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The History of the Standard Oil Company (Unexpurgated Edition)
Ida M. Tarbell's muckraking exposé of Standard Oil remains a classic of Progressive-era American history. Tarbell explores the rise of the "octopus" led by John D. Rockefeller as it sought to build an oil Trust which came to dominate the oil industry in the U.S. and became an important player in the international market as well.This unexpurgated edition contains the complete text with errors and omissions corrected.
468 pages, Kindle Edition
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About the author
Ida Tarbell
133 books38 followersIda Minerva Tarbell was an American teacher, author and journalist. She was known as one of the leading "muckrakers" of the progressive era, work known in modern times as "investigative journalism". She wrote many notable magazine series and biographies. She is best-known for her 1904 book The History of the Standard Oil Company, which was listed as No. 5 in a 1999 list by the New York Times of the top 100 works of 20th-century American journalism.[1] She became the first person to take on Standard Oil. She began her work on The Standard after her editors at McClure's Magazine called for a story on one of the trusts.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
December 28, 2016
My reaction to this book was similar to how I felt after I watched "The Wolf of Wall Street": like I needed a long hot shower with lots of soap.
Written in 1904 by Ida Mae Tarbell, a well-known muckraker journalist of the early 20th century (that's a good thing, by the way), this book describes the start of the oil industry and its eventual demise as a competitive industry due to the antics of a consortium led by John D. Rockefeller. The book covers the period of about 1830 - 1900.
The first half of the book was very interesting from a historical perspective. From 1872 forward, it was numerous repetitions of various ways that JDR and the Standard Oil Company drove all competitors out of business and took over the transportation, refining and final market elements of the oil industry - and in the process ended up controlling the producers as well.
This is a very thorough book written by an investigative journalist. A lot of detail.
Written in 1904 by Ida Mae Tarbell, a well-known muckraker journalist of the early 20th century (that's a good thing, by the way), this book describes the start of the oil industry and its eventual demise as a competitive industry due to the antics of a consortium led by John D. Rockefeller. The book covers the period of about 1830 - 1900.
The first half of the book was very interesting from a historical perspective. From 1872 forward, it was numerous repetitions of various ways that JDR and the Standard Oil Company drove all competitors out of business and took over the transportation, refining and final market elements of the oil industry - and in the process ended up controlling the producers as well.
This is a very thorough book written by an investigative journalist. A lot of detail.
July 27, 2014
OK, so I skipped over the annexures. But this book is a must-read for any business student and also for any business journalism student. Beautifully researched and put-together, it more than fulfills what it says on the cover; a History of the Standard Oil Company is what you'll get, from the POV of a critical outsider. To really get a sense of what you're dealing with, you should read at least the wikipedia article on Standard Oil before starting this book. Here's something to get you started: Chevron, Exxon and Mobil were formed out of the break-up of the Standard. Enjoy!
January 20, 2020
This was a decent book about the pitfalls of capitalism in the late 1800s. I thought the author wrote too much at times (there are a shitload of typos also), but overall it was an interesting read for anyone interested in the history of monopolies (in oil) in the US.
October 2, 2014
Warning: I´m originally from Oil Country, so I might be a bit biased in this review. I also love her-story, so there´s that influencing this review as well. All in all though, amazing skillful journalism against all powerful big business.
October 4, 2019
The question I had before I started reading Ida Tarbell's 1904 The History of Standard Oil was whether John D. Rockefeller was able to transform Standard Oil into the behemoth monopoly it became just because he had the sharpest elbows in the room or because he truly committed illegal activities. The answer is that he had no qualms about lying, spying, or buying politicians to engage in some of the most cutthroat competition known in the history of capitalism. But Tarbell gives credit where due, and she also paints Rockefeller as a genius who knew every detail of every market he sought to conquer and how to wring every efficiency from every operation under his control.
It's interesting that Tarbell talks about the various committees of Standard Oil (which I'm sure still exist in some form today) whose purpose was to constantly gather and analyze market data so that JDR knew when to make his moves and how. I recently attended an interview with Christopher Leonard, who just published Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America, and he said the thing that struck him most about Koch was the amount of resources the company devoted to mining such data. I haven't read Kochland yet, but I have a feeling it will read much like The History of Standard Oil. It's amazing how little things can change in 150 years.
It's interesting that Tarbell talks about the various committees of Standard Oil (which I'm sure still exist in some form today) whose purpose was to constantly gather and analyze market data so that JDR knew when to make his moves and how. I recently attended an interview with Christopher Leonard, who just published Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America, and he said the thing that struck him most about Koch was the amount of resources the company devoted to mining such data. I haven't read Kochland yet, but I have a feeling it will read much like The History of Standard Oil. It's amazing how little things can change in 150 years.
June 23, 2020
After reading “TITAN” the continuous mention of Ids M Tarbell’s investigative work piqued my interest. I purchased a re-publish of the 2 volumes which were originally published in 1904.
