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Quick answer: If you liked The King of Oil, read Steve Coll's Private Empire, Daniel Yergin's The Prize, Merchants of Grain, Barbarians at the Gate and The Big Short. All are gripping accounts of commodities, money and the powerful people who shaped the modern economy.
Daniel Ammann's 2009 biography tells the story of Marc Rich, the commodities trader who built a global empire, made billions trading oil and metals, and was indicted in the United States and then pardoned. It is a story of power, secrecy and controversy. The books below offer related stories about trading, oil, finance and wealth.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Prize | Daniel Yergin | Adult | history of oil |
| Private Empire | Steve Coll | Adult | ExxonMobil |
| Merchants of Grain | Dan Morgan | Adult | the grain traders |
| Barbarians at the Gate | Bryan Burrough and John Helyar | Adult | corporate takeover |
| Liar's Poker | Michael Lewis | Adult | Wall Street memoir |
| The Big Short | Michael Lewis | Adult | the crisis |
| Den of Thieves | James B. Stewart | Adult | insider trading |
| When Genius Failed | Roger Lowenstein | Adult | a hedge fund collapses |
| The Smartest Guys in the Room | Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind | Adult | Enron |
| Titan | Ron Chernow | Adult | Rockefeller biography |
| The Quest | Daniel Yergin | Adult | energy history |
| Bad Blood | John Carreyrou | Adult | corporate fraud |
| Too Big to Fail | Andrew Ross Sorkin | Adult | inside the crisis |
| The Oil Kings | Andrew Scott Cooper | Adult | oil and diplomacy |
| Dark Money | Jane Mayer | Adult | money in politics |
1. The Prize by Daniel Yergin
The epic story of oil and the modern world. Massive, authoritative and Pulitzer-winning.
Best for: history of oil.
2. Private Empire by Steve Coll
The story of ExxonMobil and its global power. Thorough and sharp.
Best for: ExxonMobil.
3. Merchants of Grain by Dan Morgan
An account of the secretive firms that control grain trading. Revealing.
Best for: the grain traders.
4. Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
The fight for RJR Nabisco in 1988. Fast and colourful.
Best for: corporate takeover.
5. Liar's Poker by Michael Lewis
Lewis recalls his time as a bond trader. Funny and candid.
Best for: Wall Street memoir.
6. The Big Short by Michael Lewis
A handful of investors bet against the housing bubble before 2008. Clear and angry.
Best for: the crisis.
7. Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart
The insider trading scandals of the 1980s. Fast and gripping.
Best for: insider trading.
8. When Genius Failed by Roger Lowenstein
The rise and fall of Long-Term Capital Management. A classic.
Best for: a hedge fund collapses.
9. The Smartest Guys in the Room by Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind
The rise and fall of Enron. Compelling and damning.
Best for: Enron.
10. Titan by Ron Chernow
A full biography of John D. Rockefeller. Rich and balanced.
Best for: Rockefeller biography.
11. The Quest by Daniel Yergin
Yergin explores energy and climate. Wide-ranging.
Best for: energy history.
12. Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
The rise and fall of Theranos. Fast and compelling.
Best for: corporate fraud.
13. Too Big to Fail by Andrew Ross Sorkin
Sorkin recounts the 2008 meltdown from inside Wall Street and Washington. Detailed.
Best for: inside the crisis.
14. The Oil Kings by Andrew Scott Cooper
The story of oil, Iran and the Cold War. Clear and gripping.
Best for: oil and diplomacy.
15. Dark Money by Jane Mayer
Mayer traces how wealthy donors shaped American politics. Detailed and controversial.
Best for: money in politics.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with The King of Oil: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
How to Choose
For more on oil choose The Prize, Private Empire or The Oil Kings. For commodity traders pick Merchants of Grain. For deal-making read Barbarians at the Gate or Liar's Poker. For scandal try The Smartest Guys in the Room or Bad Blood. For a wider look at wealth read Titan or Dark Money. The King of Oil is a business biography, so these picks suit readers who enjoy history with money in it. Marc Rich was pardoned by President Clinton on his last day in office in 2001, a decision that drew heavy criticism, and the pardon is part of what makes the book so widely discussed. Business biographies often read better in small doses, so pair one with a lighter book, such as Liar's Poker. If you want to understand the commodities world, Merchants of Grain and The Prize give the background. Audiobooks suit these long, detailed accounts.
Related: Which Stephen King Book Should You Read First? · Top 10 Best-Selling Stephen King Books That Terrified Millions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The King of Oil about?
The life of Marc Rich, a commodities trader who built a global empire and fled US charges.
Who wrote it?
Daniel Ammann.
When was it published?
2009.
Was Marc Rich pardoned?
Yes, by President Bill Clinton in 2001.
Is it a biography?
Yes, a business biography.
Is it critical of Rich?
It is balanced, presenting both his achievements and the controversies.
Is it hard to follow?
No, it is written for general readers.
What should I read next?
Try The Prize or Barbarians at the Gate.
Who was Marc Rich?
A commodities trader who founded Glencore, was indicted in the US and lived abroad until a presidential pardon in 2001.
Is the book authorised?
Ammann spoke to Rich and many others for the research.
Which book here is best for corporate takeover?
Try Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, which suits readers looking for corporate takeover.