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The Teapot Dome Scandal: How Big Oil Bought the Harding White House and Tried to Steal the Country Audiobook
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(3.04) - 226 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The Teapot Dome scandal of the early 1920s was all about oil—hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of petroleum. When the scandal finally broke, the consequences were tremendous. President Harding’s legacy was forever tarnished, while “Oil Cabinet” member Albert Fall was forced to resign and was imprisoned for a year. Others implicated in the affair suffered prison terms, commitment to mental hospitals, suicide, and even murder.
The Republican Party and the oil-company CEOs scrambled to cover their tracks and were mostly successful. Key documents mysteriously disappeared; important witnesses suffered sudden losses of memory. Though a special investigation was authorized, the scope of the wrongdoing was contained by administration stonewalling. But newly surfaced information indicates that the scandal was even bigger than originally thought.
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"This is a very readable account of a very complex (and strangely familiar...) scandal involving crooked politicians, businessmen, and sheer bureaucratic idiocy of the highest order. It's rather amazing that Republicans are still acting the way they did back in the 1920s (and most Democrats, too, of course). I only knew the bare outlines of this scandal before, mostly through the lens of accounts of the Watergate scandal, but McCartney skillfully untangles the complexity of the conspiracy and the major figures involved."
— Christopher (4 out of 5 stars)
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“A terrific tale that resonates nearly a century on, at a time when many people are still wondering about the connections between Big Oil and politicians at the highest levels.”
— Jon Meacham, author of Franklin and Winston -
“This is a story that has it all—a Jazz Age background, a pleasure-loving president surrounded by booze and chorus girls, boomtown capitalists from the Wild West [and] conniving politicians.”
— New York Times -
“The most thorough treatment of the scandals to date.”
— Los Angeles Times Book Review -
“Titillating, tantalizing…The book reads like a novel. McCartney’s cast of characters jumps off the page.”
— Baltimore Sun -
“A cautionary tale of what happens when corrupt and indifferent public officials give an industry undue influence over public policy.”
— Denver Post -
“The greatest story of government scandal ever told…Hughes has a laudable knack with the numerous quotes, using subtle changes in his word stress to set them apart without employing annoying pauses or hundreds of characterizations.”
— AudioFile
The Teapot Dome Scandal Listener Reviews
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" You may think this is a very boring topic to read about, but if you like American political history, like I do, you'll find it a quick read. Warren G. Harding has to be one of the most corrupt presidents ever, and he didn't even serve a complete term. "
— Darryl, 2/17/2014 -
" Occasionally the jumps in time are a bit odd, but over-all a fascinating story. "
— Beth, 1/3/2014 -
" Let me sum this up: Greedy people suck. "
— Kim, 1/3/2014 -
" Poor Warren Harding. He was never cut out for the presidency, but give the guy credit, his dalliances make Bill Clinton look like a choirboy. "
— Jon, 12/26/2013 -
" Plenty to understand and relate to what has been going on in recent years. McCartney retells the story well with new material not in other versions. "
— HBalikov, 12/7/2013 -
" Loved this book. What a story! "
— Deb, 11/18/2013 -
" Now I typically do not read political books but this one is fascinating. Author is an expert storyteller and it is very readable - not to mention an eye opener on the world of presidential elections! "
— Annie, 11/18/2013 -
" McCartney makes the complicated comprehnsible and entertaining as all hell. "
— Lola, 9/23/2013 -
" A really good book about Big Oil and their hold on the presidency and the United States government back in the days of the Harding administration. One of the characters in the book was the inspiration for Daniel Plainview in "There Will be Blood". Fascinating read. "
— Dwayne, 9/4/2013 -
" Very interesting history. If you think politics is bad now, you should read this book. "
— Kate, 8/5/2013 -
" I thought that this book was very interesting. I didn't know much about the Teapot Dome Scandal before reading this (nor about the Harding and Coolidge presidencies), but learned a lot. However, this book is very detailed and can be a little tedious to get through. "
— Meghana, 7/10/2012 -
" If you like reading historical accounts this is quite an entertaining read. I had no idea how long big oil had been trying to get into the White House! Interesting story, written in an entertaining way. "
— Janna, 5/24/2012 -
" Well told story of the scandal involving oil tycoons Sinclair, Stewart, Doheney, Interior Secretary Albert Fall, and investigating Senator Walsh; author cannot resist temptation to speculate a bit too much. "
— Converse, 3/30/2012 -
" Almost done with this book. Very well researched look at one of the most important political scandals in American history. Writing is a little flat at times but overall a good read, especially for the American history buff. "
— Gregg, 9/23/2011 -
" Good refresher on one of the biggest scandals in US history. <br/> <br/>May have never come to light without the Liberty Bonds. "
— Alex, 2/25/2011 -
" Well told story of the scandal involving oil tycoons Sinclair, Stewart, Doheney, Interior Secretary Albert Fall, and investigating Senator Walsh; author cannot resist temptation to speculate a bit too much. <br/> "
— Converse, 4/11/2010 -
" It never fails to fascinate me that we're still around as a country, reading about some of the scandals of the past. Yes, corruption is currently rampant within many levels of government right now. But back then, it seemed to be the sole focus of most of these very high officials. "
— Nikki, 9/2/2009 -
" Let me sum this up: Greedy people suck. "
— Kim, 3/1/2009 -
" A really good book about Big Oil and their hold on the presidency and the United States government back in the days of the Harding administration. One of the characters in the book was the inspiration for Daniel Plainview in "There Will be Blood". Fascinating read. "
— Dwayne, 1/10/2009
About Laton McCartney
Laton McCartney is the author of the national bestseller Friends in High Places. He divides his time between Wyoming and New York City.
About William Hughes
William Hughes is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. A professor of political science at Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, he received his doctorate in American politics from the University of California at Davis. He has done voice-over work for radio and film and is also an accomplished jazz guitarist.