I studied Classics in college. When I read Caro, I cannot help but think that his work is -- in terms of quality, significance, and longevity -- comparable to that of Thucydides, Tacitus, Suetonius. Truly one of a kind.
There are few people who I admire more than Robert Caro. His intelligence, his insights, his dedication to his projects. It is rewarding to learn more about his childhood and early years.
I love Mr Caro's writing and work. He is an ethnographer, historian, biographer and storyteller all in one!!! I hope he will write the volume exploring LBJ and the Vietnam War. Also, Mr Caro and Mrs Caro were an extraordinarily good looking couple. See 11mins and 30 seconds. Thank you for your works on the LBJ series, Mr Caro. In particular, I love the story of LBJ's work for the people of the hill country of Texas. Finally,, I remember seeing somewhere here on TH-cam an excerpt of you doing a book reading from one of your books on LBJ taking the oath of office on Air Force One, Dallas, 22 November.
I'm reading Volume one of LBJ. What a great writer: you can almost imagine you are there with Johnson: so much detail. Like writing used to be in the old days. There will never be another author like this. We can't spend that much time on anything.
Very nice documentary. I’ve recently read Caro’s “Working,” which covers much of the same ground from his individual perspective, but it’s enlightening to see the old photos and hear from the people themselves, especially Gottlieb, whose ferocious intelligence leaps off the screen.
I have read all four LBJ biographies by Caro and they are stunning to say the least. Cannot wait for the 5th which I understand he is currently working on. I had always thought that LBJ was a cunning creature but never did I realize how politically brilliant he was. Caro's books read like a great mystery. A serious page turner. Not a dull page in the whole 4 volumes on LBJ.
Other than political philosophy books sensu stricto, Caro's are the greatest books on politics I have ever read. 'Master of the Senate' (MotS) is my favorite of the five books (soon six, I hope). It is a joke among my family and friends how I always recommend MotS to everyone, and I have given it as a present many times. My favorite chapter in MotS is 22 'Masterstrokes.' Other favorites are: 16 'The General and the Senator'; 21 'The Whole Stack'; 26 'Zip Zip'; and 38 'Hells Canyon.' In my opinion, 'Masterstrokes' should be required reading for every student; valuable lessons in American government and politics in general are taught with drama and economy.
I agree... Master of the Senate was the first one I read. But I knew what I was getting into. I wanted to understand political power and how backroom political sausage making actually got done. I wanted to understand ALL of it and dive to the absolute bottom of it. Then I read Passage of Power which was good, but wasn't technical enough for me to enjoy as much. I'm reading The Power Broker now.. it's long, but it's great.
I'm just going to pile on a bit here, heap a bit more praise on this man's thoroughly and deeply praiseworthy work, and that of his deeply praiseworthy, obviously deeply loving wife-would that we all should enjoy such a marriage. Mr. Caro doesn't just write fine biography or fine nonfiction; he writes what I think one could genuinely call literature. _The Power Broker_ is far and away the most magisterial work of nonfiction literature that I have ever read, and it teaches not just about the exercising of power, but about the nature of human experience in the 20th century-and indeed (no small feat considering its date of publication), the 21st century. (And maybe it's my own parochial interest as a [transplanted from the South] New Yorker, but I hold it in even higher esteem than the Johnson books.) Compounding the achievement still further is that since the book's subtitle ("Robert Moses and the Fall of New York") was written, New York-great, incorrigible city that it is-has risen again to reclaim its rightful place at the pinnacle of metropolitan power and influence-but despite this, the book loses nothing by way of illustrative power or vision, and were I to teach a course that touched on the subject matter of the book, I would consider it a dereliction of duty not to assign it as absolutely required reading. I don't teach courses on that or any other subject, but I've still managed to talk a couple of people into reading the whole book; every one of them has thanked me for the recommendation. Thank you, Mr. Caro, for your magnificent work, and thank you to the filmmaker who put this piece together. I'm sure I speak for many in saying that I'm very glad to have it as part of the historical record.
