“Few have studied the Russian oil and gas industry longer or with a broader political perspective than Gustafson. The result is this superb book, which is not merely a fascinating, subtle history of the industry since the Soviet Union’s collapse but also the single most revealing work on Russian politics and economics published in the last several years.”—Robert Legvold, Foreign Affairs
“Russian oil has had a bumpy ride. The world leader in the 1980s, the industry went into steep decline with the Soviet Union’s dismantling in 1991. When the Iron Curtain rose, the state’s oilmen—mostly geologists and engineers—were shocked by a global industry rife with lawyers and traders. Now oil and roubles shunt through the pipelines of new Russia but the relationship between state and industry is often explosive. Energy-policy analyst Thane Gustafson reveals Vladimir Putin’s pivotal role, the effects of the 2008 crash, and the complex currents and uncertain future of regional oil.”—Nature
“Gustafson notes that the Russian oil economy is at a crossroads, with no clear signal ahead. It might well revert to state control, or it might become a free-market leader… A useful, readable primer in a specialized but strategically important corner of geopolitics.”—Kirkus Reviews
“For specialists in geopolitics or global energy, this exacting and lucid account should be required reading.”—Publishers Weekly
“Thane Gustafson has seen close up the wrenching challenges in the Russian oil industry. This is an excellent book written from firsthand experience.”—Lord Browne of Madingley, Group Chief Executive, BP plc, 1995–2007
“Wheel of Fortune not only provides the most comprehensive history of the Russian oil sector to date, but its greatest virtue is that it places the industry’s rise in a broader political and historical context that only a deep observer like Thane Gustafson can provide.”—Francis Fukuyama, author of The Origins of Political Order
“A tale of the struggle for power and money in the Russian oil industry—with fateful consequence for both Russia and the world.”—Andrew Gould, former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Schlumberger Limited
“Thane Gustafson is the master expert on Russia’s vast oil and gas industry. In his latest book, which is meticulously researched and lucidly written, he tells the story of the past two decades as the hydrocarbon-rich Eurasian giant has sought, in fits and starts, to shuck its Soviet past and become a normal, modern nation, integrated into the global economy.”—Strobe Talbott, President, Brookings Institution
Wheel of Fortune
The Battle for Oil and Power in Russia
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Book Details
HARDCOVER
$39.95 • £29.95 • €36.00
ISBN 9780674066472
Publication: November 2012
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