Oil Revolution

'Dietrich's Oil Revolution is a triumph of research and writing. This is an indispensable book, illuminating the central role petroleum played in the transition from the global Keynesianism of the 1960s to the neoliberalism of the 1980s. A tour-de-force synthesis of intellectual, political, and economic history.' Greg Grandin, New York University 'In this compelling history, Dietrich takes the international politics of oil as a starting point to not only explore how Third World elites offered revolutionary new claims for economic sovereignty but also to demonstrate the absolute centrality of the global South in the making of the late twentieth century world.' Mark Philip Bradley, University of Chicago 'A game-changing account of where the ideas that matter to the world economy come from. Dietrich traces the work of the Arab and kindred anticolonial intellectuals who led the successful movement for national sovereignty over natural resources.' Robert Vitalis, University of Pennsylvania and author of the forthcoming Oilcraft 'As Dietrich shows in this brilliant and essential new account, the oil crisis of 1973-74 culminated in a decades-long anti-colonial campaign, waged by Third World elites for control of economic resources. Dietrich expands our understanding of the politics of oil and achieves new vantage on global change. His achievement is vital reading for students of post-1945 international politics and economics.' Daniel Sargent, University of California, Berkeley 'An outstanding book on the relationship between sovereignty and international economic justice, highlighting how the search for fairer oil prices changed some of the most fundamental aspects of international affairs.' O. A. Westad, Harvard University, Massachusetts and author of The Cold War: A World History 'In this beautifully conceived study, Christopher R. W. Dietrich uses the history of sovereign rights over oil to show the power and the profound limits of legal ideas during the era of decolonization and its aftermath. For anti-colonial elites, sovereign rights redressed past wrongs and also democratized global politics, but their vision ultimately foundered under the burden of sovereign debt. Highly recommended.' Mary L. Dudziak, Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Law, Emory University, Georgia and President of the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations 'This work weaves together the history of oil from the 50's through the 70's with a post-colonial struggle for international economic justice. It is at once an analytical account of international economic history and of international law through the eyes of anti-colonial elites who sought an end to their countries' underdevelopment by claiming sovereignty over their natural resources. Beautifully researched, this compelling book is a testament to Dr Dietrich's keen ability to elucidate this critical period of twentieth century global history.' Margot E. Salomon, London School of Economics and Political Science