Customer Reviews

Spindletop Rev Ed

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3 star:		(1)
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A fascinating account of the events and people who brought in the birth of the modern oil business. The book brings to life the time period, the cast of characters that were involved and the obstacles and naysayers which had to be overcome. See how hard work and dogged persistence by these men was rewarded not just once (as in the initial discovery of the field) but several times. The book is well written and moves along at a good pace. As a person involved in the oil business for 20 years, this book reminded my of why the oil business is so special.

Book arrived promptly and was in very good condition. Excellent history of the people and place called Spindletop. I work in the oil industry and enjoy reading about many of the names that continue to show in mineral land titles throughout Texas. Very good read for those interested in the history of oil production and the companies involved in the State of Texas.

"Daniel Yergin's 'The Prize' is a sweeping story of how the world became enthralled and obsessed with petroleum as the present and future source for global energy. Clark and Halbouty attempt to bring a highly detailed granularity to one piece of the larger story; namely the discovery of crude oil in never-before-seen amounts from a salt done in southeast Texas. We get to meet the players and the entities that are synonymous with the oil industry: Higgins and Lucas, the visionary and the driller; Texaco, Sunoco and Gulf, the upstarts at least at the time seeking to work around the already leviathan Standard Trust. All the elements for a great epic story are there.

Unfortunately, the story tends to read more like the teleplay for a mini-series than an epic. The authors rush the story along, supplying vignettes that are superficial. The creation of the Christmas Tree to control well flow and the process that leads Howard Hughes, Sr. to develop his rotary drill are both dealt with in short paragraphs providing little or no understanding. Admittedly, providing such detail would have siginificantly increased the size of the book. But, the purpose of this book was to depict the impoirtance of what is - without arguement - the genesis of the American oil indistry. Paying in such short shrift is like damning with faint praise.

An informative, though somewhat disappointing book.

This is a great book in which the authors very tactfully unfold the story of the Spindletop Oil Field. With modern techniques of oil exploration one may never have the 'Spindletop Experience' ever again. This book would interest anyone who is even remotely related with the petroleum industry. It should make one appreciate the early days of oil industry on whose experiences the modern peroleum industry is based on. The last chapters may not interest some people as the book goes into the legal suits fought over the oilfield. Overall, I strongly recommend the modern 'oilmen' to read this book.