Get Ebooks Oil Man: The Story Of Frank Phillips And The Birth Of Phillips Petroleum
This rich, rousing gusher of a biography captures the life and times of an American hero and the birth of the modern oil empire he created.Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum, was one of the most prominent self-made business tycoons of the twentieth century. In Oil Man, Michael Wallis, a best-selling historian of the West, presents Phillips against a pageant of luminaries and outlaws that includes Will Rogers, Harry Truman, Edna Ferber, J. Paul Getty, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Spanning the final days of America's frontier West through the Roaring Twenties and two world wars, Oil Man is a bold, colorful biography of an original American entrepreneur. A classic work that continues to gather accolades since its original publication in 1988, the book captures the life and times of an American hero.
Paperback: 528 pages
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (September 4, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0806146761
ISBN-13: 978-0806146768
Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.1 x 9.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #176,692 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #31 in Books > Engineering & Transportation > Engineering > Energy Production & Extraction > Fossil Fuels > Petroleum #585 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Professionals & Academics > Business #690 in Books > Science & Math > Nature & Ecology > Conservation
This book contains something for everyone. Action, adventure, power struggles, romance, money, geology, the wild west, the roaring twenties, family feuds and best of all...it's all true! Frank Phillips grew up a farm boy in Iowa, started a career as a barber and ended up an oil tycoon. This is an easy read and it is obvious that Wallis' research was very thorough. He almost leads you through a day to day account of Frank Phillips' life. And what a life it must have been. A true gambler, Frank Phillips' started with almost nothing, made a fortune then risked everything he had just to stay in the game. I can highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading. Wallis has brought together a complex man's world and gives the reader an insight rarely seen in biographical writing. He makes the stories come to life and links them all together superbly.
I've watched Michael Wallis grow as a writer and I wish he had written this book last instead of first. Now don't get me wrong, it's a rip-roarin' tale of a man with ambition and drive who built a gigantic company and fortune. But it's not the exhaustive, documented last work on Frank Phillips's life.This is as near to an authorized biography as you can get. Wallis was given full access to all the recorded material on Phillips as well as to a great many people who actually knew the man and worked with him. It's a rollicking story.Using fiction techniques of characterization Wallis shows us an eccentric, ambitious young man who evolves into a successful philanthropist -- and philanderer. Phillips gave tokens to the children of the community but overindulged and neglected his own son until he turned to alcohol. He was a man who appeared devoted to his family six months out of every year, then spent the rest of his time with his mistress in New York City.He wasn't such a saint in business, either. He took over smaller companies to build his empire and almost fired a Vice President "Boots" Adams because he thought Adams was too ambitious for personal gain.Legends about Phillips abound and Wallis has recorded them. There's a story, for example, of Phillips paying the mortgages of community churches and herein lies the weakness of this book. He doesn't say whether this generosity is documented or it's simply a tale told by sycophants, and he sure talked to plenty of them.Wallis weakens his authority by neglecting to support his facts. He speculates. Without documentation it's impossible for the reader to separate fiction from fact. The writing style is that of fiction and that's all the more reason the reader needs to be able to tell what is real fact and what is speculation.If what you want is an exciting story of the West and people who made great fortunes in the oil fields, you'll love this book. It's well written and well researched. If you want only fact, however, you'll have to write your own book.
This book is well worth the read. The author is an unabashed fan of Mr. Phillips (calls him "Uncle Frank") and forgives him a lot. However, the book was first published in 1988 when political correctness hadn't yet achieved a stranglehold on the writing of history, and part of its strength is its total blindness when it comes to arrogant, privileged behavior. The stories are outlandish, and, no doubt, true. The book has inspired me to put Woolaroc Ranch on my "must see" list of places to visit.
OIL MAN--Michael Wallis--480 pgs-1988-great OLD photos.FRANK PHILLIPS--1873 to 1950.EVERY ONE WHO READS THIS BOOK WILL BE LEFT WITH HAUNTINGMEMORIES OF A TIME THATS LONG GONE-MEMORIES WHICH PROVIDE US ALL WITH VALUABLE LESSONS THATAPPLY TODAY AND ALWAYS.IT IS ABOUT A MAN WHO BUILT A PETROLEUM KINGDOM. A GREAT MAN.BUT--Be aware FRANK was not a SAINT.YOU WILL LAUGH AND WEEP.I loved this book!bbp okc ok63 retiredaries
This is a fascinating story not just of Frank Phillips and PP Co., but of the entire mid-continent oil industry during its infancy. It appears to be historically accurate, even when it reflects a bit poorly on Uncle Frank.
Frank Phillips, "THE OIL MAN" is a little known multi millionaire who started with nothing but ambition, and made life pay off! If you like business biography, this is one of the best you'll ever read. I enjoyed totally. I am now rereading the book for the third time!
I am happy that it came in fair condition. It certainly made my best friend happy. One thing that i am NOT pkeased about is the picture shows it comes with a sleeve. Upon arrival the book itself DID NOT. False advertisement!!
I bought this book for my husband. His family worked in the Phillips Oil , there inOsage County, Oklahoma. He is thrilled with the book. This all took place when hisDad and brothers worked there.
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