A truly marvelous author. I admire him more than Dr.Moses. To me, Dr.Moses is a deity who misstepped into a unseemly world and easily manipulated it, but Mr. Caro as a real human being had to dedicate all he had for years.
The piece at the end, and in fact all the music throughout the film, is an original composition. I know because I am the composer for this film. :-) Contact me if you'd like to download this or any other piece. p.s. I'm flattered that the iPhone identified it as a Beethoven piece!
I studied Classics in college. When I read Caro, I cannot help but think that his work is -- in terms of quality, significance, and longevity -- comparable to that of Thucydides, Tacitus, Suetonius. Truly one of a kind.
Just finishing the power broker and this man is my new writing hero really looking forward to reading his other books
There are few people who I admire more than Robert Caro. His intelligence, his insights, his dedication to his projects. It is rewarding to learn more about his childhood and early years.
I love Mr Caro's writing and work. He is an ethnographer, historian, biographer and storyteller all in one!!! I hope he will write the volume exploring LBJ and the Vietnam War.
Also, Mr Caro and Mrs Caro were an extraordinarily good looking couple. See 11mins and 30 seconds. Thank you for your works on the LBJ series, Mr Caro.
In particular, I love the story of LBJ's work for the people of the hill country of Texas.
Finally,, I remember seeing somewhere here on TH-cam an excerpt of you doing a book reading from one of your books on LBJ taking the oath of office on Air Force One, Dallas, 22 November.
I'm reading Volume one of LBJ. What a great writer: you can almost imagine you are there with Johnson: so much detail. Like writing used to be in the old days. There will never be another author like this. We can't spend that much time on anything.
This will make me all the more interested in Robert Moses
In the future nobody will have the attention span to read, let alone write, such a book.
Wonderful Man
Wonderful Woman
Wonderful Books
A great man and a great woman. I’m about to start volume 4 of LBJ and look forward to seeing publication of volume 5 and maybe even 6!
Very nice documentary. I’ve recently read Caro’s “Working,” which covers much of the same ground from his individual perspective, but it’s enlightening to see the old photos and hear from the people themselves, especially Gottlieb, whose ferocious intelligence leaps off the screen.
" especially Gottlieb, whose ferocious intelligence leaps off the screen." Caro used the word "writerly". He could have been describing you.
I am a new fan of Robert Caro's. Their marriage has endured a great deal. Ina is lovely.
Every paragraph and page is both absorbing and brilliant. Caro and his subjects (Johnson and Moses) are the stuff of history
How do you rate Princeton?
Thanks Reed, for creating such a wonderful piece. Very well done.
Can’t wait for the next one to be released! I love his books!!
DUDE!!!! This is EXCELLENT!!! I hope this aired on some LI PBS station!
Thank you for posting this. It's wonderful. So glad to see one of the great biographers of our time given his own biography.
That is an amazing woman to have by your side.
I have read all four LBJ biographies by Caro and they are stunning to say the least. Cannot wait for the 5th which I understand he is currently working on. I had always thought that LBJ was a cunning creature but never did I realize how politically brilliant he was. Caro's books read like a great mystery. A serious page turner. Not a dull page in the whole 4 volumes on LBJ.
Other than political philosophy books sensu stricto, Caro's are the greatest books on politics I have ever read. 'Master of the Senate' (MotS) is my favorite of the five books (soon six, I hope). It is a joke among my family and friends how I always recommend MotS to everyone, and I have given it as a present many times. My favorite chapter in MotS is 22 'Masterstrokes.' Other favorites are: 16 'The General and the Senator'; 21 'The Whole Stack'; 26 'Zip Zip'; and 38 'Hells Canyon.' In my opinion, 'Masterstrokes' should be required reading for every student; valuable lessons in American government and politics in general are taught with drama and economy.
i agree Caro is the man
I agree... Master of the Senate was the first one I read. But I knew what I was getting into. I wanted to understand political power and how backroom political sausage making actually got done. I wanted to understand ALL of it and dive to the absolute bottom of it. Then I read Passage of Power which was good, but wasn't technical enough for me to enjoy as much. I'm reading The Power Broker now.. it's long, but it's great.
