Sometimes when I read a really good novel I literally fall in love, I pant to return to it, I miss it when I’m away, I think about it all the time, I need it. This is such a book. An epic adventure of two boys through two world wars. A tale of rivalry, jealousy, treachery, misunderstanding and great sadness set against the background of the early days of the oil industry in America and the Middle East. It’s 656 pages of unput-downable stuff, suitable for both genders.
Two boys are raised as brothers. Alan is the son of the lord of the manor, with all the privileges which come with that birthright. The other, Tom, is the son of the gardener. Together, they learn to argue, fight and bond in friendship.
Social difference divides their paths as adults but nothing can break their bond until a tragic misunderstanding occurs in the trenches of World War I. Now instead of the closest of friends they will be the bitterest of rivals in a burgeoning industry: oil.
From the early days of drilling in Persia, to wildcatting in Texas, to the corridors of Whitehall and Washington, this is the story of two remarkable men and the very different women who loved them.
‘Bingham’s style is distinctively his own and his characters more rounded and credible than average’ Mail on Sunday
‘A fast-moving story of greed and redemption’ Daily Telegraph
‘A pacy, diverting romp’ The Times
Author
About Harry Bingham
Harry Bingham is a successful author as well as running The Writers' Workshop, an editorial consultancy for first-time writers, and organising the York Festival of Writing. He lives near Oxford.
