The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes Audiobook

" This is a great book. Truly fascinating account of the Big Four. Just shows to go you, money can't buy happiness. In fact, in the hands of some it only enhances craziness and the ability to bounce from one absurdity to the next. Although all four characters are covered well, the focus is on H.L. Now I want to read more about the Basses. "

" A book that 'native Texans' must read! It's all about the oil. From Spindletop in Beaumont Tx to across the globe. It's about the BIG 4, Roy Cullen, H.L. Hunt, Clint Murchison and Sid Richardson, their kids, their families, their hopes and desires, their tragedies, their rise from dirt poor to multi-millionaires. A great book about Texas Oil! "

" An exciting tale, if at times told in obsessive detail of the 20th Century rise and fall of Texas oil gazillionaires "

" This book was rich with history about the Texas oil barons. It chronicles the discovery of oil in Texas in the early 1900's to when the four major oil families lost their fortunes in the 1980's. It's an interesting read and has tidbits about these interesting families that have not been told before. "

" Unbelievable but true - how some uneducated TX wildcatters won and lost BILLIONS of dollars - and how they impacted the entire nation with their insular views. Highly entertaining and a bit frightening. "

" the Big Rich is a Big Book and i got Bored 1/4 way through. learned some interesting things about texas in the early to mid 1900's and learned more about oil than i previously knew. "

" Most Texans are already famiiar with the names of the men who started the Texas oil business. This very interesting read fleshes out their personalities and details their legacies. "

" Recommended by my brother-in-law. So I read the intro and bounced through the book. Found it a fascinating look at the early oil business in Texas. Then I lost interest. "

" I wish I had bought this on CD rather than hardback. It's well written and many of these families are still a force in Texas politics today, but it's something I'd rather listen to in the car than page through in bed or at the pool. "

" So far to good! A must read for anyone in the oil business!! "

" OK, I read all of it I could take. More of a history book on the drilling of oil than anything else. "

" Highly recommend this one. Great characters of Texas and it even mentions Tom Slick! "

" An excellent piece of research and writing. The reader is given a strong sense what life was like for the characters described in this well written book. "

" Good reading informative "

" Roots of the tea party. Describes the major buyout of Congress "

" I've heard a lot about Texas oil and the oil men over the years but never really had a clear picture of who they were. The book presented a good background and also pointed out the influence their political contributions had on American government. "

" Boring. I didn't care about any of the people in this book. "

" Having grown up in Fort Worth with friends on the fringe of the oil business during this era, I found this book both fascinating and entertaining. These men had great imagination and daring and certainly didn't let "being broke or even bankrupt" interrupt their plans and dreams. "

" Very uneven book. I was most fascinated about the early years of the discovery of oil in Texas and entrepreneurial spirit that drove the early wildcatters. The later years which covered the excesses of wealth and political influence of the rich through the generations was just far less interesting. "

" I am learning a lot about Texas Oil history, but the book is hard to read. It isn't orginized very well. "

" That just happened... "

" This book shocked me! I've lived in Texas all my life and even teach Texas history. Some of the things I learned about Texas from this book still suprise me! Great story. Interesting characters. I just can't believe some of the things that went on! "

" Scandal: In a BIG way ! "

" Great history of the early independant oil man drilling in Texas and Louisiana. "

" Good book if you grew up in the oilfield culture of 5o's Texas as I did. "

" Most Texans are already famiiar with the names of the men who started the Texas oil business. This very interesting read fleshes out their personalities and details their legacies. "

" non-fiction but reads like a soap opera at times. read this to learn more about the oil industry for work. pretty entertaining at times. "

" Highly recommend this one. Great characters of Texas and it even mentions Tom Slick! "

" I really liked this - I'm not typically into nonfiction, but even though this book is pretty long and detailed, I never got bored of it. "

" interesting to know the history of texas oil "

" Not sure if I should be impressed or disgusted with the rise and fall of Texas money. Regardless, a compelling read with added perspective on who we are as a country (and state, for all those Texans). "

" started this one but couldn't get through it....not so fascinating "

" Unbelievable but true - how some uneducated TX wildcatters won and lost BILLIONS of dollars - and how they impacted the entire nation with their insular views. Highly entertaining and a bit frightening. "