Working Audiobook By Robert A. Caro cover art

Working

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Working

By: Robert A. Caro
Narrated by: Robert A. Caro
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About this listen

"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 series: an unprecedented gathering of vivid, candid, deeply revealing recollections about his experiences researching and writing his acclaimed books.

For the first time in audiobook form, 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.

©2019 Robert A. Caro (P)2019 Random House Audio
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Critic reviews

"As an audiobook performer, Robert Caro doesn't display much polish, but there could be no finer voice for describing his career as an investigative writer.... That distinctive, indigenous voice transforms what would have been a stray assembly of reminiscences, old interviews, and magazine pieces into a compelling narrative of the writerly life.... Caro is 82, and the story he tells is an inspiration to every would-be writer, told with authenticity - and artistry - that no polish could enhance." (AudioFile Magazine)

“Superb.... Writing with customary humor, grace, and vigor, Caro wryly acknowledges the question ‘Why does it take so long’ to produce each book. Caro provides both the short answer - intensive research - and a longer, illuminating explication of just what that entails.... The results may take longer, but, as readers of Caro’s work know, it is always worth the wait. For the impatient, however, this lively combination of memoir and non-fiction writing will help sate their appetite....” (Publishers Weekly)

“The iconic biographer...offers wisdom about researching and writing.... In sparkling prose, Caro...recounts his path from growing up sheltered in New York City to studying at Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia to unexpectedly becoming a newspaper reporter and deciding to devote his life to writing books.... The author shares fascinating insights into his research process in archives; his information-gathering in the field, such as the Texas Hill Country; his interviewing techniques; his practice of writing the first draft longhand; and his ability to think deeply about his material. Caro also offers numerous memorable anecdotes.... Caro’s skill as a biographer, master of compelling prose, appealing self-deprecation, and overall generous spirit shine through on every page.” (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Working

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Interesting

Robert Caro is one of my favorite biographers. In this book Caro discusses his life but mostly provides information about how he and his wife do research about a topic. The number one take away I got from this book is do not hurry, take your time and do it right. He tells of hours in the archives, reading other people’s work, newspaper articles, diaries and letters. He also tells of traveling around doing interviews with people. He spent years doing the research, gathering material, organizing it and then analyzing it. The last thing he does is the writing.

A lot of the information in this book can be found in his book “On Power” and in his other essays, etc. I think he put together a collection of his shorter essays that discuss his writing and research methods and stuck them into this book. For those of us who have read most of his writings, this is all old material except for some pearls provided about research. I am tempted to give this only three stars; but because it is Caro, I will give it four stars.

The book is seven hours and fifty-five minutes. Caro narrated the book. It is great to hear him tell about what he does.

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    4 out of 5 stars

Good book; terrible narrator

Robert Caro should never narrate another book!
I struggled but finished through the entire book.
I learned about Robert Moses by listening to this book for which I’m grateful.

Mr Caro’s research allowed me to better understand Lyndon Johnson which has given me a understand how he accomplished much during his presidency even though he lacked personal integrity.

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Thank you, Robert Caro.

The Power Broker was a revelation for me. Hearing Robert Caro discuss his methods for researching and writing was an education in itself. Excellent in every way - glad I found this.

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Great read

Great read if you are interested in writing. Caro covers discusses his work on LBJ and Robert Moses to give practical examples and more of his own POV. Caro does a great job reading it as well.

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Listening to a Master

Listening to Robert Caro describe his writing process was like being inside the head of a master craftsman. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the two most important subjects up his and biographies, Robert Moses and Lyndon Baines Johnson. I especially enjoyed listening to how he delved deeply into the long-forgotten memories of those he interviewed regarding their knowledge and perceptions the main characters.

For anyone interested in writing a biography, I would suggest strongly that you listen to Robert Caro to have a clear understanding of the process. I would also say say that he probably is an ethnographer because he really lived in the areas where his characters resided. He deftly explains how his characters are really the conduits through which he seeks to under how power is obtained, used and politicized.

Great of listen!

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Hear Every Word

An examination of the fastidious genius of one of our greatest biographers. Hear every word and unlock his brilliant mind.

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Wonderful Work on Writing

I love this book because Caro talked about the craft of researching and writing compelling nonfiction. He does not do generic biographies but in depth and filled with details that he found. Now I want to read those books! I highly recommend this one as an introduction to Caro.

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A privileged window into Caro

His books are incredible, so not surprisingly his process is incredible. A must read for anyone who has enjoyed the Powerbroker or the Years of Lyndon Johnson, or any biography or history writer

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fascinating from beginning to end.

this writer journalist really knows how to dig to get all the information that the reader wants and needs to know

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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.

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2 people found this helpful