Robert Caro, born on October 30, 1935, is an acclaimed American author known for his biographies of prominent political figures and his in-depth explorations of power and governance. He was born in New York City and grew up in Manhattan, where he attended Horace Mann School. Caro went on to study at Princeton University, graduating with a degree in English in 1957. He later earned a master of arts in English from Columbia University. The Power Broker was Caro’s breakthrough work. The in-depth biography of Robert Moses received widespread critical acclaim and won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography. Following the success of The Power Broker, Caro embarked on a multi-volume biography of President Lyndon B. Johnson. The first volume, The Path to Power, was published in 1982 and traced Johnson’s early life and political ascent. Caro followed up with three more volumes: Means of Ascent (1990), Master of the Senate (2002), and The Passage of Power (2012). These books meticulously detail Johnson’s life and career, offering insights into the complexities of American politics and the exercise of power. They also examine many similar themes as The Power Broker.

As the author of The Power Broker, Caro chooses to focus almost entirely on his subject.