Oil

A Short History

A short history of oil – from the Texas oil boom to the Strait of Hormuz

Vaclav Smil reveals everything there is to know about nature’s most sought-after resource

Oil. Without it there are no planes, no plastics, no petrol. It has started and ended wars. It is the lifeblood of the modern world – and the leading cause of climate change.

As humanity faces a reckoning with its dependence upon oil, Vaclav Smil explores the contentious history – and future – of the ‘black stuff’, from ancient origins to the political and economic shockwaves it has triggered. Informative and thought-provoking, this is an essential guide to one of Earth’s most valuable and consequential commodities.

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