You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. The BEST: The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York Author: Robert Caro by David Wolkenfeld. Free download or read online The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York pdf (ePUB) book. There was a problem loading your book clubs. It's worth reading--even if it takes a while. Although many folks know he is responsible for parks, bridges, roads, and tunnels - did you know that he reformed the budget system for the state of New York? For a long time Neil Sheehan's "A Bright and Shining Lie" was my all time favorite because it grabbed me in a way that no other work had until then (1989). His tactics in NY and so many other cities severed people from each other with scalpel looking to exacerbate class divisions. The Power Broker is Robert A. Caro's first book, and despite the brilliance of his Years of Lyndon Johnson series, it's still his best. Discussion forums for GunBroker.com users. 57 pages of summaries and analysis on The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York by Robert A. Caro. Like those books, it is the study of a man who loved power more than anything, and whose most minor whims have consequences that echo to this day. This biography of Robert Moses—the highly influential urban planner who shaped the modern city during the 20th century—was first published in 1975, during a period of prolonged urban decline, adding another layer of complexity for today’s reader. This is a six star book. He is however, an example of how to amass power, and how to use it, for better and for worse. This is a thousand pages and weighs as much as a four layer carrot cake (platter included) and yet is not available as an ebook. So despicable that he deliberately build bridges too low to accommodate the city busses so that so the poor and especially the Blacks couldn't go out to the Long Island beaches. Of course they all revolve around Robert Moses, who is fascinating and also despicable. The part about Moses and Roosevelt is quite telling. There's a problem loading this menu right now. If you've got any attachment to New York, any interest in city planning, and any stamina whatsoever, RUN (do not walk) to get your own copy and read, read, read!!! Did you know that he was an Ivy League do gooder that never had a real paying job until he was more than 30 years old? A biography, a history of mid 20th Century New York City politics and a study of the corruptive qualities of power. It can’t get you peace or power. With the exception of New Zealand, no country with a population of more than 50,000 people has more cars per capita than America. His story goes to … The Power Broker is a melodramatic, thoroughly unbelievable tale set in the financial world. InThe Power Brokers, Lambert develops an exquisite case for viewing the construction of state regulatory regimes as a fundamental activity in the creation of the electric power industry. Ostensibly a biography of Robert Moses, the building and public works commissioner of New York from the '20s through 1969, it's many things: a detailed account of urban planning and inner-city strife, a sweeping chronicle of New York politics and official wrangling, a study of the impact of indifferent government and careless bureaucrats on everyday lives. I'm not sorry I read it - but it IS very long and it is about someone who was evidently quite remarkable but who is mostly memorable for having built much of the infrastructure of New York. 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. The book is so thorough and complex that the reader must digest a great deal of information to move through the. As he has done with the LBJ books, Caro interviewed everyone that he could find who was remotely affiliated with, or affected by, Moses in any way. At over 1000 pages is a mamoth of a book, oceanic in every sense. For over 1,100 pages (with another 200 pages for notes and a bibliography), Caro is able to keep the narrative thread together despite a plethora of information and influential figures. City of Quartz by Mike Davis is an excellent book about the historical shaping of LA. Coupled with his overpowering personality, a buffet often did as much for a proposal as a bribe.”, “...his success in public relations had been due primarily to his masterful utilization of a single public relations technique: identifying himself with a popular cause. He began as a reformer; over time, he arrogated more and more power to himself--and still remained rather out of sight as a figure. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. 1162 pages of well researched text is what Robert Caro uses to tell the story of planner and political power Robert Moses. The cruelty with which this was done was later exposed and led to his downfall. Only problem is that it is far too heavy to carry around. He was chauffer. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the Enter key is pressed. Power Broker Official Site. I tore my copy into 3 sections and carried only the one I was reading at the time. It took me almost half of a year, but I did it--I finished "The Power Broker." As he has done with the LBJ books, Caro interviewed everyone that he could find who was remotely affiliated with, or affected by, Moses in any way. I read it after having hoovered up Caro's LBJ series, and while nothing to me can equal those for sheer writing power, this comes damn close. If there is one book you want read besides a religious book, I would make this that book. The stupendous effort put into the research by Robert Caro is incredible and the fact that the book is now over 40 years old does not detract from reading at all. GunUp. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Power Broker Vol. How could he remain for so long a period of time as "below the radar"? This volume, perhaps Caro's masterpiece, as others have described it, is I believe first among equals among the greatest in my experience. Having hardly heard of Robert Moses and not being very familiar with NY politics I was a bit dubious about wading through 1200 pages but in fact the story and the character of the man are fascinating. In case something is wrong or missing kindly … I worked ("worked" is not really the right word - it's no work to read these books) through the first three books, then, while waiting for the fourth, looked around for other books by Caro, which is how I found The Power Broker. Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2018, Overall, a great book. Synopsis : The Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York written by Robert A. Caro, published by Alfred a Knopf Incorporated which was released on 15 November 1974. The idealist of the early chapters soon turns into something of a monster with huge prejudices against lower class people, blacks and ethnics. Moses backs projects that range from mostly beneficial (state and city parks, bridges) to ones that inconvenience or actively harm New Yorkers (the chapter on New York's subway system comes to mind), all for the sake of maintaining his private fiefdom against all comers. everyone in the goddamn world (especially New Yorkers). Something went wrong. Power Broker, Inc. is a fictional criminal corporation in the Marvel Universe which provides individuals with superhuman physical abilities for a price. However, Caro's tremendous, artfully compiled detail, based on dozens of interviews and exhaustive source-hunting, ensure that The Power Broker will be acclaimed as the definitive monument to Moses, as well as a key study of the web of political figures connected with, and against, Moses' career. Filled with numerous sources and a plethora of interview comments, Caro describes this vastly powerful man who changed New York City, quite literally, into the urban powerhouse of the United States. Robert Caro talked about his book [The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York], published by Vintage. So for purposes of reading, the book is an anchor to your reading chair - you can't haul it around without a knapsack, so you can't read it mobilely. Monumental work by Robert Caro - now more widely known for his excellent (and still ongoing) series of biographies on Lyndon Johnson. Two individuals have used the Power Broker persona. For over 1,100 pages (with another 200 pages for notes and a bibliography), Caro is able to keep the narrative thread together despite a plethora of information and influential figures. Refresh and try again. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. He cultivated the press who loved him to the point of dereliction of duty as far as the common good was concerned. He was not an elected official; he served on public authorities, which often have full governmental powers. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of, Published and it is a backbreaking brick to lug around. This was a monumental accomplishment as Moses controlled all municipal building in NYC for years and had a stranglehold on power even over numerous mayors. The Power Broker requires a big commitment, but it was easily worth the two months of my reading time. Chapter 26 is a fascinating description of his relationship with his older brother, who he destroyed, and his mother, and only a psychiatrist could unravel the darkness there. He built vast and luxurious venues where previously there had been just sand, with building materials and leisure facilities second to none. every aspect of my life in new york, the subway, the roads, parks, politics (current and historical), every detail of mishka brown's highly anticipated treatise 'what i would do if i was in charge - the new york city edition' (yes, i talk about myself in the third person) is influenced by this book...this book is so vast, so. The Power Broker is Robert A. Caro's first book, and despite the brilliance of his Years of Lyndon Johnson series, it's still his best. A monumental and engrossing work. In his empowering new book, Daymond John sets out a blueprint for folks looking to put their God-given assets to work to build a business or a brand. With that cleared up, I can attempt to review this epic biography by Robert A. Caro, which has garnered a great deal of hype over the past 40 years. The Cross-Bronx Expressway, for instance, displaced many. Brief History. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for The Power Broker by Robert Caro - 2006 History Book Club Near Fine at the best online prices at eBay! Apparently, it can. For his biographies of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson, Robert A. Caro has twice won the Pulitzer Prize for Biography, has three times won the National Book Critics Circle Award, and has also won virtually every other major literary honor, including the National Book Award, the Gold Medal in Biography from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Francis Parkman Prize, awarded by the Society of American Historians to the book that best “exemplifies the union of the historian and the artist.” In 2010 President Barack Obama awarded Caro the National Humanities Medal, stating at the time: “I think about Robert Caro and reading. 125 Black-Owned Bookstores in America That Amplify the Best in Literature. A power broker is an influential person who may works through their connections to help sway others rather than attempting the same thing publicly. We have fifty percent more cars per person than France, Germany, Russia, or the United Kingdom. One of the most acclaimed books of our time, winner of both the Pulitzer and the Francis Parkman prizes, The Power Broker tells the hidden story behind the shaping (and mis-shaping) of twentieth-century New York (city and state) and makes public what few have known: that Robert Moses was, for almost half a century, the single most powerful man of our time in New York, the shaper not only of the city's politics but of its physical structure and the problems of urban decline that plague us today. A biography, a history of mid 20th Century New York City politics and a study of the corruptive qualities of power. Please try your request again later. I sing its praises all the time. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 23, 2017. every aspect of my life in new york, the subway, the roads, parks, politics (current and historical), every detail of mishka brown's highly anticipated treatise 'what i would do if i was in charge - the new york city edition' (yes, i talk about myself in the third person) is influenced by this book...this book is so vast, so far-reaching that one is tempted to compare caro to herzog: the daring and intensity of the (anti)heros of herzog's films are easily matched by his own in creating them. I was curious about Robert Moses because a biography of Jane Jacobs was recently published. The Great Migration was the movement of six million African Americans out of the South to urban areas in the Northeast, Midwest, and West between... One of the most acclaimed books of our time, winner of both the Pulitzer and the Francis Parkman prizes. my good friend apparently spent a year reading this last year and says you have to read it to live in the US. Free shipping for many products! They are Curtiss Jackson and an unnamed criminal. To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Cars didn’t just fill roads, they needed to be parked in the City and at the airport. “The Power Broker” requires a big commitment, but it was