Robert A. CaroReseñas

Finished part 1 4/23

Phenomenal book,fascinating read.

The Paris Review reprint towards the back of the book is worth the price of admission. I read this because I was curious about how Robert A. Caro could write such well-loved and prize-winning biographies. This small book is a series of articles and vignettes about his lifetime work, The Power Broker, and his multi-volume set of books on Lyndon B. Johnson.

I also came to this work because I watched a documentary about his working relationship with Robert Gottlieb, the 20th/21st-century's greatest editor. Turn Every Page is a delight to watch. this book covers some of the same ground and stories but then goes into depth with specifics about how he researches and writes.

In the Paris Review interview, you will find his six steps, which I've summarized here:

How do you do research?
1. Read all the books on a subject.
2. Then the big newspapers and all the magazines.
3. Newspapers from the little towns.
4. The documents
5. Interviews formal and informal chats
6. Are you making the reader see the Scene

But if you are a writer or heavy reader, you will not want to miss the book. These six steps do not do justice to his writing and the included stories.

Thank you to my friend Robing for recommending the book. Now to read the heavy tome that is The Power Broker.

I really enjoyed this book. I appreciate that Robert Caro was willing to share his interviewing and research methods with us. He is clearly very excited about his subject matters and his writing and that all comes through to his readers. His is the kind of writing that makes history come alive because he pays such attention to getting at the truth and also the surrounding details of place which lifts the book beyonds a list of facts.

Simply a stunning achievement, and by far the best book of its kind I have ever read; perhaps the best book of any kind I have ever read.

When this book was published, Robert Caro made the rounds on the more cerebral talk shows in electronic media, and I heard him talk about this book on Charlie Rose among other places. I don't remember if he said that he would write a fourth volume on Lyndon Johnson's presidency. In spite of some weariness (I've read all three volumes of this biography in the past year) with the subject, I hope Mr. Caro does apply his magisterial research and writing skills to those years of Lyndon Johnson's career.
I rate this book four stars--for it certainly, objectively rates five--for highly subjective reasons: this is more a book about the United States Senate and the byzantine manner with which in functions (or doesn't), and the gravamen of this book is that body's manifold attempts in the late 1950s to pass civil rights legislation. Because Lyndon Johnson is widely regarded as a leader on civil rights, Mr. Caro writes and analyzes how Senator Lyndon Johnson bent the Senate to his considerable will and, quietly but effectively, scuttled one civil rights bill after another.
Much of the analysis of the functions of the Senate works to show just how Lyndon Johnson was able to do this; I understand the purpose of all this--to maintain the high standard of scholarly disinterest, and therefore integrity, that Robert Caro sets for himself. Nonetheless, I found much of the narrative on the Senate itself exhausting and repetitious, and therefore give this book a highly subjective four star rating.

Volume one--at 780 pages-- down, and two more similarly paginated volumes (and a fourth, apparently) to go.

Changed how I think about New York and cities in general.

Actual conversation with a waitress when I was reading the book over lunch:

Waitress: That's a really big book! What's it about?

Me: The destruction of New York City.

Waitress: Oh, so it's science fiction?

Me: It's history. It already happened.

Maaaaaaybe enough to make me want to read volume two of this massive biography?

It's so frustrating to end the series (so far) on such an interesting point in history. Caro once again does better than anyone in neither lionizing nor demonizing LBJ, but just giving you the reality of history and letting you judge for yourself. I appreciate how thoroughly Caro goes to make sure he's gotten accounts from everyone he can so disputed stories have both sides told. We barely cover any of LBJ's presidency in this volume, merely the first 6 months or so after JFK is assassinated. But that alone is so insightful to LBJ's presidency to come.

This is a prime example of why non-fiction can be more captivating than fiction. It is unbelievable yet helps explain how and why things happen in the world as they do. You may not agree but you will miss out on so much if you ignore the show case of this book. It explains how the world is shaped good or bad.

