“In this excoriating takedown, [Barkan] argues that praising New York governor Andrew Cuomo’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic is akin to commending Nero for fiddling while Rome burned… Enriched by the author’s deep knowledge of New York politics and sharp parsing of facts… this exposé delivers a knockout punch.”
“A swift and devastating read. Barkan writes fluently, marshals facts persuasively, and foregrounds the power-obsessed Cuomo’s contempt for the powerless.”
“A damning political polemic of a controversial administration mired in failed leadership… In lucid, declarative prose… [Barkan] convincingly debunks Cuomo’s ‘false narrative of triumph’ and, in exacting detail, reveals the corrupt side of present-day New York government.”
“Assiduous…[Barkan] commands a deep expertise… and he’s already written an entire book about a truth that many in the press are only now admitting.”