Download The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine
By reviewing The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine, you could understand the expertise and also points more, not only regarding what you obtain from individuals to individuals. Schedule The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine will certainly be more relied on. As this The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine, it will really offer you the great idea to be successful. It is not only for you to be success in specific life; you can be successful in everything. The success can be begun by recognizing the fundamental expertise and do activities.
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine
Download The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine
Excellent The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine publication is constantly being the most effective good friend for investing little time in your workplace, night time, bus, as well as almost everywhere. It will be an excellent way to merely look, open, and also check out the book The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine while in that time. As known, experience and also skill do not constantly included the much money to acquire them. Reading this publication with the title The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine will certainly allow you know a lot more points.
Certainly, to enhance your life high quality, every e-book The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine will certainly have their certain driving lesson. However, having particular awareness will make you feel more positive. When you really feel something take place to your life, sometimes, reading publication The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine could aid you to make tranquility. Is that your real hobby? In some cases yes, but in some cases will be not certain. Your option to read The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine as one of your reading books, could be your proper e-book to read now.
This is not about just how much this book The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine costs; it is not additionally concerning exactly what type of book you truly like to review. It has to do with exactly what you could take and also obtain from reading this The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine You could prefer to choose various other publication; however, it matters not if you attempt to make this publication The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine as your reading option. You will not regret it. This soft data publication The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine could be your buddy all the same.
By downloading this soft documents e-book The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine in the on-line web link download, you are in the first step right to do. This site really supplies you convenience of exactly how to get the very best book, from best seller to the brand-new launched e-book. You can discover more e-books in this website by going to every link that we give. Among the collections, The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine is one of the most effective collections to sell. So, the first you get it, the very first you will get all good for this publication The Oil And The Glory: The Pursuit Of Empire And Fortune On The Caspian Sea, By Steve LeVine
Remote, forbidding, and volatile, the Caspian Sea long tantalized the world with its vast oil reserves. But outsiders, blocked by the closed Soviet system, couldn’t get to it. Then the Soviet Union collapsed, and a wholesale rush into the region erupted. Along with oilmen, representatives of the world’s leading nations flocked to the Caspian for a share of the thirty billion barrels of proven oil reserves at stake, and a tense geopolitical struggle began. The main players were Moscow and Washington–the former seeking to retain control of its satellite states, and the latter intent on dislodging Russia to the benefit of the West.
The Oil and the Glory is the gripping account of this latest phase in the epochal struggle for control of the earth’s “black gold.” Steve LeVine, who was based in the region for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and Newsweek, weaves an astonishing tale of high-stakes political gamesmanship, greed, and scandal, set in one of the most opaque corners of the world. In LeVine’s telling, the world’s energy giants jockey for position in the rich Kazakh and Azeri oilfields, while superpowers seek to gain a strategic foothold in the region and to keep each other in check. At the heart of the story is the contest to build and operate energy pipelines out of the landlocked region, the key to controlling the Caspian and its oil. The oil pipeline that resulted, the longest in the world, is among Washington’s greatest foreign policy triumphs in at least a decade and a half.
Along the way, LeVine introduces such players as James Giffen, an American moneyman who was also the political “fixer” for oil companies eager to do business on the Caspian and the broker for Kazakhstan’s president and ministers; John Deuss, the flamboyant Dutch oil trader who won big but lost even bigger; Heydar Aliyev, the oft-misunderstood Azeri president who transcended his past as a Soviet Politburo member and masterminded a scheme to loosen Russian control over its former colonies in the Caspian region; and all manner of rogues, adventurers, and others drawn by the irresistible pull of untold riches and the possible “final frontier” of the fossil-fuel era. The broader story is of the geopolitical questions of the Caspian oil bonanza, such as whether Russia can be a trusted ally and trading partner with the West, and what Washington’s entry into this important but chaotic region will mean for its long-term stability.
In an intense and suspenseful narrative, The Oil and the Glory is the definitive chronicle of events that are understood by few, but whose political and economic impact will be both profound and lasting.
