PULITZERPRIZEWINNER-AmodernAmericanclassic,thishugeandgalvanizingbiographyofRobertMosesrevealsnotonlythesagaofoneman’sincredibleaccumulationofpowerbutthestoryofhisshaping(andmis-shaping)oftwentieth-centuryNewYork.OneoftheModernLibrary’shundredgreatestbooksofthetwentiethcentury,RobertCaro’smonumentalbookmakespublicwhatfewoutsidersknew:thatRobertMoseswasthesinglemostpowerfulmanofhistimeintheCityandintheStateofNewYork.AndintellingtheMosesstory,Carobothopensuptoanunprecedenteddegreethewayinwhichpoliticsreallyhappens--thewaythingsreallygetdoneinAmerica’sCityHallsandStatehouses--andbringstolightabonanzaofvitalinformationaboutsuchnationalfiguresasAlfredE.SmithandFranklinD.Roosevelt(andthegenesisoftheirbloodfeud),aboutFiorelloLaGuardia,JohnV.LindsayandNelsonRockefeller.ButThePowerBrokerisfirstandforemostabrilliantmultidimensionalportraitofaman--anextraordinarymanwho,deniedpowerwithinthenormalframeworkofthedemocraticprocess,steppedoutsidethatframeworktograsppowersufficienttoshapeagreatcityandtoholdswayovertheverytextureofmillionsoflives.WeseehowMosesbegan:thehandsome,intellectualyoungheirtotheworldofOurCrowd,anidealist.How,rebuffedbytheentrenchedpoliticalestablishment,hefoughtforthepowertoaccomplishhisideals.Howhefirstcreatedamiraculousfloweringofparksandparkways,playlandsandbeaches--andthenultimatelybroughtdownonthecitythesmog-chokedaridityofoururbanlandscape,theendlessmilesof(neversufficient)highway,thehopelesssprawlofLongIsland,themassivefailuresofpublichousing,andcountlessotherbarrierstohumaneliving.How,inevitably,theaccumulationofpowerbecameanendinitself.Mosesbuiltanempireandlivedlikeanemperor.Hewasheldinfear--hisdossierscoulddisgorgethedarksecretofanyonewhoopposedhim.Hewas,heclaimed,abovepolitics,abovedeals;andthroughdecadeafterdecade,thenewspapersandthepublicbelieved.Meanwhile,hewasdevelopinghispublicauthoritiesintoafourthbranchofgovernmentknownas“Triborough“--agovernmentwhoserecordswereclosedtothepublic,whosepoliciesandplansweredecidednotbyvotersorelectedofficialsbutsolelybyMoses--animmenseeconomicforcedirectingpressureonlaborunions,onbanks,onallthecity’spoliticalandeconomicinstitutions,andonthepress,andontheChurch.Hedoledoutmillionsofdollars’worthoflegalfees,insurancecommissions,lucrativecontractsonthebasisofwhocouldbestpayhimbackintheonlycoinhecoveted:power.Hedominatedthepoliticsandpoliticiansofhistime--withouteverhavingbeenelectedtoanyoffice.Hewas,inessence,aboveourdemocraticsystem.RobertMosesheldpowerinthestatefor44years,throughthegovernorshipsofSmith,Roosevelt,Lehman,Dewey,HarrimanandRockefeller,andinthecityfor34years,throughthemayoraltiesofLaGuardia,O’Dwyer,Impellitteri,WagnerandLindsay,Hepersonallyconceivedandcarriedthroughpublicworkscosting27billiondollars--hewasundoubtedlyAmerica’sgreatestbuilder.ThisishowhebuiltanddominatedNewYork--before,finally,hewasstrippedofhisreputation(bythepress)andhispower(byNelsonRockefeller).Buthiswork,andhiswill,hadbeendone.
BROKER Dewey DWYER INESSENCE NEW POWER