Lyndon Baines Johnson lied, cheated and stole elections all his life, honing his cunning to take the 1948 Senate elections from Coke Stevenson, the heavily favored rival. Though Johnson would be infamously remembered for catapulting the US onto the Vietnam War, his boorish manners and ill-treatment of women (his wife included), his legacy also includes landmark legislation on Civil Rights, health care (Medicaid & Medicare), Voting Rights and the War on Poverty. The question we need to ask ourselves is, "Do the ends justify the means?" This second book in Caro's seminal work on Johnson raises, but does not answer that question; but instead shows the power move that launched Lyndon Johnson firmly into the political career arc that would culminate, less than twenty years later, with his presidency. Learning from past mistakes, LBJ would violate political & electoral ethics on a scale never before seen in America much less Texas-- with corporate millions bankrolling his senatorial campaign, buying voting districts, voter fraud, ballot stuffing and, judge shopping when the inevitable court challenges were instigated. Caro uncovered evidence decades later not only from the archives at the Johnson presidential library, but from interviews with family, friends, colleagues and operatives. 'Means of Ascent' is an extraordinary true-crime story of a stolen election and an exposition of modern political power.

This is sort of a mini-memoir by the great biographer who is too busy finishing the presumably last volume of his LBJ biography to write a true memoir. Most of the book has been previously published and there is a moderate amount of repetition. Even so, Caro's stories about his research and several of his most difficult interviews are both entertaining and instructive. I was amused that he would write "SU" for "shut-up" in the notes he took while interviewing someone since he needed a period of silence to draw out a response. I did essentially the same thing during meetings at work, and I am reminded of trial attorneys, comedians, actors, politicians, and musicians who need to work to create the pregnant pause - "wait for it ...".

A tale at once utterly engrossed in the particulars of the rise of LBJ, meticulously and exhaustingly researched from the Texas Hill Country up to the House of Representatives, and at the same time a story so universal in its pattern that it feels like a remake of 'All About Eve' set in the world of politics instead of the theatre. Each is the story of the devious, manipulative, sociopathic ambition of a talented person who just has to be number one, and who leaves a trail of disgruntled, used and discarded people behind. The ugly reality of a rise to power.

As literature, this third volume is superior even to the fascinating first. Its focus is tightly on Johnson's Senate career and the narrative arc is compelling: the moribund Senate, controlled by the dead hand of the Southern Democrats, is taken over by LBJ in a masterclass of political genius, as he again discerns and creates a power-base where none previously existed, then uses it to thread a civil rights bill (1957) through the eye of a needle to bolster his presidential ambitions. Caro is still given to occasional prolixity (he did a great job on Robert Moses' biography in the space of one fifth of his Johnson life) though less so than in volume one; an abridgement of about 1,500 pages for the whole set of books would be useful. But along with his Moses book, this is indispensable reading on how geniuses of political power build and deploy it.

In the middle of New York City, a man sits on an island in the headquarters of a bridge and tunnel authority, collecting tolls without end from the drivers passing through, his vaunting dictatorial powers to build and regulate parks, roads and any facilities he pleases written into indefeasible bond contracts protected against interference from city or state by the US Constitution: a man who plotted with sociopathic genius his way to arbitrary power through the unsuspected minutiae of city government, to the point where NYC became his own Sim City.

This is a compelling study of the man who shaped New York's built environment. A domineering, misanthropic narcissist who used every trick in the book to "get things done", Robert Moses deployed corruption, abuse of power, blackmail, legal chicanery, slander and more to ensure he got his way as he constructed parks, highways, bridges, apartment blocks and prestige projects. His highways failed to relieve traffic; his improvements often systematically and maliciously neglected minority populations; he callously condemned natural areas and communities that got in his way to demolition or ruination; he left a trail of appalled and ruined people behind him while long garnering almost unwavering public and press support. It is really something to write a 1,100-page book about a city planner that reads as a thrilling page-turner: on every page the reader will find fascinating material about how one man, who was decisively rejected on the only occasion he sought an elected position, was able to do so much and amass so much power, what kind of character that took, and what it cost the people and the city around him.

