May 02, 2012 in private empire, investigative journalist steve coll explains how exxonmobil has used its money and power to wield significant influence in washington, d. Jun, 20 author steve coll unearths the companys secrets in private empire, tracking the corporations role on the world stage from the exxon valdez accident in 1989 to the deepwater horizon oil spill in. May 01, 2012 private empire pulls back the curtain, tracking the corporations recent history and its central role on the world stage, beginning with the exxon valdez accident in 1989 and leading to the deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico in 2010. Private empire, steve colls book on exxon mobil the new.
Winner of the financial times and goldman sachs business book of the year award 2012 an extraordinary and monumental expose of big oil from twotime pulitzer. In the great reach for colonies that europe began hundreds of years ago, at center stage were several curious entities that wielded more power than many governments. Apr 27, 2012 the cover of private empire, steve colls new book about the exxon mobil corporation, is a forbidding black slab. Pdf private empire download full pdf book download. Historian stephen foster focuses on the macphersons of blairgowrie in scotland, who recorded their private and public lives through five generations in an extraordinary archive of letters, documents and diaries. From twicepulitzerprizewinning author steve coll comes private empire, winner of the ftgoldman sachs business book of the year award 2012 the oil giant exxonmobil makes more money annually than the gdp of most countries. Steve coll in this book, the author investigates the largest and most powerful private corporation in the united states, revealing the true extent of its power. A thorough, sobering study of the pernicious consolidation of big oil. New america foundation president steve coll and nicholas thompson, future tense fellow and editor of, discuss colls book. The narrative spans the globe, taking readers to moscow, impoverished african capitals, indonesia, and elsewhere in heartstopping scenes that feature kidnapping cases, civil wars, and highstakes struggles at the kremlin. May 02, 20 private empire helps explain the power of exxonmobil in shaping us policy around the world. May 28, 20 private empire is a book meticulously prepared as if for trial, a lawyerly accumulation of information that lets the facts speak for themselves.
Jul 05, 2012 steve colls private empire is winner of the ftgoldman sachs business book of the year award 2012. May 01, 2012 new america foundation president steve coll and nicholas thompson, future tense fellow and editor of, discuss colls book private empire. Mar 12, 2020 private empire is a book meticulously prepared as if for trial, a lawyerly accumulation of information that lets the facts speak for themselves a compelling and elucidatory work. The cover of private empire, steve colls new book about the exxon mobil corporation, is a forbidding black slab. Steve coll investigates the largest and most powerful private corporation in the united states, revealing the true extent of its power. Steve colls mammoth portrait of exxon mobil, private empire, abounds in empiresize figures. He is currently the dean of the columbia university graduate school of journalism, where he.
An arabian family in the american century, 2008, etc. May 28, 20 private empire pulls back the curtain, tracking the corporations recent history and its central role on the world stage, beginning with the exxon valdez accident in 1989 and leading to the deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico in 2010. Bloomberg private empire is meticulous, multiangled and valuable. It chronicles how exxonmobil the energy behemoth that recently. Private empire is a book meticulously prepared as if for trial, a lawyerly accumulation of information that lets the facts speak for themselves. Indeed, it is possible to read this book and be impressed by the companys adroit management and financial successes. From the exxon valdez accident in 1989 to the deepwater horizon oil spill, via moscow, the swamps of the niger delta and the halls of congress, he reveals a story of dictators, oligarchs, civil war, blackmail, secrecy and. In private empire steve coll investigates the largest and most powerful private corporation in the united states, revealing the true extent of its power. Steve coll discusses his book private empire youtube. Stephen foster is an australian historian who has spent much of his career at the borders of academic and public history. With admirable restraint, new yorker contributor and twotime pulitzer winner coll the bin ladens.
If exxonmobil refused to answer every one of the authors factchecking questions, the book remains authoritative, lively and seldom dull. Private empire by steve coll penguin random house audio. The most material and volatile facts in the global oil. Yet private empire is not so much an indictment as a fascinating look into american business and politics. A friend of dick cheney, raymond is also a fierce climate.
Private empire, steve colls book about exxon mobil the. Private empire helps explain the power of exxonmobil in shaping us policy around the world. In this prizewinning book, the author of ghost wars and the bin ladens investigates the notoriously mysterious exxonmobil corporation and the secrets of the oil industry in many of the nations where it operates, exxonmobil has a greater sway than that of the us embassy, its annual. May 18, 2012 private empire is a book meticulously prepared as if for trial, a lawyerly accumulation of information that lets the facts speak for themselves.
