Kingdom: The Story of the Hunt Family of Texas

This book will captivate those who are charmed by quixotic figures, especially those who attain financial greatness despite obviously flawed characters.

Categories: Banking & Finance | Biographies & Memoirs

This title is part of the Business Histories list.

Of Interest:

Oil & Honor: The Texaco-Pennzoil Wars; Inside the $11 Billion Battle for Getty Oil

The Oil Business in Latin America

Wildcatters: A Story of Texans, Oil, and Money

This is the story of billionaire H.L. Hunt, one of the most towering figures in American history and at one time the country's richest man. He was a self-made man, a man of paradox and larger-than-life contradictions, who went broke half a dozen times before he was forty. A professional gambler, womanizer, bigamist, and religious fanatic, he was also a consummate con artist who acquired the most productive oil leases in the country with other people's money. His sons continued to dominate the financial world of the 80s and were instrumental in the silver crash of 1980.

H.L. Hunt (1889-1974), considered at one time to be "the world's richest man," amassed his fortune through fair means and foul, according to Tuccile (vice president, T. Rowe Price Investment Services), who profiles him and his family in this business-oriented biography. Although Hunt's far right wing politics, Christian fundamentalism, and other personal qualities are discussed, the emphasis of the work is on the family's business activities, including their involvement in the silver crash of 1980. This is a paperbound edition of a work first published in 1984. Annotation Š2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

I had little knowledge of the Hunt Family, but I was able to relate to the times and events the book covered. It intermingled many events in our past and supported some theories about Kennedy's death. I felt it made me question the material goals we set for ourselves. I also realized no matter what we achieve materially the greatest needs or wishes in life cannot be corrected.

Jerome Tuccille is Vice President of T. Rowe Price Investment Services, and he has worked in the investment area as a broker and supervisory analyst since 1975. He is the author of more than 20 books including a recent biography of Alan Greenspan. His works include four novels and many financial books. From 1971 to 1973, the author taught at the New School for Social Research in New York City, and in 1974 he was the Libertarian candidate for Governor of New York. Tuccille and his wife Marie have two children and one grandson. They reside in Maryland. Photo from the back cover.