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Oil!
Paperback
Classic FictionGeneral Fiction
ISBN13: 9781025878171
Publisher: Tradd Street Press
Published: Feb 14 2026
Pages: 540
Weight: 1.65
Height: 1.09 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English
Oil! is a sweeping social critique and gripping narrative set against the backdrop of the early 20th-century Southern California oil boom. Written by the legendary muckraker Upton Sinclair, this novel offers a panoramic view of the American petroleum industry, tracing the complex relationship between an independent oil tycoon, J. Arnold Ross, and his idealistic son, Bunny. As Bunny navigates a world of immense wealth, he becomes increasingly torn between his father's capitalist ambitions and the burgeoning labor movements and socialist ideals championed by his friend, Paul Watkins.
Through vivid storytelling, Sinclair exposes the greed, political bribery, and corruption that fueled the rise of the oil industry, including a fictionalized account of the infamous Teapot Dome scandal. The work serves as both a profound coming-of-age story and a scathing indictment of the ethical compromises inherent in the pursuit of black gold. Rich in historical detail and social commentary, Oil! remains a cornerstone of American social protest literature, exploring themes of family loyalty, class struggle, and the environmental and human costs of industrial expansion. This powerful work continues to resonate as a definitive exploration of the American Dream and its consequences.
This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.
This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.
As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
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