Deftly ferrying readers from the pandemic’s horrific early days to the press briefings that made the governor a star to New York’s stunningly high rates of infection and death ... Barkan is especially eloquent on the subject of what Cuomo’s need to assert dominance has cost New Yorkers ... The Prince is a swift and devastating read. Barkan writes fluently, marshals facts persuasively, and foregrounds the power-obsessed Cuomo’s contempt for the powerless ... The Prince is well worth reading.
In lucid, declarative prose, the author cites numerous incidents that have contributed to the deterioration of Cuomo’s administration ... Barkan dissects the Covid fiasco in a clear timeline ... Based on original reporting and expansive interviews, this slim, scathing book convincingly debunks Cuomo’s “false narrative of triumph” and, in exacting detail, reveals the corrupt side of present-day New York government. A damning political polemic of a controversial administration mired in failed leadership.
[An] excoriating takedown ... Enriched by the author’s deep knowledge of New York politics and sharp parsing of facts (he notes, for instance, that denser cities around the world had significantly lower death tolls than New York City), this exposé delivers a knockout punch.
