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The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
by Robert A. Caro
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About This Book
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.
Introduction
In Robert Caro's compelling narrative, "The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York," readers are introduced to the towering figure of Robert Moses, a master urban planner whose ambition and influence reshaped New York City. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Caro unveils the complex web of politics, power, and ambition that Moses navigated to leave an indelible mark on the city's landscape. The book delves deep into the intricate balance of vision and hubris, revealing how one man's drive both built and fragmented the very fabric of New York.
Key Takeaways
Robert Moses wielded unprecedented power in urban planning. His projects transformed New York City but often overlooked communities. Caro's work highlights the complexities of balancing power and public good.
Detailed Description
Robert Caro\'s "The Power Broker" meticulously chronicles the life and career of Robert Moses exploring how his vision and determination made him one of the most influential figures in urban planning. Through extensive research and interviews Caro paints a portrait of a man whose unparalleled power shaped the very essence of New York City. \nThe book delves into Moses\'s innovative approaches to infrastructure detailing his roles in constructing bridges parks and highways that defined America\'s largest city.
Yet Caro does not shy away from exposing the darker side of Moses\'s legacy including communities displaced by his projects. \nCaro\'s writing weaves a complex story of ambition political maneuvering and the inherent tension between progress and public interest. Moses\'s work though visionary often came at immense social cost.
\n"The Power Broker" is both a biography and a historical account of New York\'s evolution serving as a cautionary tale about the unbridled quest for power. Caro\'s exhaustive research and incisive prose shine a light on the intricate dynamics of urban development. \nBy examining Moses\'s rise and fall Caro offers invaluable insights into the profound effects of power on both a personal and societal level.
The book remains a landmark in both biography and urban history genres.
Standout Features
What sets "The Power Broker" apart is Caro\'s extraordinary attention to detail and dedication to uncovering every facet of Robert Moses\'s complex character and influence Each page reflects years of painstaking research ensuring accuracy and depth Caro's narrative prowess transforms the sometimes dry subject of urban development into an engaging and gripping tale of power ambition and consequence The book reads as both an epic saga and a thought-provoking analysis of how cities are shaped The balanced portrayal of Moses acknowledging both his achievements and flaws offers a nuanced perspective often missing in biographies This objective approach invites readers to consider the dualities of leadership and legacy in shaping modern metropolises.
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Customer Reviews
Hooray for the Kindle edition
I own this book in paperback. Unfortunately, it weighs nearly 5 pounds and has rather small print. It is an physical ordeal to read it and I want to read it because it is wonderfully well-written. It tells a gripping story about a man who came to be a bitter enemy to many of us. I can read this on my light-weight kindle. I can increase the type size it it is troublesome. I have been wishing for this for months as I have been trying to read the book.
Take the plunge, it’s worth it
This was on my reading list for many years and I was surprised to see it pop up on the bookshelves of TV news personalities in Zoom interviews during the pandemic. Then came the 2022 documentary “Turn Every Page” about Caro’s writing process and Robert Gottlieb’s editing. I was sold and decided to take the plunge. First, there’s a lot of detail on every page. It tells you the details of not just Moses as a “Power Broker,” but the ins and outs of civil planning, laws, government funding, etc. Some of these details might be difficult to understand, but it’s filled with excellent information about how Moses took advantage of all these things and exploited them in every way possible. “The Power Broker” is said to be a portrait of the man who built New York, but it’s more than that. It’s about the shaping of modern day New York, the financial institutions, erosion of Tammany Hall, the importance of infrastructure and how civil planning has been used for good and bad. “The Power Broker” is unprecedented and extremely detailed because all the previous attempts to profile Moses were written with his involvement and control of the narrative. Caro wrote an objective biography with some access to Moses and some of the people who worked for him or whose careers he destroyed. This was Caro’s opportunity to tell the real story and even though Moses has been vindicated in some ways, not all the means are justified. It’s a long read (1100+ pages excluding the reference notes and index), but it’s worth every page. It took me 3 months because I examined many subjects, figures, associated stories, etc.
Fantastic biography. Worth the effort.
The Power Broker is a book I assume that sits on quite a few reading lists, but rarely actually gets read. Coming in at 1,162 pages, 1,300+ when including notes and index, it’s easy to understand why. It’s a monster. But anyone who is brave enough to commit to reading it will be rewarded for doing so. Robert Caro has written a masterpiece. The Power Broker is a biography of Robert Moses, the transformative city planner of New York during the mid-1900s, who was obsessed with one thing: power. Robert Moses accomplished things that even some U.S. presidents can only dream of, all while never being elected to public office. He almost singlehandedly built the world’s greatest city and most of New York state. But he did so in a way that was at times truly sickening. Beginning as a young idealist in college and his first jobs in local government, Moses quickly realized that even the greatest of ideas needs power to bring them to fruition. Robert Moses learned the ins and outs of government to bend it to his will to put himself in positions of increasing power, until eventually not even President FDR could control him. Long lost were the ideals. Power was all that mattered. For over forty years, Moses ran the state of New York like a king, amassing astronomical amounts of money to build more infrastructure than most countries. Parks, roads, highways, stadiums. If it was built by the government, it went through Robert Moses. Just by looking at his achievements, one might think Robert Moses was a hero. And many others did. City planners from around the world traveled to New York to witness his creations in person and to seek out his advice. But in reality, Moses’s hero image was carefully crafted by his manipulation of the New York media. Moses had every newspaper in town in his back pocket. Beneath the mask shown to the public was a truly despicable man. Robert Moses was the combination of the worst aspects of Steve Jobs, Lance Armstrong, and Donald Trump. Moses drove his aides (“Moses men”) into the ground. He destroyed the careers of countless people on his path to power. Anyone who even slightly disagreed with him was met with a fury of personal attacks. Moses’s only campaign for public office was filled with so much rage and lies that it would make today’s political circus acts look like a bible study. He was an outright racist as evident by the complete scarcity of parks in minority neighborhoods. Moses intentionally built highway bridges so low that buses, typically used by blacks, couldn’t drive out to the recreation areas "reserved" for the affluent whites. His inability to listen to any opinions other than his own lead him to drive New York into a state of misery. Thinking he was creating a utopia, Moses built so many roads without any public transportation that he sentenced entire generations of New Yorkers to lifetimes of traffic. I truly believe Robert Moses was the most evil person who never directly killed someone. The stories were infuriating to read. Only Moses's downfall at the hand of Nelson Rockefeller brought some sort of emotional justice. Despite the terror of reading the intricate details of such a terrible person, the book is endlessly fascinating. From the very beginning of the book, Robert Caro teaches a masterclass on writing. From Moses’s family history to old age, Caro describes everything in ridiculous detail. Caro says researching and writing the book took seven years. I was left wondering how he accomplished it in such a short time. There is so much information packed into this book. And given the length, most of it was warranted. But, about half way through, it did start to feel formulaic. Some parts were less interesting and many times I felt the level of detail was so exhausting that I started skipping past it. I noticed that just reading the first and last sentence of most paragraphs would often give you what you needed to know. All in all, I think at least a fifth of the book could have been trimmed. The Power Broker is a book that will highlight the reader’s sense of morality. I for one see the story as a prime example of why the powers of government need to be limited so that no one like Robert Moses can take advantage of them. Barack Obama said he read the book when he was 22 and it “mesmerized” him. Obama said, “I’m sure it helped to shape how I think about politics.” That statement is frightening to me. Some may see Moses’s life as a roadmap to their own power, cues to spot corrupt ambitions in others, or a few tricks of persuasion and leadership. Either way, a lot can be learned from reading it. And it's entirely worth the effort.