Fascinating book, and some great insights into what goes into creating an epic biography of a modern figure. I haven't yet read one of Caro's masterpieces but this book has made me certain that I want to do so.

I loved this biography of Robert Moses, a man I had never heard of before. He is a fascinating character. He started off an idealistic young man that wanted to make the world a better place, and became the most powerful man in New York. At one time, he held 12 different jobs in the city and state government. The ending of the story is pretty sad (how could it not be?).

At 1245+ pages, this is almost too heavy to hold to read; however, fascinating look at a man who had so much influence, both good and bad, on New York City. Robert Moses was the son of a privileged and strongly opinionated mother. He received the best education possible and went to work in various offices always intending to do what was right and with a vision of how the world should be. Eventually he was appointed the Commissioner of Parks for New York City and his power grew to the point that he was almost uncontrollable. He worked (or manipulated mayors, governors, Congresspeople.

The book reads almost like a novel, but with so much detail the reader can almost read every other page and get the gist of the story. This is probably the most intently researched book I've ever encountered. The writing style is so readable yet with so much detail.

So many interesting characters: LaGuardia, Al Smith, Nelson Rockefeller. I admit I did not read every page, but am so impressed. What a life, and what an example of what power does to the individual who can then in turn affect the lives of so many other people.

Caro does it again, covering the years between LBJ's first, unsuccessful, run for the Senate, and his second, successful, run. While only covering 6 years, versus the previous volume's 34 years, this one was much more engaging. Caro writes the 1948 Senate primary almost like a thriller novel. Despite knowing ahead of time the outcome, I still found myself anxiously awaiting to see what would happen next. I'm not sure if I'll get around to reading "Master of the Senate" soon, but I do plan on finishing this series on one of the most fascinating presidents.

Robert Caro continues to prove why he's one of the Best biographers out there. He does such a fantastic job of really putting everything into as much context as he can so you're not getting a distorted view. Civil rights is the main issue discussed in this volume, and Caro gives excellent overview of the development of the civil rights movement to set the stage for the legislative battles that follow. But the best is Caro clearly doesn't fall into the trap some biographers do where he ends up either praising or vilifying his subject. Caro does give Johnson a lot of credit for getting some of the first civil rights legislation passed, but also thoroughly documents how watered down LBJ made that legislation. And he doesn't outright proclaim Johnson as either racist or not racist, but rather thoroughly documents Johnson's public vs. private statements and actions, and compares them to those around him to show where he was ahead of the times, and in many cases, honestly bigoted and behind the times. I'm really looking forward to book 4 and can't wait for book 5 to be published.

An epic and important--but undeniably hard to read--classic in urban planning. Moses is one of the most infamous people in 20th century planning and the history of New York, and much of that credit is due to Caro's classic. In a sprawling, 1,161-page (!) narrative, the author takes us through Moses' life from an upper-crust childhood and through the frustrating times of trying to establish a career, before we get into the jobs that actually cemented his legacy over a decades-long grasp of power building parks, beaches, highways (so many highways!), tunnels, and his beloved bridges. Once he got to that point, Moses was openly corrupt, physically and verbally violent toward subordinates, and an avowed racist.

If that wasn't enough, his life and pet projects were heavily subsidized throughout early adulthood by his wealthy mother, never seeming to appreciate this advantage or even understand how everyday New Yorkers, the users of his public works, lived without them. As a result, playgrounds weren't located in poor and working-class neighborhoods, highways were chronically congested from their opening day, mass transit was left without investment for decades, and worst of all, literally thousands of New Yorkers had their homes taken and bulldozed, all because Moses didn't consider the individual to matter in the face of building great works. Those factors all contribute to the full story of who Robert Moses was, and it's important they are in the story, but it does make this hard to read in some points. Nevertheless I am glad this hefty biography exists, for the benefit of the history of planning and what not to do as a practitioner.

Caro's first book in the definitive biography of LBJ has got me excited for the rest of the series. I hadn't read any history in quite a while, so this was ambitious to jump back into it. Caro is so thoroughly researched, its hard to find fault or doubt with his writing. This book's greatest strength is how every major non-LBJ character is given their own mini-biography so that you get to truly understand them and their motivations for how they interact with LBJ. Definitely excited to move on to "Means of Ascent."