Good job! I am reading the power broker now and was wondering about the man who could write so eloquently and so in-depth. Thanks for creating this!
I'm just going to pile on a bit here, heap a bit more praise on this man's thoroughly and deeply praiseworthy work, and that of his deeply praiseworthy, obviously deeply loving wife-would that we all should enjoy such a marriage. Mr. Caro doesn't just write fine biography or fine nonfiction; he writes what I think one could genuinely call literature. _The Power Broker_ is far and away the most magisterial work of nonfiction literature that I have ever read, and it teaches not just about the exercising of power, but about the nature of human experience in the 20th century-and indeed (no small feat considering its date of publication), the 21st century. (And maybe it's my own parochial interest as a [transplanted from the South] New Yorker, but I hold it in even higher esteem than the Johnson books.)
Compounding the achievement still further is that since the book's subtitle ("Robert Moses and the Fall of New York") was written, New York-great, incorrigible city that it is-has risen again to reclaim its rightful place at the pinnacle of metropolitan power and influence-but despite this, the book loses nothing by way of illustrative power or vision, and were I to teach a course that touched on the subject matter of the book, I would consider it a dereliction of duty not to assign it as absolutely required reading. I don't teach courses on that or any other subject, but I've still managed to talk a couple of people into reading the whole book; every one of them has thanked me for the recommendation.
Thank you, Mr. Caro, for your magnificent work, and thank you to the filmmaker who put this piece together. I'm sure I speak for many in saying that I'm very glad to have it as part of the historical record.
Well written critique! Have you considered becoming a writer?
Wow this is great, the photos, the interviews of people around him. Thank you!
Very good piece, remarkable for a college senior. You got the essence of what he was trying to say.
"The Hope is the next book won't take quite as long" Here we are 22 years later and it still is not finished.
What is Robert Caro's greatest accomplishment? His written work or his marriage?
It's pretty obvious to me.
Darling couple
Great little film! I enjoyed it very much. I am only halfway through my first Caro book and I am hooked.
I read the LBJ series twice. I Robert Caro put a lot in. I got a lot out. Some of the insights are very different to obtain anywhere else.
Thank you for sharing this. A wonderful watch.
Thanks for sharing this. Really enjoyed watching it.
Well done. I appreciated hearing from Ina Caro, Robert Gottleib, and Lynn Nesbitt.
Thank you for this. Looking forward to the last book on LBJ :)
Thank you! Obrigado.
I find it charming that at this point he doesn't suspect that he is going to write The Passage of Power before getting to the presidency years
very good job, very informative. Hope you got an A for this movie! Yay NYU -- my school, too.
KINDLE MAKE THE POWER BROKER AVAIABLE TO DOWNLOAD!
A truly marvelous author. I admire him more than Dr.Moses. To me, Dr.Moses is a deity who misstepped into a unseemly world and easily manipulated it, but Mr. Caro as a real human being had to dedicate all he had for years.
Newsday use to be a great newspaper.
His books are page turners. Is there a better compliment?
Anyone know the name of the song at the end? My iPhone says it's a Beethoven piano sonata, which seems highly unlikely... Perhaps a jazzed up version?
The piece at the end, and in fact all the music throughout the film, is an original composition. I know because I am the composer for this film. :-) Contact me if you'd like to download this or any other piece.
p.s. I'm flattered that the iPhone identified it as a Beethoven piece!
I’m a little late but it’s almost scary what I’m hearing about Robert Moses
I find some similarities between Robert Moses and Hyman Rickover.
Does anyone know how I can write to him?
Get rid of the background noise
Hahaha, yeah. Typical Bob.
Those that can do. Those that can't, critique. Robert Caro is a dull crank whose writing has become irrelevant.
Its one of the Moses men
Ina is a smokeshow! Way to go Caro, what a legacy to carry.
I love Ron Chernow with a stack of 工商巨子 (Chinese translation of Titan The Life of John D. Rockefeller). That's a serious nerd flex!