Oil and Gas in the Caucasus & Caspian - A History

The control of energy and its resources is linked deeply to the desire for power, and the quest for oil and gas tells a particularly dramatic tale that reflects mankind's often stormy progress through history. Hydrocarbons and their discovery as a utility found their cradle in the Caucasus and Caspian region. After a century of booming production became curtailed by decades of Cold War isolation and Soviet mismanagement the story continues as the region becomes a key player in global energy production. Originally published in 1998, this book charts the history of the fossil fuels industry in this pivotal region from ancient civilizations through to the new millennium. This was the first overview to be written of the world's original oil and gas industry. It also details how oil - and to a lesser extent - gas has developed from a mere commodity into a potent strategic-political tool.

List of contents

1.The Fires of Zarathustra 2. Apsheron Awakes 3. The Crash of 1905-6 4. Intrigue and World War I 5. Black Gold, Red Power 6. Return of the West 7. Dealing for the 21st Century.

About the author

Charles van der Leeuw is a Dutch writer and journalist. Wroking as a media correspondent in war-torn Lebanon in the late 1980s he was kinapped. After his release his book Lebanon: The Injured Innocence was published. In early 1991 he wrote one of the first books on the Kuwait crisis, Kuwait Burns. He was a war correspondent in Baku during the early 1990s, covering the armed conflicts in the southern Caucasus region.

Product details

• Authors: Charles van der Leeuw
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 01.11.2025
• EAN: 9781041159551
• ISBN: 978-1-0-4115955-1
• No. of pages: 188
• Series: Routledge Revivals
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences > Geography; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Social sciences (general); Eastern Europe, BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Industries / Energy, HISTORY / Asia / Central Asia, Regional Studies, Regional / International studies, Early modern history: c 1450/1500 to c 1700, History and Archaeology, Modern Period, C 1500 Onwards, Petroleum & oil industries, Energy industries and utilities, HISTORY / Russia / General, HISTORY / Russia / Imperial