Oil Wars
The Struggle for Control that has Shaped the Modern World
$51.95
- Hardcover
528 pages
- Release Date
7 December 2026
Summary
A vital history of oil and politics, showing how the struggle to control energy corridors and chokepoints shaped the modern world
For the last twenty years, Putin’s Russia has weaponised its vast resources of oil and gas, trying to use them to dominate Ukraine and later, with growing audacity, challenge NATO itself. But this is far from the first time this tactic has been used. Over the last 150 years, access to oil and gas has repeatedly been used as a tool to gain a…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780300279641 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0300279647 |
| Author: | Guy Laron |
| Publisher: | Yale University Press |
| Imprint: | Yale University Press |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 528 |
| Release Date: | 7 December 2026 |
| Dimensions: | 152mm x 235mm |
Critics Review
“Full of insight and riveting historical detail, Oil Wars explains just how pervasively extracting oil and gas from Eurasia and transporting these commodities have shaped the world for 150 years. I learned a great deal.”–Helen Thompson, author of Disorder
“Timely and absolutely engrossing … . Remarkable access, keen insights and wit make for a page-turning story that lies at the heart of today’s global geopolitics.”–Christian F. Ostermann, author of Between Containment and Rollback
“If you want to read a book that connects oil production, infrastructures, chokepoints and great power rivalry, this is the book for you.”–Giuliano Garavini, author of The Rise and Fall of OPEC in the Twentieth Century
“Remarkable … . Oil Wars is a significant and timely study that demonstrates that energy has been and continues to be one of the core instruments of geopolitics.”–David S. Painter, author of Oil and the American Century
“Gripping … . Deftly weaves together global strategy, imperial adventures, and intelligence contests. A must-read.”–Lorenz M. Lüthi, author of The Iron Curtain“Laron’s lively and original account arrives just as oil geopolitics have returned with a vengeance.”–Nathan J. Citino, author of Envisioning the Arab Future
Guy Laron
Guy Laron is a senior lecturer in international relations at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He is the author of two books, Origins of the Suez Crisis and The Six-Day War. His op-eds have appeared in The Guardian, Le Monde Diplomatique, and American Prospect.
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