easily worth the two months of my reading time. Moses used it like a master. As his engineering megalomania grew he evicted thousands of tenants and bulldozed their houses and tenements to make way for another road. We have fifty percent more cars per person than France, Germany, Russia, or the United Kingdom. A massive, magisterial work on the man who built the roads, parks, etc. See all 10 questions about The Power Broker…, The Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York, The Trumps: Three Generations That Built an Empire, Simple Manual On How To Make Money In Stocks And Shares, Morgan Jerkins Journeys Across the USA to Retrace Black History. I'll say that while it took a bit longer to get sucked into the Northeastern world of this guy who built bridges and parks than it did into the more familiar Texas of LBJ, Caro is such a great writer that I was glad I stuck with it. Working on “The Power Broker” — researching it, writing it — took me seven years, and when I finished I was sure I never wanted to see it again. We see how Moses began: the handsome, intellectual young heir to the … i can separate my 10 years living in new york as pre-caro and post-caro. I am neither an urban planner, nor a New Yorker. Christian Gillette is the chairman of one of the most powerful private equity firms in the world. Holy mother of all that is holy. Although many folks know he is responsible for parks, bridges, roads, and tunnels - did you know that he reformed the budget system for the state of New York? Moses despised trains and buses so mass transit was never part of his plans, as anyone lining up for a cab at JFK can testify. Can anyone recommend a comparable work about the building of L.A.? Nobody knows better than Daymond that it … (Chapter 35 also gives fascinating insights into Moses). Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required. This technique was especially advantageous to him because his philosophy--that accomplishment, Getting Things Done, is the only thing that matters, that the end justifies any means, however ruthless--might not be universally popular. Mr Caro's book has been highly praised, and deservedly so, and regularly included in the "best of" books, namely in the worthy 100 best non-fiction books of the XXth Century, made by Time.com. An epic story of Robert Moses's career spent transforming the New York area, especially in parks, bridges, roads and housing. He began as a reformer; over time, he arrogated more and more power to himself--and still remained rather out of sight as a figure. Curtiss Jackson is the founder of Power Broker, Inc which is a criminal organization that would augment the strength of paying individuals to superhuman levels. He has chosen his few subjects wisely for his purposes. Watch Full Episodes, Get Behind the Scenes, Meet the Cast, and much more. And although he was most active during the Depression years, money never seemed to be a problem. I have read some amazing books over the past 30 years. Please try again. Moses was a horrifying example of the idea of "progress" gone stupid and taking advantage of a Manifest Destiny-like philosophy of urbanization. This book is a very long, thorough, exhaustive and phenomenal account of the man who made the public works systems and housing and parks in New York City what they are today. It's hard to put into words how impressive, immersive and insightful a read this book is; even if the subject sounds boring, check it out immediately. Like those books, it is the study of a man who loved power more than anything, and whose most minor whims have consequences that echo to this day. Like those books, its depth seems to encompass the whole world, with innumerable fascinating asides and brief sketches of tangents that could be turned into book in themselves. arrrghghagh, Reviewed in the United States on December 19, 2017. He drove his engineers and structural crews very hard and the New York bridges he built are his monuments along with the UN Building and the Lincoln Centre. I read it after having hoovered up Caro's LBJ series, and while nothing to me can equal those for sheer writing power, this comes damn close. Fictional organization history. It took Governor Nelson Rockefeller to unseat him. “Hospitality has always been a potent political weapon. It changes the way you perceive the world. This is definitely the greatest book that I have ever read. And astonishingly, (publisher please note) THERE IS NO KINDLE VERSION (publisher please note). But Caro’s skill as a biographer makes us feel sorry for Moses when his downfall finally arrives, at the hands of some maverick reporters and Nelson Rockefeller. With the exception of New Zealand, no country with a population of more than 50,000 people has more cars per capita than America. Only very late did it dawn on people that Moses’ roads didn’t reduce congestion at all; they did the opposite, feeding traffic into huge jams and making commuting a nightmare. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 28, 2017, This is a brilliant elucidation and proof of Acton's famous aphorism that power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Searching for the answer later in the day brought me to Robert Moses, which then brought me to this book, and as much as I loved this behemoth, I'm still trying to figure out if I'm in a better place viz-a-viz humanity for having read it. He was ‘money honest’ but as his taste for power grew he became corruptible, fascinated by power for its own sake. This is one of those books that sticks with you. Did you know that the man most responsible for the highway, bridges, and tunnels of NYC, never had a driver’s license? The Power Broker is a supervillain in the Marvel Comics universe. At nearly 1200 pages, it weighs about 3-1/2 pounds, and is a bear to lug around on an airplane on vacation. Every New Yorker should read this book and everyone who wants to be a writer should too. Please try again. Robert Moses was a peculiar man, initially fascinated by, of all things, the British Civil Service and how it remained incorruptible. Author: Charles Plueddeman Publish date: May 20, 2019. Like those books, it is incredibly well-written; the cause of many sleepless nights trying to get in "just a few more pages". Thanks. He advocated for a "White only" area of Stuyvesant, and tried all kinds of sleazy legal maneuvers in the courts to do what he wanted with New York neighborhoods. A biography, a history of mid 20th Century New York City politics and a study of the corruptive qualities of power. Can a book be both endlessly enthralling and gratuitously tedious simultaneously? As. Moses built on an incredible scale. 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