The Big Rich
“Capitalism at its most colorful oozes across the pages of this engrossing study…This is a portrait of capitalism as white-knuckle risk taking, yielding fruitful discoveries for the fathers, but only sterile speculation for the sons—a story that resonates with today’s economic upheaval.”
Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Bestselling author of Barbarians at the Gates and Public Enemies, Bryan Burrough is also a three-time winner of the John Hancock Award for excellence in journalism. In The Big Rich, Burrough reveals how four larger-than-life Texas oil tycoons transformed 20th-century America.
Rising from humble beginnings through hard work and shrewd dealings, Roy Cullen, H. L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Sid Richardson forged the Lone Star State’s wealthiest oil dynasties. Their influence shifted the balance of power in American politics, sending three Texans to the White House and bankrolling the modern conservative movement. While hobnobbing with presidents and movie stars, the Big Rich created the legend of the swaggering Texas oilman with island hideaways, sprawling ranches, and long-horned Cadillacs.
Praise