While the trusts of the late 19th Century were rampant in the US, Tarbell chose the biggest, most dynamic trust to investigate.
She writes a detailed account of the practices of John D Rockefeller and his Standard Oil trust delving into testimony, records, minutes from meeting to paint a picture of how one man or a small group of men can find success and then turn that success into a competition killer and negotiate with the railroads to only their benefit.
We have the ability to know what happened later as the trust was forced to break up but it’s amazing how much wealth Rockefeller amassed not only for himself but his stockholders etc.
Be prepared for a lesson in markets and supply and demand.
While the trusts of the late 19th Century were rampant in the US, Tarbell chose the biggest, most dynamic trust to investigate.
She writes a detailed account of the practices of John D Rockefeller and his Standard Oil trust delving into testimony, records, minutes from meeting to paint a picture of how one man or a small group of men can find success and then turn that success into a competition killer and negotiate with the railroads to only their benefit.
We have the ability to know what happened later as the trust was forced to break up but it’s amazing how much wealth Rockefeller amassed not only for himself but his stockholders etc.
Be prepared for a lesson in markets and supply and demand.
February 17, 2026
Ida Tarbell is widely known as one of the first American muckrakers; like my generation’s Drew Pearson, Jack Anderson or Evans & Novak. I wanted to love this book but didn’t because Tarbell’s writing style is a Jack Webb style “just the facts mam!” Approach that fails to tell a story. A Shelby Foote or Erik Larson, Tarbell is not. I still don’t really know what John D Rockefeller did to gain his reputation as a wealthy unscrupulous oilman. There must be better books that spin that Webb into an understandable tome.
January 24, 2025
An amazing book
The most comprehensively imaginable study of early big business (in this case specifically John D Rockefeller and Standard Oil) with a wealth of fascinating history, detail, and salient lessons to be learnt both in terms of business and morality.
An outstanding book.
I am unaware of any comprehensive work that comes close in its detail.
The archetype of investigative reporting.
The most comprehensively imaginable study of early big business (in this case specifically John D Rockefeller and Standard Oil) with a wealth of fascinating history, detail, and salient lessons to be learnt both in terms of business and morality.
An outstanding book.
I am unaware of any comprehensive work that comes close in its detail.
The archetype of investigative reporting.
300-399-social-science
November 12, 2019338.76655
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June 14, 2022Very factual account of Rockefeller’s control of the oil industry
May 21, 2020
One of the pioneers of investigative journalism aka Muckraking, this compilation of articles written by Ida Tarbell for McClure, shredding Standard Oil Company and John Rockefeller's monopolistic business practice is a magnificent work.
By the beginning of 20th century, the anti-competitive practices of businesses across various industries had already started drawing flak from the nation and Government authorities. A definitive push came in the form of series of the articles written by Ida Tarbell, which was a prominent contributing factor in the eventual dissolution of the Standard Oil trust in 1911. The articles completed the transformation of public image of John Rockefeller as a national villain.
On closer perusal of the articles it becomes evident that Ida Tarbell did not write the articles to demonize Rockefeller. Her work is based on detailed research, court transcripts and personal interviews. It would be in incorrect to say that the author presented her views with a prejudice since the due credit has been accorded to Standard Oil for its business acumen and reprimand to producers association for their continued lack of good judgment.
At the hindsight, we now know that Standard Oil was the monopoly which worked among several other attempted combinations of various sorts which did not work due to greed and lesser acumen of its participants. It is interesting to read how the role of railways in unfair business practices was downplayed, while all the focus of hatred was channelized to Standard Oil.
Ida Tarbell has brilliantly argued that the object does not justify the means, that just by saying "it is business" does not write off all immoral, unlawful, anti-competitive and unfair activities to earn profits. All the rationale for the activities purported to be for the good of oil industry, price stability, foreign market and everything else does not account for the wrongs inflicted on countless number of small competitors driven out of the business.
We will never know what would have been the state of oil industry without the monopolistic years of Standard Oil. History has shown us that such huge amount untethered power always leads to promotion of self-interest at the expense of others. We will also never know what would have become of the Standard Oil if the trust was not dissolved. We do know that the off-springs of the slain dragon, continue to breathe fire to this day in form of Exxon, Mobil, Chevron and others.
This book gives a good view of the early years of the oil industry in US but does not go beyond that for obvious reasons. The story of oil, with or without Standard Oil trust, continues to be full of turmoil. It is good supplement to get a holistic view of the study of oil and energy. For readers interested in Oil, I would strongly recommend the truly seminal work by Daniel Yergin in his book the Prize.
By the beginning of 20th century, the anti-competitive practices of businesses across various industries had already started drawing flak from the nation and Government authorities. A definitive push came in the form of series of the articles written by Ida Tarbell, which was a prominent contributing factor in the eventual dissolution of the Standard Oil trust in 1911. The articles completed the transformation of public image of John Rockefeller as a national villain.
