Blood of the Earth The Battle for the World's Vanishing Oil Resources

A history of oil--and the way it revolutionized civilian life, war, and world politics—that sets the stage for the coming oil wars of the 21st Century. When the Great Powers switched from coal to oil to run their navies just before World War I, it heralded a change in global politics comparable to the introduction of gunpowder in 1040. Oil became the chief strategic weapon of war. The victors' conclusion that oil--the "blood of the earth"--proved to be the "blood of victory" in that war has applied to all major conflagrations since. With petroleum becoming an indispensable part of modern life--from fertilizers and gasoline to plastics, polyethylene, and pharmaceuticals--it has emerged as the prized commodity for which wars are fought. [from publisher description].