is do not hurry, take your time and do it right. He tells of hours in the archives, reading other people’s work, newspaper articles, diaries and letters. He also tells of traveling around doing interviews with people. He spent years doing the research, gathering material, organizing it and then analyzing it. The last thing he does is the writing.

A lot of the information in this book can be found in his book “On Power” and in his other essays, etc. I think he put together a collection of his shorter essays that discuss his writing and research methods and stuck them into this book. For those of us who have read most of his writings, this is all old material except for some pearls provided about research. I am tempted to give this only three stars; but because it is Caro, I will give it four stars.

The book is seven hours and fifty-five minutes. Caro narrated the book. It is great to hear him tell about what he does.

Good book; terrible narrator

Robert Caro should never narrate another book!
I struggled but finished through the entire book.
I learned about Robert Moses by listening to this book for which I’m grateful.

Mr Caro’s research allowed me to better understand Lyndon Johnson which has given me a understand how he accomplished much during his presidency even though he lacked personal integrity.

Thank you, Robert Caro.

The Power Broker was a revelation for me. Hearing Robert Caro discuss his methods for researching and writing was an education in itself. Excellent in every way - glad I found this.

Great read

Great read if you are interested in writing. Caro covers discusses his work on LBJ and Robert Moses to give practical examples and more of his own POV. Caro does a great job reading it as well.

Listening to a Master

Listening to Robert Caro describe his writing process was like being inside the head of a master craftsman. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the two most important subjects up his and biographies, Robert Moses and Lyndon Baines Johnson. I especially enjoyed listening to how he delved deeply into the long-forgotten memories of those he interviewed regarding their knowledge and perceptions the main characters.

For anyone interested in writing a biography, I would suggest strongly that you listen to Robert Caro to have a clear understanding of the process. I would also say say that he probably is an ethnographer because he really lived in the areas where his characters resided. He deftly explains how his characters are really the conduits through which he seeks to under how power is obtained, used and politicized.

Great of listen!