The Prize - by Daniel Yergin (Paperback)

About the Book

Hailed by "The New York Times" as "a book that must be read to understand the first thing about the role of oil in modern history," Yergin's bestselling Pulitzer Prize-winner was made into an exciting eight-part miniseries that aired on PBS. 32 pages of photos.

Book Synopsis

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and hailed as "the best history of oil ever written" by Business Week, Daniel Yergin's "spellbinding...irresistible" (The New York Times) account of the global pursuit of oil, money, and power addresses the ongoing energy crisis.

Now with an epilogue that speaks directly to the current energy crisis, The Prize recounts the panoramic history of the world's most important resource--oil. Daniel Yergin's timeless book chronicles the struggle for wealth and power that has surrounded oil for decades and that continues to fuel global rivalries, shake the world economy, and transform the destiny of men and nations. This updated edition categorically proves the unwavering significance of oil throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first by tracing economic and political clashes over precious "black gold."

With his far-reaching insight and in-depth research, Yergin is uniquely positioned to address the present battle over energy, geopolitics, and global power, which undoubtedly rank as the most vital issues of our time. The canvas of his narrative history is enormous--from the drilling of the first well in Pennsylvania through two great world wars to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm, and both the Iraq War and current climate change. The definitive work on the subject of oil, The Prize is a book of extraordinary breadth, riveting excitement, and great value--crucial to our understanding of world politics and the economy today--and tomorrow.

Review Quotes

"A masterly narrative...The Prize portrays the interweaving of national and corporate interests, the conflicts and stratagems, the miscalculations, the follies, and the ironies." -- James Schlesinger, former U.S. Secretary of Defense and U.S. Secretary of Energy

"Impassioned and riveting...only in the great epics of Homer will readers regularly run into a comparable string of larger-than-life swashbucklers and statesmen, heroes and villains." -- San Francisco Examiner

"Spellbinding...irresistible...monumental...must be read to understand the first thing about the role of oil in modern history." -- The New York Times

"Splendid and epic history of oil.... The story is brilliantly told...with its remarkable cast of characters." -- The Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Daniel Yergin is the bestselling author of The Prize, The Commanding Heights, Shattered Peace, Russia 2010, and What It Means for the World, and coauthor of Energy Future. Chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a leading international energy consulting firm, he is also global energy expert for the CNBC business news network.