Person
Robert Caro's book recommendations
Key facts
- Robert Caro has recommended or discussed 4 books on podcasts, as of October 30, 2026.
- Robert Caro has talked about books on 2 podcasts, as of October 30, 2026.
- Those books came up in 4 episodes, as of October 30, 2026.
- The 2 books Robert Caro has mentioned in the most episodes, not counting Robert Caro's own, as of October 30, 2026: The Prime Minister and The Making of the President 1960.
- The latest episode with a book mention from Robert Caro aired on October 30, 2026.
Updated
Across 2 podcasts. Every show Robert Caro appears on, in one place — not just one.
Robert Allan American Allan Caro is an American journalist and author known for his biographies of United States public figures Robert Moses and Lyndon B. Johnson. During an interview on The Book Review, Caro shared how his wife discovered Anthony Trollope's 19th-century British political novel The Prime Minister while doing archival research in a boarding house associated with the Truman library, where someone had left behind the book. Speaking on the Dwarkesh Podcast, Caro reflected extensively on his own monumental work, The Power Broker. He explained that a central theme of the biography traced how its subject, Robert Moses, transformed from a young, idealistic builder into a ruthless figure whose power reshaped New York. Caro described the immense research behind the volume, noting that he conducted around 700 detailed interviews whose typed notes remain preserved in his archives. He also recounted logistical challenges during production, including hiring thousands of out-of-work architects during the Depression and later cutting over a million words from his original manuscript before publication, a harrowing editorial process that ultimately taught him to carefully plan a book's overarching purpose before starting to write.
Books recommended by Robert Caro
-
The Power Broker
The Power Broker by Robert A.
Discussed“That, to me, is the story of the, a big part of the story of the power broker. How this guy who's, in the beginning, a young, idealistic guy who wants to build to make lives better for people”
Where to get it
-
The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is a nineteenth-century political novel by Anthony Trollope that forms part of the author's famous Palliser series, exploring parliamentary intrigue, ambition, and the personal costs of public office.
Recommended“Anthony trop the 19th century British novelist ... AA was doing research for me in the Truman library and someone had she staying in a boarding house out there with kind of place where people left their books and she said one night I'm reading the greatest political novel I ever read it's the Prime Minister by Anthony trol”
Where to get it
-
The Making of the President 1960
The Making of the President 1960 by Theodore H.
Discussed“I sent her up to theer H white who wrote the ranking of the president he gave his papers to Boron University”
Where to get it
Books by Robert Caro
-
The Path To Power
-
Means of Ascent
-
The power broker
-
Master of the Senate
-
The passage of power
-
Extraordinary Lives
-
Working
-
The years of Lyndon Johnson (Volumes 1-3)
-
The Theodore H. White lecture with Robert A. Caro
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Caro – The master biographer reflects at 91 | Dwarkesh Podcast | 2026-10-30 | 5 |
| Robert Caro on 50 Years of 'The Power Broker' | The Book Review | 2024-09-13 | 6 |
| Robert Caro on How He Does It | The Book Review | 2024-07-18 | 1 |
| Robert Caro on His Career | The Book Review | 2022-08-19 | 2 |
Other mentions (2: passing, ad reads, own books)
“she fell in love with France and she's written two books the road from the past and Paris to the past”
“she fell in love with France and she's written two books the road from the past and Paris to the past about traveling the traveling around France and knowing its history and how much it adds to it they're wonderful books”