Financially crippled and besieged by political crises following the fall of the Soviet Union, it looked as if Russia's days as a superpower had come and gone. That it should recover and go on to accumulate the world's third-largest holdings of foreign currency reserves in less than a decade is nothing short of an economic miracle. "Oilopoly" is the riveting tale of this dramatic resurgence, bringing to light the far-reaching and politically troubling implications of Russia's new-found dominance in global energy markets. A story of oil and gas, corruption and naked power, "Oilopoly" traces the rise of the Russian oil economy from its origins in the nineteenth century right through to Vladimir Putin's determined efforts to rein in the oil oligarchs, re-nationalize Russia's industries, and pay off its international debt. Charting Putin's astounding success in transforming the country into the world's largest oil producer, Marshall Goldman argues that Russia has rapidly evolved into a new breed of superpower - one whose energy-driven economy can, at the flick of a switch, deprive entire nations of their most important resource. Narrated with panache by a world expert on Russia, this is an indispensable read for anyone interested in world politics and the future of our global energy supply.