At the heart of your question lies a common theme, can someone become a power broker or is it something that youre born into. The power broker ive started reading the power broker, by robert caro. So im glad that this year i read the power broker again, at last. This is an excellent question and i think it really gets to the core of what most people want to know about power. If you are like me or seemingly half of america you spent most of. Robert moses and the fall of new york paperback july 12, 1975. For the sheer magnitude, depth and authority of its revelations, the power broker stands alonea huge and galvanizing biography revealing not only the virtually unknown saga of one mans incredible accumulation of power, but the hidden story of the shaping and misshaping of new york through the past halfcentury. How the interplay between government regulation and the private sector has shaped the electric industry, from its nineteenthcentury origins to twentyfirstcentury market restructuring. As he aids those in elected office he gains power to sculpt new york city and its environs in an increasingly independent manner, ultimately wielding more power than the elected governors and mayors.
A novel christian gillette book 3 and millions of other books are available for instant access. This massive work is at the same time a biography of robert moses and the metropolitan new york city area. Youve probably never heard of robert i hadnt, because his philosophy was very similar to boydsthat you can get a lot done if you let others take the credit. The power brokers robert moses and the fall of new york, by robert a. One of the most exciting, unputdownable books i have ever read. Books like the power broker by robert caro, about people with immense power and influence. This years authors include the familiar and the freshfaced. Robert caros monumental book makes public what few outsiders have known. Likely not in the bright, untouchable light he had hoped, but his place is solidified. Like niccolo machiavelli, pfeffer, who is the thomas d.
But the power broker is first and foremost a brilliant multidimensional portrait of a manan extraordinary man who. There is something shakespearean about caros writing. It took me 15 days to do all 1,165 pages of the hardcover monstrosity that chronicled the rise of robert moses. Robert moses and the fall of new york, by robert a. Jun 24, 2015 these are the books that prepare you for the top, and also warn against its dangers. Robert moses and the fall of new york caro, robert a. If you like the power broker you might like similar books the protege, the takeover, the day trader, the insider, the vulture fund. Have historians started to take a second look at mosess career, and the choices he made. For more than a century, the interplay between private, investorowned electric utilities and government regulators has shaped the electric power industry in the united states.
Robert moses and the fall of new york from the worlds largest community of readers. The power broker ivpoint of no return august 19, 1974 although he has worked continuously on a projected fivevolume biography of lyndon johnson for the past forty years including master of the senate, winner of the 2003 pulitzer prize in biography, caro continues to survey the legacy of new yorks erstwhile master builder, as. Although the plot in both is very similar to each other. All the kings men by robert penn warren is another similar story a sort of fictional version of the power broker that tells of the effect that power and drive can have. It is like one of the great russian novels, overflowing with characters and. The power broker was published at the nadir of new yorks history, give or take a few years. The book focuses on the creation and use of power in local and state politics, as witnessed through moses use of unelected positions to design and implement dozens of highways and bridges, sometimes at great cost to the communities he nominally served. I first picked up the power broker when it was published 25 years ago. After caro finished his first draft of the power broker, he and gottlieb began the massive task of cutting 350,000 to 400,000 wordsenough for two or three entire books. Christian gillette book 3 and millions of other books are available for instant access. 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 misshaping of twentiethcentury new york city and state and makes public what few have known.
The 10 best money and power books of all time telegraph. Caro the power broker similar books books similar to the power broker. Most of pfeffers 14 books are devoted to bolstering this effectiveness. It took me 15 days to read all 1,165 pages of this. Dec 14, 2014 so im glad that this year i read the power broker again, at last.
Everywhere acknowledged as a modern american classic, winner of the pulitzer prize, and chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest books of the twentieth century, the power broker is a huge and galvanizing biography revealing not only the saga of one mans incredible accumulation of power, but the story of the shaping and misshaping of new york in the twentieth century. The question concerns me, but knowledge is truly power. Caro has twice won the pulitzer prize, twice won the national book award, three times won the national book critics circle award, and has also won virtually every other major litera. The power broker concept was devised by mark gruenwald as a satire on the public obsession with health and fitness. Jul 12, 2017 after caro finished his first draft of the power broker, he and gottlieb began the massive task of cutting 350,000 to 400,000 wordsenough for two or three entire books. It is, according to david halberstam, surely the greatest book ever written about a city. But i also know that there are emerging, contradictory perspectives.
