About this Item
First edition of Caro's Pulitzer-Prize winning work on Robert Moses. Thick octavo, original black cloth, cartographic endpapers, illustrated with numerous photographs and maps, top edge red. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "To George Labalme - George, I think I've known you for almost as many years as its been since I wrote this book. With affection, Robert A. Caro." The recipient, philanthropist and designer, George Labalme Jr. (1927â "2016) served as Vice President of the New York Public Library for nine years and was heavily involved with several other cultural and philanthropic organizations, including the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation and the Renaissance Society of America. His professional design work included collaborations with Gio Ponti and Raymond Loewy, and he notably designed the Grey Poupon mustard jar. Labalme and Caro first connected in the vibrant New York intellectual and cultural scene during the 1950s or early 1960s, a period when Caro was beginning his career as a journalist and writer. Labalme, already well-established as a designer and active in philanthropic and literary circles, took an interest in Caroâ s work and potential. Recognizing Caroâ s talent and ambition, Labalme offered both personal encouragement and practical support, helping Caro navigate the challenges of early career development, including access to networks and resources in the publishing world. Their friendship was built on mutual respect and shared commitment to the arts and ideas, and Labalmeâ s mentorship provided Caro with valuable guidance during crucial stages of his writing career. This support was instrumental in Caroâ s perseverance as he embarked on his extensive research projects, including his landmark biographies of Robert Moses and Lyndon Johnson. Labalme and Caro both served as trustees of the New York Society Library, Labalme in 1988, and Caro in 1994. With the original transmittal note inscribed by Caro to Labalme laid in on Caro's Century Association letterhead, "George - Yes, Boheme was sensational! It's a pleasure to inscribe books to a friend. Bob Caro." Near fine in a very good price-clipped dust jacket. Jacket design by Paul Bacon. An very nice example of this monumental work with fine provenance. One of the most acclaimed books of our time, winner of both the Pulitzer and the Francis Parkman prizes, the Power Broker tells the hidden story behind the shaping (and mis-shaping) of twentieth-century New York and makes public what few have known: that Robert Moses was, for almost half a century, the single most powerful man of our time in New York, the shaper not only of the city's politics but of its physical structure and the problems of urban decline that plague us today. "Surely the greatest book ever written about a city" (David Halberstam). Theodore H. White called it "A masterpiece of American reporting. It's more than the story of a tragic figure or the exploration of the unknown politics of our time. It's an elegantly written and enthralling work of art.".
Seller Inventory # 149327
Contact seller
Report this item
