Description

Book Synopsis

''A classic tale of greed and corruption'' Erich Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation

Upton Sinclair''s searing, prophetic indictment of fossil fuels, and the inspiration for the film There Will Be Blood

Based on the oil scandals of the Harding administration, Upton Sinclair''s novel Oil! burst into the literary limelight amid soaring petroleum profits and gaping inequalities in 1927. Whether telling the story of the land, the ordinary civilian, or the heirs to oil fortune, Sinclair skilfully paints a vivid picture of the effects of corporate corruption, greed and how the so called ''American Century'' was born.

By turns a gripping family saga and anti-capitalist warning, Oil! ranks among the most important critiques of fossil energy ever written. An exhilarating novel, which anticipated how fossil fuels would shape the dilemmas of our present, Oil! looks toward a greener, more inclusive, and altogether more livable world yet to come.



Trade Review
“A classic tale of greed and corruption”—Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation

“[Oil! is] probably his second best book and certainly his most readable.”—The New Yorker

“Anderson's film is a true American saga—one that rivals Giant and Citizen Kane in our popular lore as origin stories about how we came to be the people we are… Daniel Day-Lewis is at his brilliant best as the story's Daniel Plainview, a man whose humanity diminishes as his fortunes increase.”—Variety

Oil

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    £14.39

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Thu 25 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback / softback by Upton Sinclair

    3 in stock

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      Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
      Publication Date: 04/01/2024
      ISBN13: 9780143137443, 978-0143137443
      ISBN10: 0143137441

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      ''A classic tale of greed and corruption'' Erich Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation

      Upton Sinclair''s searing, prophetic indictment of fossil fuels, and the inspiration for the film There Will Be Blood

      Based on the oil scandals of the Harding administration, Upton Sinclair''s novel Oil! burst into the literary limelight amid soaring petroleum profits and gaping inequalities in 1927. Whether telling the story of the land, the ordinary civilian, or the heirs to oil fortune, Sinclair skilfully paints a vivid picture of the effects of corporate corruption, greed and how the so called ''American Century'' was born.

      By turns a gripping family saga and anti-capitalist warning, Oil! ranks among the most important critiques of fossil energy ever written. An exhilarating novel, which anticipated how fossil fuels would shape the dilemmas of our present, Oil! looks toward a greener, more inclusive, and altogether more livable world yet to come.



      Trade Review
      “A classic tale of greed and corruption”—Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation

      “[Oil! is] probably his second best book and certainly his most readable.”—The New Yorker

      “Anderson's film is a true American saga—one that rivals Giant and Citizen Kane in our popular lore as origin stories about how we came to be the people we are… Daniel Day-Lewis is at his brilliant best as the story's Daniel Plainview, a man whose humanity diminishes as his fortunes increase.”—Variety

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