Lyndon Baines Johnson was a horrible person. Yet there are certain aspects of his life that make Johnson a pitiable figure. He was abrasive, a cheat, and most definitely a bully. Yet, he made certain achievements in the history of the United States that is the work of a giant of a man.

Robert Caro’s massive biography of Johnson (this is volume four of at least five, one yet to be published; this is the only one I've read) is a wonder. Caro takes what is otherwise a stodgy, boring subject and turns out a thriller. First, Caro covers the history of Johnson's childhood, which left a lasting impact on his fears and his political policies. Then, his iron first control of the senate in which he was alternately both thrall and master, depending on the need. Johnson's fears of failure as a presidential candidate led to Kennedy's nomination and subsequent election in 1960. A lonely three years followed for Johnson, as the vice presidency suffers only fools. However, after the tragedy of Kennedy's assassination, Johnson proved himself as anything but a fool. A masterful transition allowed him to pass not just an amazing tax cut and budget reduction, but civil rights legislation that was unprecedented.

And so the book ends. In it, a portrait is painted of a man who could only just barely keep his anger tapped down, yet when he entered the pressure cooker himself he responded like only a few people could. Lyndon Johnson was supremely human. Angry, but gentle. A cheat, a liar, and a bully, but also a man that gave so many Americans the lives and hope that they'd always deserved. Caro cuts through not only the political machine to find the substances and explanations of machinations, but also through the myth to see the intricate president inside.

When I first open The Power Broker to begin reading it and slowly turn past the maps, copyright, title page, and table of contents to the introduction, my heart beats a little faster. I love this. The length of this book, 1246 pages, doesn’t intimidate me. I love this. I’ve wanted to read this for years, years of hearing this is among the greatest biographies ever. I love this.

Robert Caro paints the portrait of Robert Moses, builder of New York City, first broadly, then in fine detail. The portrait is not idealized: though one could read the broad portrait and find a genius god-man who formed New York City into the modern marvel we know, that is not a complete picture. Caro fills in the moral corruption in the soul of Moses. His anger is shown, his manipulation is revealed, his lies are detailed. Perhaps he believed the ends justified the means — how could he not? — but most people will come away from this believing the means do not justify this end.

The strength of The Power Broker is Robert Caro’s clear, direct writing. This is a complex subject without complex language. A fifth grader could understand this. This doesn’t reduce Caro at all, for simplicity is necessary. Beyond the simplicity, however, Caro uses colorful language to great effect. His characters are not just “politicians” but “red-faced, burly, cigar-smoking” politicians. The anger becomes visceral, the rooms smoke-filled, and the air acrid from both.

Carl’s organization of the book is masterful. In the first 250 pages, we learn about Moses’s efforts to develop parks in Long Island, then in the chapter on Moses’s relationship with FDR, the reader learns Moses was fighting the future president on budget accommodation at that same time. Rather than told chronologically, Moses’s life is told by subject: to great effect.

Though end it must. Robert Moses was not immortal, though he may have thought he was. This man, with amazing ideas and a career unparalleled in modern history (Caro has to look back to Ancient Rome to find a comparable builder, and even then falls short), idealized, then compromised, then lied, cheated, and abused his way into power to shape his city in the image he desired. Long Island is a suburb of New York due to his decisions. Both public transportation and car traffic in New York City are many times worse due to his decisions. He neglected advice or other experience because of his desires to bend others to his will. Eventually, his hubris and his arrogance was his downfall. Caro parallels this with the downfall of the city, but New York has seemed to recover over the last few decades since the book was written. It will, however, never be the same because of the man that carved his image into it. Perhaps Moses’s reputation never will be either.

Lined I liked —

- One must wait until the evening to see how splendid the day has been. - Sophocles
- “All decisions should be unanimous. If not, I will make the decision.”
- Water alone slacked the tautness of existence. Water seemed to attract him.