Bøger af Upton Sinclair

First published in 1927, "Oil!" is an unflinching portrayal of greed and betrayal by Pulitzer Prize winning author Upton Sinclair. Famous for his groundbreaking work "The Jungle", which exposed the horribly unsafe conditions in the American meatpacking industry, Sinclair turned his critical eye toward the immorality of the emerging oil-drilling business. Set in Southern California and inspired by the Teapot Dome Scandal, "Oil!" follows the fortunes of the Ross and Watkins families as they clash over property rights and the unionization of the oil workers. Bunny Ross is torn between loyalty to his family and his friendship with Paul and Ruth Watkins, as he becomes increasingly uneasy with his father's relentless greed and unethical business practices. Set amidst a backdrop of entertaining, lively, and well-drawn characters, Bunny must ultimately decide if he will side with kindness and humanity over his family and their love of power and wealth. "Oil!" has endured as one of Sinclair's most readable and absorbing works and its themes of corporate corruption and cruelty remain as relevant as ever today. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

"A classic tale of greed and corruption." --Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation and Reefer Madness This masterpiece of realist fiction portrays corruption and greed, as well as a coming-of-age story. The basis for Paul Thomas Anderson's 2007 film There Will Be Blood, the saga follows the rise of an oil magnate through the eyes of his loving but increasingly pessimistic son. Against the backdrop of the 1930s working-class and socialist movement, Bunny Ross, son of oil tycoon J. Arnold Ross, battles conflict between his wealthy upbringing and his sympathies for the working class. After writing The Jungle, a groundbreaking book that exposed harsh labor conditions, novelist Upton Sinclair was inspired by the 1920s Teapot Dome political scandal involving President Warren G. Harding's administration and private oil companies. Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall accepted valuable gifts and large sums of money in exchange for allowing oil companies to control government oil reserves in Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and Elk Hills, California. Delivering a scathing, satirical critique of social injustice during the early years of the California oil boom, Sinclair skewers the budding Hollywood film industry, the birth of radio evangelism, the press, and higher education.