Pearls to Oil From Pearls to Oil is a testament of the challenges contended by extraordinary men who initiated the search for oil in the United Arab Emirates, in the years between the two World Wars. The book features never-before-published copies of letters, notes and reports complementing the research, which itself stems from the archives of the Abu Dhabi Petroleum Company (ADPC) and other literature recorded by British Government officials. With rare photographs, maps and diagrams alongside the in-depth narrative, this book is a great asset for scholars, residents and visitors interested in the history of this land. -- Book Description Amazon.

"Oil Men" represents a unique resource for the student of the challenges, both physical and political, of oil prospecting in a region with no infrastructure and no formal boundaries between local power bases. The book charts the slow and unexpected transformation of the emirates from poverty to undreamed-of wealth. Detailed coverage with extensive access to primary sources describes the frequently tortuous negotiations between oil companies, sheikhs and regional political agents, all of whom sought to protect their different vested interests. The author has had full access to company records which are quoted throughout, including progress reports, minutes of meetings, telegrams and other primary sources, which are collected in full in Volume 2.

The story of oil is one of hubris, fortune, betrayal, and destruction. It is the story of a resource that has been undeniably central to the creation of our modern culture, and ever-present during the darkest exploits of empire the world over. For the past 150 years, oil has become the most essential ingredient for economic, military, and political power. And it has brought us to our present moment in which political leaders and the fossil-fuel industry consider extraordinary, and extraordinarily dangerous, policy on a world stage marked by shifting power bases. Upending the conventional wisdom by crafting a “people’s history,” award-winning journalist Matthieu Auzanneau deftly traces how oil became a national and then global addiction, outlines the enormous consequences of that addiction, sheds new light on major historical and contemporary figures, and raises new questions about stories we thought we knew well: What really sparked the oil crises in the 1970s, the shift away from the gold standard at Bretton Woods, or even the financial crash of 2008? How has oil shaped the events that have defined our times: two world wars, the Cold War, the Great Depression, ongoing wars in the Middle East, the advent of neoliberalism, and the Great Recession, among them? With brutal clarity, Oil, Power, and War exposes the heavy hand oil has had in all of our lives—and illustrates how much heavier that hand could get during the increasingly desperate race to control the last of the world’s easily and cheaply extractable reserves.

Since Antiquity the natural pearls of the Gulf have been famed as the finest, most lustrous and most plentiful that the world can offer. From the beginnings of trade until the 1930s, these pearls were a major product of the Gulf's coastal peoples. Latterly, from the 17th to the early 20th centuries, rising international demand turned pearling into their economic mainstay. By this time pearls were fished in their millions, and pearling became the pillar of the regional economy, dominating the lives, health and expectations of entire shaikhdoms. The influx of people and wealth to the coast permanently transformed the Gulf, providing the manpower and capital to germinate and nurture the city-states - notably Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah - which endure there today. Despite its formative role, there has until now been no book taking the entire history of pearling as its subject. Dr Carter's ground-breaking work traces its evolution on both the Arabian and the Persian sides of the Gulf, and explores the role it played in shaping the political, social and urban configuration that we see in the region today. It shows the extent to which the Gulf economy became dependent on a single commodity, and how, in that respect, pearling resembled the oil industry that would replace it. Lavishly illustrated, this book covers in unprecedented detail the history, development, conduct, florescence and catastrophic collapse of the industry in the early 20th century. It will fascinate not only those wishing to understand the growth and conduct of the pearl fishery, but also those interested in the history of the region and the origins of the Gulf states, and in the colourful story of the global taste for one of mankind's most highly prized precious stones.

First edition of Sinclair's savage satire, loosely based on the life and career of Edward L. Doheny, and the Teapot Dome scandal of the Harding administration. Although Sinclair's famous novel The Jungle deals with Chicago's meatpacking industry, he moved west to Pasadena in 1916 and began writing novels set in California, the best of which was Oil!, the story of the education of Bunny Ross, son of wildcat oil man Joe Ross after oil is discovered outside Los Angeles. The novel was the basis for Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 film There Will Be Blood. In California Classics, Lawrence Clark Powell called Oil! "Sinclair's most sustained and best writing."