"The collapse of the Soviet Union was a big opportunity for Big Oil, whose exploits are detailed in this fast-paced work of political and economic reportage by Wall Street Journal energy correspondent LeVine.
Westerners had been sniffing for black gold in Russia and its satellites long before the empire disintegrated, notes the author. Averell Harriman, “the Harvard-trained scion of nineteenth-century robber baron Edward Harriman,” tried his hand at the business before turning to manganese mining, while Armand Hammer “became a money launderer for the Bolsheviks, sneaked cash to secret Bolshevik agents in the United States, and profited handsomely as the representative in Russia of some thirty American companies.” Hammer set the tone for the Americans who flocked to the Caspian in the first years of the Clinton presidency, which maneuvered for the construction of an east-west oil pipeline that, by reversing the old pattern of Central Asian materials going north to Russia and coming back as products for sale, “would favor the West and disfavor Russia.” Not a nice way to treat a fledgling democracy, but the oil scouts, of course, considered Russia a rival for Central-Asian resources second only to Iran, with its heartfelt and long-standing enmity toward the United States in the region and abroad. These scouts–the first among equals being LeVine’s heart-of-darkness antihero, Jim Giffen–kept their distance when Russia still had control over the area, spurning a Gorbachev-era program to allow foreign co-ownership. But they rushed to support separatist movements and encouraged ethnic and political divisions that opened the door to an even bigger share of the wealth. The tale of Giffen’s rise and fall (the latter for perhaps surprising reasons) occupies much of the later pages, but he never loses sight of the bigger picture: namely, Central Asia as oil lamp and potential powder keg in the realpolitik of the next few years.
A complex story rendered comprehensible, with much drama and intrigue."--KIRKUS
- Sales Rank: #396024 in Books
- Published on: 2007-10-23
- Released on: 2007-10-23
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.53" h x 1.56" w x 6.41" l, 1.71 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 496 pages
Review
"... the treat is in the roiling tale of the gambles, bravado, and maneuvering of the dealmakers. ... Like a good scenarist, LeVine develops the characters for each segment before proceeding with the plot. For people who liked Michael Douglas in Wall Street, here is an even more subtle and complex movie script." -- Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs magazine
"Superpowers, big oil, politics, human greed and exotic locale come together here in LeVine's skillful recitation." -- The Christian Science Monitor
"The collapse of the Soviet Union was a big opportunity for Big Oil, whose exploits are detailed in this fast-paced work of political and economic reportage by Wall Street Journal energy correspondent LeVine. Westerners had been sniffing for black gold in Russia and its satellites long before the empire disintegrated, notes the author. Averell Harriman, "the Harvard-trained scion of nineteenth-century robber baron Edward Harriman," tried his hand at the business before turning to manganese mining, while Armand Hammer "became a money launderer for the Bolsheviks, sneaked cash to secret Bolshevik agents in the United States, and profited handsomely as the representative in Russia of some thirty American companies." Hammer set the tone for the Americans who flocked to the Caspian in the first years of the Clinton presidency, which maneuvered for the construction of an east-west oil pipeline that, by reversing the old pattern of Central Asian materials going north to Russia and coming back as products for sale, "would favor the West and disfavor Russia." Not a nice way to treat a fledgling democracy, but the oil scouts, of course, considered Russia a rival for Central-Asian resources second only to Iran, with its heartfelt and long-standing enmity toward the United States in the region and abroad. These scouts-the first among equals being LeVine's heart-of-darkness antihero, Jim Giffen-kept their distance when Russia still had control over the area, spurning a Gorbachev-era program to allow foreign co-ownership. But they rushed to support separatist movements and encouraged ethnic and political divisions that opened the door to an even bigger share of the wealth. The tale of Giffen's rise and fall (the latter for perhaps surprising reasons) occupies much of the later pages, but he never loses sight of the bigger picture: namely, Central Asia as oil lamp and potential powder keg in the realpolitik of the next few years. A complex story rendered comprehensible, with much drama and intrigue." -- Kirkus
"The deft political portrait of this strategic, volatile area makes the book essential reading, but it's LeVine's fine writing that makes it a pleasure." -- Conde Nast Portfolio Magazine
From the Back Cover
Pipeline politics became a modern day version of the 19th Century's Great Game, in which Britain and Russia had employed cunning and bluff to gain supremacy over the lands of the Caucasus and Central Asia. The Oil and Glory is the story of how, at the dawn of the 21st century, the game was played once more across the harsh environs of the Caspian Sea.
