Working

By: Robert A. Caro

Narrated by: Robert A. Caro

“One of the great reporters of our time and probably the greatest biographer.” —The Sunday Times (London)

From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Power Broker and The Years of Lyndon Johnson: an unprecedented gathering of vivid, candid, deeply moving recollections about his experiences researching and writing his acclaimed books.

Now in paperback, Robert Caro gives us a glimpse into his own life and work in these evocatively written, personal pieces. He describes what it was like to interview the mighty Robert Moses and to begin discovering the extent of the political power Moses wielded; the combination of discouragement and exhilaration he felt confronting the vast holdings of the Lyndon B. Johnson Library in Austin, Texas; his encounters with witnesses, including longtime residents wrenchingly displaced by the construction of Moses' Cross-Bronx Expressway and Lady Bird Johnson acknowledging the beauty and influence of one of LBJ's mistresses. He gratefully remembers how, after years of working in solitude, he found a writers' community at the New York Public Library, and details the ways he goes about planning and composing his books.

Caro recalls the moments at which he came to understand that he wanted to write not just about the men who wielded power but about the people and the politics that were shaped by that power. And he talks about the importance to him of the writing itself, of how he tries to infuse it with a sense of place and mood to bring characters and situations to life on the page. Taken together, these reminiscences—some previously published, some written expressly for this book—bring into focus the passion, the wry self-deprecation, and the integrity with which this brilliant historian has always approached his work.

To understand more about Robert Caro's research, see the Sony Pictures Classic documentary “Turn Every Page.”

I am a huge fan

I’m a huge fan of Robert Caro. I have read all his books with the exception of the Power Broker which is on my list. I do wonder if he ever considers the unintended consequences of the Great Society’s entitlement programs. Many black people blame Johnson for contributing to the breakup of the nuclear black family. The dependence created by these entitlement programs has provided for a solid block of voters for Democrats. I noticed that when he refers to the Senate opponents of the Civil Rights Acts he always refers to them as “Southerners” and never Democrats. And he doesn’t give Republicans like Everett Dirksen any credit for the success of the bills. I’m not an expert but I feel that there’s a bit of a whitewash going on. I still admire Mr. Caro and am grateful to him.

News to me - surprisingly good

Like a benevolent uncle, Carrow provides a Glimpse into a world that I didn’t know, because I was a child. His writing and dedication are marvelous model for writers today.

Well worth a listen.

Great to hear this in Caro's voice

What a joy to hear Caro read. His accent is wonderful and he is such a good writer. I wish he could read all of his books.

Excellent Book Read by the Author Himself

Loved this. Caro’s voice is the perfect conduit through which to receive his remarkable writing.

Greatest Hits of Robert Caro

This book, especially the audio book reading by author Robert Caro filled with anecdotes about Robert Moses, LBJ and Caro's writing life, is terrific. It's like a greatest hits of Caro's mammoth Power Broker and the Years of LBJ. Caro is to non-fiction what Moses and Caro were to power. Just put the reading speed to 1.25 because Caro reads a bit slow, and you'll still be able to hear Caro's charming NY accent.