
Crude Genius
The Making of an International Oil Baron, William H. McGarvey
Gary May(Author)
Mosaic Press
Published on 1. September 2024
Book
Paperback/Softback
350 pages
978-1-77161-640-9 (ISBN)
Description
"An unknown and hitherto untold story of one of the true pioneers of the international oil industry." William McGarvey was crowned the "Petroleum King of Austria," dubbed "Europe's Rockefeller," advised the British government in the great debate over converting its naval fleet to oil fuel in preparation for World War I. His story is one that links Canada, the US, Austro-Hungary, Russia, and Romania. Today, we are witnessing a global campaign to bring to an end King Oil's 150-year reign by shrinking the world's reliance on fossil fuels. Yet the story of the early years of how the petroleum world evolved remains wrapped in obscurity. Crude Genius fills in an important gap in that history. The story of William McGarvey covers just five decades. Yet in that period, McGarvey became a leader in the procurement of oil, and raised it from a primitive act to a sophisticated international business. He transformed the primitive practice of oil extraction into a science and a powerful technology. He drilled and refined oil, he manufactured equipment, and built pipelines.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Ontario
Canada
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Dimensions
Height: 230 mm
Width: 153 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
490 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-77161-640-9 (9781771616409)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
12/2022
Mosaic Press
€20.49
Available for download
Person
Gary May is now recognized as an authority on the early Canadian oil industry and Crude Genius will establish him as an important international historian. He has recently been honoured by Canada's Petroleum History Society with its Lifetime Achievement Award. He spent thirty years as a reporter and then Editor for three major newspapers, Hamilton Spectator, London Free Press, Ottawa Citizen. He is now a freelance writer and editor.