A fascinating overview of the substance that has shaped the modern world filled with full color illustrations and informative diagrams.

In this compelling account, Ian Fitzgerald tells the complete story of oil, from its formation over millions of years to its first discovery and use by humankind to its role as a crucial energy source and the conflicts that have since revolved around it.

Along the way, he covers such themes as technological innovation, cartels and collusions, oil's ever-depleting stocks and the rise of environmentalism, and its staggering influence on politics and business. Taking us from the days of oil barons like John D. Rockefeller and the first refineries of Standard Oil through to the formation of OPEC in the mid-20th century and the rise of fracking in the 21st, A History of Oil explores everything from the creation of plastics to the causes of the Gulf Wars.

A fascinating exploration of the influence of oil on the modern world.

Illustrated throughout with full-color images.