From the bestselling coauthor of The Money and the Power, the
"compelling corporate history" (The National Book Review) and inside
story of the Bechtel family and the empire they've controlled since the
construction of the Hoover Dam.The tale of the Bechtel family dynasty is
a classic American business story. It begins with Warren A. "Dad"
Bechtel, who led a consortium that constructed the Hoover Dam. They
would go on to "build the world," from the construction of airports in
Hong Kong and Doha, to pipelines and tunnels in Alaska and Europe, to
mining and energy operations around the globe. In their century-long
quest, five generations of Bechtel men have harnessed and distributed
much of the planet's natural resources, including solar geothermal
power. Bechtel is now one of the largest privately held corporations in
the world. The Bechtel Group has eclipsed its few rivals, with
developments in emerging and third world nations that include secret
military installations and defense projects; underground bunkers in
Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan; oil pipelines and entire cities in the
Middle East; palaces for Arab rulers, such as the Saudi Royal Family;
and chemical plants for Arab dictators. Like all stories of empire
building, the rise of Bechtel--one of the first mega companies to emerge
in the American West--presents a complex and riveting narrative. Veiled
in obsessive secrecy, Bechtel has had closer ties to the US government
than any other private corporation in modern memory. "Riveting and
revealing" (Kirkus Reviews), The Profiteers is one of the biggest
business and political stories of our time.