Weighing in at more than 700 pages, it is wordy too. Indeed, it is possible to read this book and be impressed by the companys. Jun 10, 2012 steve colls mammoth portrait of exxon mobil, private empire, abounds in empiresize figures. Private empire by steve coll ft business book of the. It is truly an empire, a corporate state within the american state. The action spans the globefeaturing kidnapping cases, civil wars, and highstakes struggles. Private empire, steve colls book about exxon mobil the new. Steve colls private empire is winner of the ftgoldman sachs business book of the year award 2012. It chronicles how exxonmobil the energy behemoth that recently displaced wal. Private empire, steve colls book on exxon mobil the. Private empire, steve colls book about exxon mobil. In this prizewinning book, the author of ghost wars and the bin ladens investigates the notoriously mysterious exxonmobil corporation and the secrets of the oil industry in many of the nations where it operates, exxonmobil has a greater sway than that of the us embassy, its annual revenues are. His books include a private empire, which was shortlisted for the ernest scott prize for history and the victorian premiers literary awards, and as coauthor the making of the australian national university, which has been described as a model university history. Private empire begins in 1989 with the tale of the exxon valdez, the company oil tanker that ran aground in alaskas prince william sound, and.
Private empire begins with the exxon valdez accident in 1989 and closes with the deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico in 2010. In the first half of last year alone, the companys. Private empire is a book meticulously prepared as if for trial, a lawyerly accumulation of information that lets the facts speak for themselves a compelling and elucidatory work. Private empire by steve coll ft business book of the year award. Bloomberg private empire is meticulous, multiangled and valuable mr. From the awardwinning and bestselling author of ghost wars and directorate s, an extraordinary and monumental expose of big oil. Private empire is not a book overflowing with surprises, but threequarters into it, i did a doubletake when coll quotes an oil executives statement from 2008, which expresses that geopolitics, by far, is the largest uncertainty in the entire world of energy. Private empire pulls back the curtain, tracking the corporations recent history and its central role on the world stage, beginning with the exxon valdez accident in 1989 and leading to the deepwater horizon oil spill in the gulf of mexico in 2010. Private empire is a surprising book about the history of exxonmobil, americas largest company. Winner of the financial times and goldman sachs business book of the year award 2012 an extraordinary and monumental expose of big oil from twotime pulitzer prize winner steve coll the washington post in private empire steve coll investigates the largest and most powerful private corporation in the united states, revealing the true extent of its power. Exxonmobils annual revenues are larger than the economic activity in the great majority of countries. In private empire, investigative journalist steve coll explains how exxonmobil has used its money and power to wield significant influence in washington. With each chapter as forceful as a new yorker article, the book abounds in. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel that the.
May 11, 2012 private empire is a big book about big oil, big money and big government. In private empire, awardwinning reporter steve coll tells the truth about the worlds most powerful and shadowy company. May 02, 2012 private empire npr coverage of private empire. Coll begins with the valdez spill and offers more of a series of case studies than any continuous history. It chronicles how exxonmobil the energy behemoth that recently displaced walmart atop the fortune 500 list, with. Jan 01, 2012 private empire is a surprising book about the history of exxonmobil, americas largest company. Jul 30, 2012 if exxonmobil refused to answer every one of the authors factchecking questions, the book remains authoritative, lively and seldom dull. Steve coll born october 8, 1958 is an american journalist, academic and executive. May 06, 2012 yet private empire is not so much an indictment as a fascinating look into american business and politics.
Private empire begins with the exxon valdez accident in 1989 and closes with the deepwater horizon oil spill. Not only did exxon come off as less evil than commonly portrayed, but the oil company seemed to be significantly less powerful than i had anticipated. From the exxon valdez accident in 1989 to the deepwater horizon oil spill, via moscow, the swamps of the niger delta and the halls of congress, he reveals a story of dictators, oligarchs, civil war, blackmail, secrecy and ruthlessness. The key figure in the book is lee iron ass raymond, chief executive until 2005. Historian stephen foster focuses on the macphersons of blairgowrie in scotland, who recorded their private and public lives through five generations in an extraordinary archive. Steve colls narrative spans the globe, taking readers to moscow, impoverished african capitals, indonesia and elsewhere as exxonmobil carries out its activities against a backdrop of blackmail threats, kidnapping, civil wars, and. He is the author of seven other books, including on the grand trunk road, the bin ladens, private empire, and directorate s. Private empire is an excellent investigation of exxons and more recently exxonmobils corporate conduct and policies over the last two decades or so. Private empire is a big book about big oil, big money and big government.
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