ROBERT MOSES: THE MASTER BUILDER OF NEW YORK CITY

Pierre Christin (Author), Olivier Balez (Illustrator), Nobrow Limited (Publisher)

> Review by EMIL J. NOVAK SR.

For me, this fine book is what a truly great graphic novel should be. Originally published in France, and now translated to English, the book stands as a testament to the impact of Robert Moses. Living in Western New York as I do, I grew up in the shadow of Moses, and have had the opportunity to see first-hand what he accomplished in our area, including the Niagara Parkway (now Robert Moses State Parkway) in Niagara Falls and the Niagara Power Project (now known as the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant) in Lewiston. Moses was a visionary, and he moved New York City into the modern age after World War II. Although his legacy isn’t always written with smiles and testaments of “Oh, how great he was,” to do what he did in New York City remains stunning and almost hard to believe it actually happened. Given current politics, his achievements and initial plans would never get off the ground today. This graphic novel lavishly tells a great story, with illustrations and beautiful colors by the talented Olivier Balez. Despite this book being only 105 pages, it tells a massive amount of narrative, which shows how amazing a graphic novel can be. Hats off to Christin and Balez.