About the Author
Steve LeVine was a foreign correspondent for eighteen years, posted in the Soviet Union, Pakistan, and the Philippines, reporting for The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Financial Times, and Newsweek. He lives in Dallas.
Most helpful customer reviews
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful.
$95 for a barrel of oil makes this required reading!
By James N. Falk
With nearly two decades of reporting experience in Central Asia for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, LeVine is uniquely qualified to meld the history of the nations bordering the Caspian Sea with contemporary geopolitics. While well-researched and documented, The Oil and the Glory reads like a spellbinding mystery, making it a quick and pleasant read. Bribes, political backstabbing and policy divisions within the U.S. governments are described in colorful detail. Importantly, the Caspian Sea reserves could greatly decrease our dependence on Middle Eastern Oil if we can maintain our strategic advantage which is being undercut by the Putin's government.
LeVine's The Oil and the Glory, like the Yergin's The Prize, is destined to be required reading for those wishing to understand how oil, while vital, is sometimes described as a curse.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful.
A riveting book!
By Ixion
"Oil and the Glory" reads like a combination of "The Prize", People Magazine, News of the World, and "Wealth of Nations".
Especially enjoyable are the descriptions of the major oil company execs, rather different from what company spin doctors offer (but for those of us who knew or knew of them, accurate)... Also good are the profiles of Jim Giffen and John Deuss, the kind of people I thought only existed in fiction...
Mr. LeVine has reported for the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, New York Times and others, and has done a brilliant job capturing the past and present history and adventures (and adventurers) in what is one of the most important oil provinces in the world.
But beware -- once you start reading this book, it's pretty hard to put it back down in order to eat, sleep, or do other activities that normally occupy one's time...
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
The Oil and the Glory
By Algis Ratnikas
The story of Caspian oil for commercial use began in the late 19th century as the value of oil surged with the development of industry and transportation. This story has been brought to life by Mr. Steve Levine in a remarkable tale that focuses on the pivotal players involved. Following the initial development of the Baku oil fields, the area assumed military importance in 2 world wars and then became cloaked under the proprietorship of the Soviet Union. It was not until the breakup of the USSR that Caspian oil became accessible to foreign development. Levine has managed to make direct contact with many of the players active in the post Soviet rush to grab a piece of the Caspian oil action. These players include senior corporate executives, national leaders, state representatives and a handful of individuals eager to cash in on the bonanza waiting to be grabbed and divided. Levine has captured their stories and created a tapestry of contemporary oil history that weaves together endless skeins of personal greed, power, and money, along with national interests of power, wealth and defense.
What could have been told as a good guy / bad guy tale is instead described as a multi-player chess game, engaged on a multi-sided board of shifting squares and re-invented principals. International state teams vie with international self-serving teams of private and public corporations. Players drop allegiances and trade sides, stakes shift with the political winds, agreements forged over months fall flat overnight. Levine circles around the table examining the team players, gathering their play books. He unveils how various deals grow and then collapse forcing the players into new rounds. It is not often that one is given an inside look at how governments and businesses "play" together to reach their aims, which are often not similar. Here we are pulled into the backrooms where such "play" takes place. This particular chapter of oil history is extremely engaging and well told. May whoever writes the next chapter do so with the clarity and detail of Mr. Levine.
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine PDF
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine EPub
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine Doc
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine iBooks
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine rtf
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine Mobipocket
The Oil and the Glory: The Pursuit of Empire and Fortune on the Caspian Sea, by Steve LeVine Kindle
No comments:
Post a Comment