false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255656145m/3554517.jpg 3554517 2 In <I>The Big Rich</I>, bestselling author and <I>Vanity Fair</I> special correspondent Bryan Burrough chronicles the rise and fall of one of the great economic and political powerhouses of the twentieth century—Texas oil. By weaving together the epic sagas of the industry’s four greatest fortunes, Burrough has produced an enthralling tale of money, family, and power in the American century.<BR><BR> Known in their day as the Big Four, Roy Cullen, H. L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Sid Richardson were all from modest backgrounds, and all became patriarchs of the wealthiest oil families in Texas. As a class they came to be known as the Big Rich, and together they created a new legend in America—the swaggering Texas oilman who owns private islands, sprawling ranches and perhaps a football team or two, and mingles with presidents and Hollywood stars.<BR><BR> The truth more than lives up to the myth. Along with their peers, the Big Four shifted wealth and power in America away from the East Coast, sending three of their state’s native sons to the White House and largely bankrolling the rise of modern conservatism in America. H. L. Hunt became America’s richest man by grabbing Texas’s largest oilfield out from under the nose of the man who found it; he was also a lifelong bigamist. Clint Murchison entertained British royalty on his Mexican hacienda and bet on racehorses—and conducted dirty deals—with J. Edgar Hoover. Roy Cullen, an elementary school dropout, used his millions to revive the hapless Texas GOP. And Sid Richardson, the Big Four’s fun-loving bachelor, was a friend of several presidents, including, most fatefully, Lyndon Johnson.<BR><BR> The Big Four produced offspring who frequently made more headlines, and in some cases more millions, than they did. With few exceptions, however, their fortunes came to an end in a swirl of bitter family feuds, scandals, and bankruptcies, and by the late 1980s, the era of the Big Rich was over. But as Texas native Bryan Burrough reveals in this hugely entertaining account, the profound economic, political, and cultural influence of Texas oil is still keenly felt today. 3596634 22 1 2009 The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes total:99|5:27|4:47|3:23|2:2|1:0| 99 396 243 42 4 1 false false Fri Apr 24 12:03:47 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 30 16:29:28 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Oct 07 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 19:33:23 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 07 19:39:06 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Apr 19 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 14 13:11:26 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 21 16:46:33 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Mon Apr 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 20 13:13:53 -0700 2009 Mon Apr 20 13:26:03 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Mar 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 17:23:45 -0700 2009 Mon Mar 23 17:30:49 -0700 2009 1 This is a Long Long book. I ended...more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Oct 29 20:22:28 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 29 20:26:11 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Sun Nov 08 14:41:35 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 08 14:44:20 -0800 2009 Als...more...]]> 5 0 false false Fri Mar 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 01 12:31:19 -0700 2009 Mon Oct 05 10:40:43 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Mar 11 19:47:26 -0700 2009 Wed Mar 11 19:52:26 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri May 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 17:57:26 -0700 2009 Mon May 18 18:02:21 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Mar 02 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 16:41:42 -0800 2009 Mon Mar 02 16:52:13 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Sep 28 20:35:58 -0700 2009 Mon Sep 28 21:10:53 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Sep 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 11 14:03:05 -0700 2009 Sun Sep 20 16:08:02 -0700 2009 more...]]> 4 0 false false Thu Jun 04 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 06:52:09 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 09 06:54:09 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Tue Apr 07 17:46:02 -0700 2009 Tue Apr 07 17:46:02 -0700 2009 Jonathan Yardley, NY Times]]> 4 0 false false Sat Feb 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 08:07:02 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 08:09:22 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 12:09:43 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 08 12:12:19 -0700 2009 5 0 false false Wed Apr 29 15:15:34 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 29 15:19:18 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Mar 12 17:53:17 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 12 17:58:01 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Aug 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Mon Nov 02 03:31:25 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 02 03:32:50 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=3554517