Book of the Month: "The Big Rich"

Original Article from Fox Business Brian Sullivan

Bryan Burrough has done it again. 

The author of Barbarians at the Gate details the life and times of the original ‘big 4′ Texas oil billionaires in his 2009 book, The Big Rich.

It’s a terrific read about men who haven’t received the historical attention they likely deserve: H.L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, Sid Richardson and Hugh Roy Cullen.

Though each of the men and their families were very different, they had one big thing in common; their love for oil, gas and Texas.   The book not only tells their stories richly, but also provides some interesting historical anecdotes that seem appropriate today.

First, publications such as The Nation have been screaming about the connection between oil, money and politics (often correctly, according to Burroughs) for more than forty years.    The “growth of the radical right” was highlighted in an article in that magazine back in the early 60s.  In other words, the backlash against ‘big oil’ and Capitol Hill is nothing new.   In fact, its been around for decades.

Another story is perhaps even more timely.   It is that of the bailout of Bunker and Herbert Hunt’s ill-fated attempt to corner the global silver market and how the Federal Reserve had to get involved to protect some big banks from their scheme.

Burrough’s points are well taken: money and politics has mingled with oil for longer than many in the modern media seem to understand, and bailouts are nothing new in American banking.

Even if you aren’t interested in that, The Big Rich is worth reading just for the characters involved.   

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