"Oil is an unusual commodity in that individual decisions can have an outsized effect on the market. A Saudi minister's choice to increase production, for instance, might send prices falling, which will therefore affect both oil producers and consumers worldwide. What do the leading oil market...

Introduction: the Texas paradox -- And then there was light: from chaos to order in the kerosene era (1859-1911) -- No Rockefeller, no peace: boom-bust returns (1912-1933) -- Why are oil prices prone to boom bust cycles? -- The Texas era of price stability: US supply controls and international...