Narrowly, power brokers is the story of the men who built and shaped americas electric power industry. These are the books that every man must have in his library. Robert moses and the fall of new york study guide consists of approx. Powells is an independent bookstore based in portland, oregon. Top ten bankers, policy makers, thinkers, money managers, power brokers. Last week i finished the power broker by robert caro, an enormous tome on the effects of power, vision and drive. The power broker by robert caro alltime 100 nonfiction books. I know power broker is one of the flair communitys favorite books. In his 1974 book the power broker, biographer robert. Robert moses ascent from a marginalized yale undergraduate to the supreme power broker in new york is a nearly unbelievable story, but robert caro does a masterful job of tracing his rise and subsequent reign. The power broker pulls back the curtain on how things get done in america. Robert moses and the fall of new york is a 1974 biography of robert moses by robert caro.
Powells books the worlds largest independent bookstore. For those of us who adore his books on lyndon johnson and regard him as the best political biographer of the modern era, his first book, published in 1975 as another extraordinary achievement. Robert moses and the fall of new york, everywhere acclaimed as a modern classic, was chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest nonfiction books of the twentieth century. The 36 best books all men should read the art of manliness. In the power broker, caro exposes how raw, naked political power works in cities. Robert moses and the fall of new york, and master of the senate, and more on. Power brokers and fast money inside the music business hit men. My goal is to finish the 1162 page tome by the time mr. Everywhere acknowledged as a modern american classic, winner of the pulitzer prize, and chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest books of the twentieth century, the power broker is a huge and galvanizing biography revealing not only the saga of one mans incredible accumulation of power, but the story of the shaping and misshaping of new york in the twentieth. One of the 100 best nonfiction books ever written time now in paperback for the first timethe power broker by robert a. How to make yourself or family a power broker quora. For his biographies of robert moses and lyndon johnson, robert a.
If youre looking for multivolume presidential biographies, stephen ambroses work on nixon may interest you. This week, we honor the 10 best books of 2014, as selected by our editors. Power broker by robert caro, first edition abebooks. Sep 21, 2014 the power broker was published at the nadir of new yorks history, give or take a few years. Caro is the story of robert moses and the construction of the parks, bridges, highway system, united nations building, and other structures in new york. The power broker, 40 years later the new york times.
The population fell by more than 10 percent between 1970 and 1980. Power broker is the name of two fictional characters appearing in american comic books published by marvel comics. Robert moses and the fall of new york the power broker. Since then ive reread it three or four times over the years. All the kings men by robert penn warren is another similar story a sort of fictional version of the power broker that tells of the effect that. In this epic biography truly it tops out at more than 1,000 pages, robert caro tells the tale of americas greatest builder, the urban planner. Copiously researched and documented, hit men is the highly controversial portrait of the pop music industry in all its wild. Aug 04, 2007 last week i finished the power broker by robert caro, an enormous tome on the effects of power, vision and drive. Find all the books, read about the author, and more.
If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that. The power broker robert moses and the fall of new york by caro, robert a. Power brokers and fast money inside the music business. This is another book about power, its use and abuse. Robert moses and the fall of new york, every where acclaimed as a modern classic, was chosen by the modern library as one of the hundred greatest nonfiction books of the twentieth century. Broadly, power brokers is a story of what is popularly derided as crony capitalism how men of ambition manipulated government regulation to build vast empires insulated from competition. The moment when i thought of its ending and of the shape of the book was a crucial moment in my life. The legendary author is slated to speak in cincinnati at the mercantile librarys niehoff lecture on november 2nd. Power broker meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Thick octavo, original black cloth, cartographic endpapers, original dust jacket. In his 1974 book the power broker, biographer robert caro. Caro is simply one of the best nonfiction books in english of the last forty years dominic sandbrook, sunday times. Another caro work that deserves mention here is the power broker.
327 693 456 1409 888 347 874 345 734 113 1300 918 249 92 265 946 1556 1354 634 552 1004 1092 1307 205 1066 209 1097 1349