Robert Moses

A The New York Times BESTSELLER! "The book [] tells Mosess story in lushly nostalgic sepia-toned colors. The reader who yearns to see Moses-style urban planning in action gets plenty of it." The New York Times "This work provides an excellent overview of one of New Yorks most powerful public figures and the legacy he left behind for generations to come." School Library Journal "The artwork by Balez (Le chanteur sans nom) is stunning, not only in the intricate cityscapes but in the complementary blue-orange color palate. Christin never lets the biography stay too long in a single narrative mode, moving back and forth from exposition to dialogue. Nor does the book skirt some of the more troubling aspects of Moses attitudes toward urban renewal. Its a gorgeous primer in the history of New Yorks urban planning." Publishers Weekly "An excellent introduction to planning and New York City history for those less familiar." National Trust for Historic Preservation "Does the world need yet another account of Moses' crusade to build the 20th century's greatest city (and Jacobs' efforts to save its soul)? It does, perhaps, when that book is Pierre Christins and Oliver Balezs engaging, unexpected graphic novel Robert Moses: The Master Builder of New York City. [] The book is [] a human portrait of a hardened man and a stirring rendering of his works. Needless to say, a picture book suits tales of urban planning well." Planetizen "The Power Broker himself gets the European graphic biography treatment in this richly produced tranSlated edition from Nobrow (even the ink smells sumptuous). Theres something to be said for Christin and Balezs strategy: keep the story spare, and let the visual impact of skylines, architectural details, and birds-eye panoramas speak for themselvesgreat for New York-ophiles, comics lovers and architects alike." Greenlight Bookstore "Robert Moses: The Master Builder of New York City," from Nobrow Press, is an unqualified success; toss in the gorgeous artwork and carefully crafted story, and it transcends just about any biography, graphic or not, that youre likely to read this year. [] What makes this particular graphic novel so successful is that every action, from his questionable liaisons with pop singers at Jones Beach, to his triumphs of helping the poor, are illustrated in a beautiful, colorful style that is filtered through a nostalgic haze. Because of Balezs technique, everything looks like a tranquil memory [] the book is a great introduction to Moses for those that arent familiar with his story, and a beautifully illustrated one at that." Multiversity "In Robert Moses, The Master Builder of New York City (Nobrow, 15.99), Pierre Christin and Olivier Balez chronicle this almost Randian figure in architecture and urban planning, who was driven to re-shape New York into his global vision. But some of his colossal proposals would overstep the mark, such as the 10-lane Lower Manhattan Expressway, successfully opposed by activist Jane Jacobs. Christin and Balez note that while Jacobs is commemorated with a day in her honour, Mosess name remains obscure to many; their insightful portrait should help to correct that." Paul Gravett, The Independent "Robert Moses: The Master Builder of New York City is an easy-to-digest account perfect for those who don't wade through a textbook...The book explores parts of New York that rarely are glorified in comics. The graphic treatment is a perfect way to capture the story of one of New York's most powerful men, making it accessible even to those who don't want to sift through hundreds of pages of biographical footnotes. Fast Company Design "The book does a great job of capturing just how much of a visionary Moses was. The luscious artwork shows th

Pierre Christin was born at Saint-Mand in 1938. In addition to the ongoing Valerian series, Christin has written several other comics one-shots, including The City That Didn't Exist, The Black Order Brigade and The Hunting Party.