Qatar is a country of spectacular contrasts: from pearl fishing, its main industry until the 1930s, to gas and oil, which generate immense wealth today; to famously being at the center of both triumph and controversy in recent years for hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Almost a lifetime since he grew up in Qatar, Michael Quentin Morton writes about the country’s colorful past and its astonishing present. The book is filled with stories about the people of this land: the tribes and the travelers, the seafarers and slaves—as much a part of Qatar’s history as its rulers and their wealth. The opaque Arabian world guards its secrets well, but Masters of the Pearl penetrates the veil to shed light on a country that until now has defied explanation.

An expert in Arab Gulf politics offers a revealing analysis of the region’s stunning rise to global power and the challenges it confronts today. Once just sleepy desert sheikdoms, the Arab Gulf states of Saudi Arabia, Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait now exert unprecedented influence on international affairs—the result of their almost unimaginable riches in oil and gas. In this accessible study, Gulf politics expert Rory Miller examines the achievements of these countries since the 1973 global oil crisis. He also investigates how the shrewd Arab Gulf rulers who have overcome crisis after crisis meet the unpredictable future. The Arab Gulf region has become a global hub for travel, tourism, sports, culture, trade, and finance. But can the autocratic regimes maintain stability at home and influence abroad as they deal with the demands of social and democratic reform? Miller considers an array of factors—Islamism, terrorism, the Arab Spring, volatile oil prices, global power dynamics, and others—to assess the region’s future possibilities.

"Olive oil is one of the world's most essential and ubiquitous cooking ingredients, but how much do we really know about it? Where does it come from, how is it made, and what exactly does "extra-virgin" mean? Nancy Harmon Jenkins, a leading authority on olive oil and the healthy Mediterranean diet, covers all of these questions and more in 'Virgin Territory' as she explores what makes fine extra-virgin, how to choose it and use it, and how to avoid frauds and scams. An illuminating look at the history and culture of olive oil, as well as the science behind its flavors and its role in a healthy diet, this book details how Jenkins began her own passionate foray into olive oil and how she ended up with a 25-acre Tuscan olive farm where she and her offspring produce their own lush, green, spicy oil. Far more than a cookbook, 'Virgin Territory' includes more than 100 recipes showcasing this versatile and healthful ingredient. No matter what recipe you choose, Jenkins guides you in creating a delectable dish made better with olive oil. Along with a wealth of information and exquisite recipes, there are also striking photographs of the Mediterranean-style dishes and Jenkins' own olive grove in Tuscany. A rich and engrossing survey, 'Virgin Territory' is the ultimate resource for everything olive oil."--

The Trucial Coast Political Reports are a unique record of events, commented on by a small group of British men living in Sharjah and Dubai. This was in the years leading up to the commencement of oil exports from the desert of Abu Dhabi. These men regularly met to discuss and negotiate with the Rulers of the Trucial States - sometimes in a state of mutual incomprehension - the conditions under which the Company (Petroleum Development/Trucial Coast or PD/TC) would operate in their various territories. Boundaries and frontiers marked out in the desert were as much a novelty to the Bedouin as the notions of royalties and depreciation were to the Rulers. Men such as Bird, Codrai and Henderson learnt to understand, to some extent, the language and ways of the people of the Trucial Coast. They in turn had to contend with the ways of the legal, financial and business executives in London who tended to see affairs very differently. It is thanks to these Company Representatives living on the Trucial Coast that the bulk of the Diaries was saved. It is due to the efforts of the London executives that much other material was lost in the name of economy of storage space. These Reports record important events as well as the writer's observations. The editor has included some additional material from the PD/TC company files to present a more complete account.