On closer perusal of the articles it becomes evident that Ida Tarbell did not write the articles to demonize Rockefeller. Her work is based on detailed research, court transcripts and personal interviews. It would be in incorrect to say that the author presented her views with a prejudice since the due credit has been accorded to Standard Oil for its business acumen and reprimand to producers association for their continued lack of good judgment.
At the hindsight, we now know that Standard Oil was the monopoly which worked among several other attempted combinations of various sorts which did not work due to greed and lesser acumen of its participants. It is interesting to read how the role of railways in unfair business practices was downplayed, while all the focus of hatred was channelized to Standard Oil.
Ida Tarbell has brilliantly argued that the object does not justify the means, that just by saying "it is business" does not write off all immoral, unlawful, anti-competitive and unfair activities to earn profits. All the rationale for the activities purported to be for the good of oil industry, price stability, foreign market and everything else does not account for the wrongs inflicted on countless number of small competitors driven out of the business.
We will never know what would have been the state of oil industry without the monopolistic years of Standard Oil. History has shown us that such huge amount untethered power always leads to promotion of self-interest at the expense of others. We will also never know what would have become of the Standard Oil if the trust was not dissolved. We do know that the off-springs of the slain dragon, continue to breathe fire to this day in form of Exxon, Mobil, Chevron and others.
This book gives a good view of the early years of the oil industry in US but does not go beyond that for obvious reasons. The story of oil, with or without Standard Oil trust, continues to be full of turmoil. It is good supplement to get a holistic view of the study of oil and energy. For readers interested in Oil, I would strongly recommend the truly seminal work by Daniel Yergin in his book the Prize.
January 23, 2025
Great journalism. It is interesting that Rockefeller is classified as philanthropist - where is the public good when money is raked in literally over dead bodies and some crumbs are given out as hush payments? Psychopath is much better description, however not used by Tarbell. She tries to report facts and give credit to this hero for his patience and foresight. Unfortunately - as it is real life and not a fairy rale - it does not have a happy end. Good does not win over evil. Rockefeller's principles—hide the profits, say nothing, kill competition - were (are) the winning formula. BigOil was cruel and destructive but then his "philathrophic" money created Big Pharma. "Material prosperity is usually benumbing in its effects."
Oh, and what was not yet defined at the time of writing this book: "Rockefeller, the monopolist, had to figure out a way to get rid of his biggest competition. So he used the classic strategy of “problem-reaction-solution.” That is, create a problem and scare people, and then offer a (pre-planned) solution. (Similar to terrorism scare, followed by the “Patriot Act”)."
The moral of the story is - people can fight injustice when they cooperate and they loose out trying to outwit others for own short-term benefit
Oh, and what was not yet defined at the time of writing this book: "Rockefeller, the monopolist, had to figure out a way to get rid of his biggest competition. So he used the classic strategy of “problem-reaction-solution.” That is, create a problem and scare people, and then offer a (pre-planned) solution. (Similar to terrorism scare, followed by the “Patriot Act”)."
The moral of the story is - people can fight injustice when they cooperate and they loose out trying to outwit others for own short-term benefit
July 6, 2020
Despite the modest rating, this is an *important* book and if you're at all interested in antitrust movements, this is a must read. Parts are fascinating, but it's a long read (!) and is not exactly a riveting narrative.
Tarbell touched in detail on two arguments that are as central to big-tech's assertions that it should continue unimpeded as they were to Standard - that it's only with the massive capital of a monopoly that industry will innovate: proven untrue. And that it's only through centralization (monopoly) that customers can be assured a low and steady price: again, proven untrue.
Tarbell touched in detail on two arguments that are as central to big-tech's assertions that it should continue unimpeded as they were to Standard - that it's only with the massive capital of a monopoly that industry will innovate: proven untrue. And that it's only through centralization (monopoly) that customers can be assured a low and steady price: again, proven untrue.
January 25, 2015
Slow reading because you must also make your way through the jumble caused by scanning. Now I understand a bit more why the Standard Oil Company was almost always drawn as an octopus in the political cartoons of the time.
So glad Teddy went in with his big stick.
So glad Teddy went in with his big stick.
November 15, 2021
An influential book in its day and therefore worth reading. Competently, yet tediously written. Not a true history, but pure polemic and therefore does not give a measured or helpful understanding of the broader setting of business dealing and economic activities of Rockefeller's time.
May 11, 2014
A deep read that requires quiet and time for concentration. Still, it is more than mere history as there is a modern relevance to the tale.
April 18, 2019
outstanding history of the birth of the commercial petroleum industry.
July 19, 2020
Dry but essential in US economic history
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March 8, 2025Didn't finish. It held my attention well until it got into the court cases. Then I was done.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews