Black Gold

Britain and Oil in the Twentieth Century

Charles More

• Publisher: Continuum
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781441174772
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Ancient History
• Index: History

This book charts the story of the raw material that shaped the world's history in the twentieth century, and with it the development of modern Britain. Ranging from the first explorations, through oil-fuelled wars and environmental crises, this book examines the strategic, economic and social importance of oil. Until the discovery of North Sea oil in the 1970s, Britain had virtually no known oil reserves yet by the early twentieth century British companies were producing oil across the Middle East, Russia and America. How did that happen and why have British companies remained internationally important ever since? How have British domestic and foreign policies been dictated by oil? And how have the government and oil companies reacted to the growing importance of environmental issues? From Suez and the 1973 Arab oil embargo to the wrecking of the Torrey Canyon and climate change, this is a comprehensive survey of modern Britain, oil and world history.

Table of contents

• Contents
• Preface
• 1 Coming of Age: Oil 1900–18
• 2 The World of Oil 1918–39
• 3 Kerosene Lamps and Petrol Pumps: The British People and Oil 1900–39
• 4 Britain, Oil and the Second World War
• 5 The World of Oil 1945–73
• 6 Age of Optimism: The British People and Oil 1945–73
• 7 Crisis: Oil in the 1970s
• 8 The North Sea
• 9 Age of Uncertainty: Oil After the Oil Crisis 1980–2000
• 10 Conclusion
• Notes
• Sources and Bibliography
• Index