The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes

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Synopsis
In The Big Rich, bestselling author and Vanity Fair special correspondent Bryan Burrough chronicles the rise and fall of one of the great economic and political powerhouses of the twentieth century: Texas oil. By weaving together the epic sagas of the industry's four greatest fortunes, Burrough has produced an enthralling tale of money, family, and power in the American century. Known in their day as the Big Four, Roy Cullen, H. L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Sid Richardson were all from modest backgrounds, and all became patriarchs of the wealthiest oil families in Texas. As a class they came to be known as the Big Rich, and together they created a new legend in America, the swaggering Texas oilman who owns private islands, sprawling ranches and perhaps a football team or two, and mingles with presidents and Hollywood stars. The truth more than lives up to the myth. Along with their peers, the Big Four shifted wealth and power in America away from the East Coast, sending three of their state's native sons to the White House and largely bank rolling the rise of modern conservatism in America. H. L. Hunt became America's richest man by grabbing Texas's largest oilfield out from under the nose of the man who found it; he was also a lifelong bigamist. Clint Murchison entertained British royalty on his Mexican hacienda and bet on racehorses and conducted dirty deals with J. Edgar Hoover. Roy Cullen, an elementary school dropout, used his millions to revive the hapless Texas GOP. And Sid Richardson, the Big Four's fun-loving bachelor, was a friend of several presidents, including, most fatefully, Lyndon Johnson. The Big Four produced offspring who frequently made more headlines, and in some cases more millions, than they did. With few exceptions, however, their fortunes came to an end in a swirl of bitter family feuds, scandals, and bankruptcies, and by the late 1980s, the era of the Big Rich was over. But as Texas native Bryan Burrough reveals in this hugely entertaining account, the profound economic, political, and cultural influence of Texas oil is still keenly felt today. Included are chapter notes, citations, bibliographic notes, and index. Bookshare Note: For the most part written factually, the author's personal bias often shows through, sometimes subtly and other times blatantly.
Copyright:
2008

Book Details

Book Quality:
Excellent
Book Size:
466 Pages
ISBN-13:
9781594201998
Publisher:
Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Date of Addition:
Copyrighted By:
Bryan Burrough
Adult content:
No
Language:
English
Has Image Descriptions:
No
Categories:
Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs, Technology
Submitted By:
Liz Halperin
Proofread By:
Liz Halperin
Usage Restrictions:
This is a copyrighted book.

Reviews

4 out of 5

By on

The Big Rich was a surprisingly engrossing and informative book. The author generally presents information in a factual manner, but periodically includes very biased remarks. Although non-fiction, The Big Rich reads like a soap opera. It starts with the earliest Texans finding oil and into The Big Four families of oil wealth. How the oil fields were managed (and finances mismanaged) is detailed by lawsuits, management evasions, and more. We read about the families' becoming wealthy and how they lived big and hearty, building a reputation as the wild Texans. The four main players were a mixed bag, including one who was a bigamist. The book follows their entrance into ultra-conservative politics, where they are proudly and loudly racist and anti-Semitic. They utilized many secret ploys of furthering their causes. The rise of the Bushes is a detailed example. The assassination of JFK in Dallas is covered, including the fact that he had been warned away. The Big Rich follows the oil money (and politics) until current day family members and what they are doing. While the heyday of the oil fields may be done, the political activity is not. In fact, Henry Holt Publishers is owned by one grandson, a right-winger. As an aside, this book had a very poor proofreading by the publisher. There were countless misspellings in the print version which had to be left in the Bookshare version. I'd rate it a 5 on content and a 2 on publisher preparation.