The Age of Oil

Oil is the most vital resource of our time. It drives the global economy, shifts the balance of geopolitical power, and (some would say) inspires nations to go to war. Leonardo Maugeri writes a probing and controversial history of the oil industry, as only an insider can provide. Beginning with the age of John Rockefeller and oil imperialism, the author delves into the oil history of the Middle East, the energy crisis of 1973, the oil collapse of 1998-99, the Gulf Wars, and the sharp price hikes following Hurricane Katrina. Maugeri offers a refreshingly contrarian viewpoint on the oil industry, debunking alarmist myths. This new edition also features updated commentary about the controversy surrounding Hugo Chavez and the consumption of Venezuela, as well as the phenomena of resource nationalism in Russia, Libya, and throughout the world.