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Oil Wars

The Struggle for Control that has Shaped the Modern World
By Guy Laron
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Brief Description
Oil Wars by Guy Laron is a vital history of oil and politics, showing how the struggle to control energy corridors and chokepoints has shaped the modern world. For the last twenty years, Putin's Russia has weaponised its vast resources of oil and gas, using them... Read More
Format: Hardback
$8800

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A vital history of oil and politics, showing how the struggle to control energy corridors and chokepoints shaped the modern world

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Oil Wars by Guy Laron is a vital history of oil and politics, showing how the struggle to control energy corridors and chokepoints has shaped the modern world.

For the last twenty years, Putin's Russia has weaponised its vast resources of oil and gas, using them to dominate Ukraine and, with growing audacity, challenge NATO itself. However, this tactic is not a new phenomenon. Over the last 150 years, access to oil and gas has been repeatedly utilised as a tool to gain an advantage.

By examining the global pictureβ€”including regions like Vietnam, India, and Egyptβ€”Laron charts the connection between oil, gas, and political power from the First World War, through the Cold War, to the crises of today. He illustrates how political actors have leveraged their power through key chokepoints: production sites, pipelines, and even refineries. Simultaneously, companies have lobbied states to block rivals and eliminate competition.

This has been a high-stakes game over the controlling heights of the world economy, one that continues until this very day.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780300279641

Publisher: Yale University Press

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 20 October 2026

Country: United States

Imprint: Yale University Press

Illustration: 16 b-w illus. + 2 maps

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 235.0mm

Weight: 0g

Pages: 528

Collections

Finance & Economics Finance & Investment Global History Guy Laron History & Archaeology History & Military Middle Eastern History Non-Fiction

About the Author

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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