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<rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:podcast="https://podcastindex.org/namespace/1.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/" version="2.0"><channel><title>Oil!</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/oil--7071082</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><atom:link href="https://www.spreaker.com/show/7071082/episodes/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><language>en</language><category>Books</category><copyright>Copyright History Genre</copyright><image><url>https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg</url><title>Oil!</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/oil--7071082</link></image><lastBuildDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:09:53 +0000</lastBuildDate><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:owner><itunes:name>History Genre</itunes:name><itunes:email>spreaker58@podcastlibrary.org</itunes:email></itunes:owner><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:category text="Arts"><itunes:category text="Books"/></itunes:category><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"/><itunes:category text="Religion &amp; Spirituality"><itunes:category text="Religion"/></itunes:category><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><podcast:guid>953db4f7-c8e3-527d-a116-26706227580a</podcast:guid><itunes:type>episodic</itunes:type><item><title>Daughter of a Magnate-Frank H. Spearman</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/daughter-of-a-magnate-frank-h-spearman--74306130</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74306130</guid><pubDate>Wed, 02 Sep 2026 09:01:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74306130/16046_daughter_of_a_magnate_frank_h_spearman.mp3" length="189682355" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>23687</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Antigone (Plumptre Translation)-Sophocles</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/antigone-plumptre-translation-sophocles--74285104</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74285104</guid><pubDate>Tue, 01 Sep 2026 09:01:11 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74285104/10085_antigone_plumptre_translation_sophocles.mp3" length="38118350" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>4760</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Neighbourhood – A Year’s Life in and About an English Village-Tickner Edwardes</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/neighbourhood-a-year-s-life-in-and-about-an-english-village-tickner-edwardes--74262661</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74262661</guid><pubDate>Mon, 31 Aug 2026 09:01:09 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74262661/neighbourhood_a_year_s_life_in_and_about_an_english_village_tickner_edwardes.mp3" length="283132204" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>35356</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Ned Franks, or The Christian's Panoply-Charlotte Maria Tucker (A. L. O. E.)</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ned-franks-or-the-christian-s-panoply-charlotte-maria-tucker-a-l-o-e--74243591</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74243591</guid><pubDate>Sun, 30 Aug 2026 09:01:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74243591/ned_franks_or_the_christian_s_panoply_charlotte_maria_tucker_a_l_o_e.mp3" length="205718782" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25689</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Bay A Book of Poems-D. H. Lawrence</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/bay-a-book-of-poems-d-h-lawrence--74226247</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74226247</guid><pubDate>Sat, 29 Aug 2026 09:01:02 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74226247/bay_a_book_of_poems_d_h_lawrence.mp3" length="15069886" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>1882</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Convivio-Dante Alighieri</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/convivio-dante-alighieri--74200461</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74200461</guid><pubDate>Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:01:11 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74200461/convivio_dante_alighieri.mp3" length="266936512" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>33333</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Coming of Bill (or Their Mutual Child; or The White Hope, Version 2)-P. G. Wodehouse</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/coming-of-bill-or-their-mutual-child-or-the-white-hope-version-2-p-g-wodehouse--74168688</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74168688</guid><pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 2026 09:01:15 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74168688/coming_of_bill_or_their_mutual_child_or_the_white_hope_version_2_p_g_wodehouse.mp3" length="247716265" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>30933</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Henry VI, Part 2-William Shakespeare</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/henry-vi-part-2-william-shakespeare--74136543</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74136543</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Aug 2026 09:01:21 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74136543/henry_vi_part_2_william_shakespeare.mp3" length="91695721" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11450</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Deirdre-James Stephens</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/deirdre-james-stephens--74081825</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74081825</guid><pubDate>Tue, 25 Aug 2026 09:01:12 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74081825/18865_deirdre_james_stephens.mp3" length="149385436" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>18654</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>That Office Boy-Francis J. Finn, S.J</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/that-office-boy-francis-j-finn-s-j--74054946</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74054946</guid><pubDate>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 09:02:48 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74054946/that_office_boy_francis_j_finn_s_j.mp3" length="137288877" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>17144</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Clog Shop Chronicles-John Ackworth</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/clog-shop-chronicles-john-ackworth--74027780</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74027780</guid><pubDate>Sun, 23 Aug 2026 09:02:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74027780/clog_shop_chronicles_john_ackworth.mp3" length="197968953" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>24721</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Our Village, Volume 1-Mary Russell Mitford</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/our-village-volume-1-mary-russell-mitford--74003533</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/74003533</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 Aug 2026 09:02:05 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/74003533/our_village_volume_1_mary_russell_mitford.mp3" length="285522323" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>35655</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Speckled Band An Adventure of Sherlock Holmes-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/speckled-band-an-adventure-of-sherlock-holmes-sir-arthur-conan-doyle--73976671</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73976671</guid><pubDate>Fri, 21 Aug 2026 09:02:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73976671/speckled_band_an_adventure_of_sherlock_holmes_sir_arthur_conan_doyle.mp3" length="72034511" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>8995</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Old Testament Legends Being Stories Out Of Some Of The Less-Known Apocryphal Books Of The Old Testament-M. R. James</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/old-testament-legends-being-stories-out-of-some-of-the-less-known-apocryphal-books-of-the-old-testament-m-r-james--73950950</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73950950</guid><pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2026 09:02:04 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73950950/old_testament_legends_being_stories_out_of_some_of_the_less_known_apocryphal_books_of_the_old_testament_m_r_james.mp3" length="98576357" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>12310</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>First Two Stuarts and the Puritan Revolution 1603-1660-Samuel Rawson Gardiner</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/first-two-stuarts-and-the-puritan-revolution-1603-1660-samuel-rawson-gardiner--73924190</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73924190</guid><pubDate>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:01:34 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73924190/first_two_stuarts_and_the_puritan_revolution_1603_1660_samuel_rawson_gardiner.mp3" length="219367994" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>27394</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Busie Body-Susanna Centlivre</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/busie-body-susanna-centlivre--73896882</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73896882</guid><pubDate>Tue, 18 Aug 2026 09:01:40 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73896882/busie_body_susanna_centlivre.mp3" length="84856951" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>10596</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Chronicles of Canada Volume 13 - The United Empire Loyalists A Chronicle of the Great Migration-W. Stewart Wallace</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/chronicles-of-canada-volume-13-the-united-empire-loyalists-a-chronicle-of-the-great-migration-w-stewart-wallace--73870883</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73870883</guid><pubDate>Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:01:29 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73870883/chronicles_of_canada_volume_13_the_united_empire_loyalists_a_chronicle_of_the_great_migration_w_stewart_wallace.mp3" length="95831310" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11967</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Misanthrope-Molière</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/misanthrope-moliere--73847640</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73847640</guid><pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 2026 09:01:16 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73847640/misanthrope_molie_re.mp3" length="62929090" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>7858</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Introduction to The Philosophy of History-Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/introduction-to-the-philosophy-of-history-georg-wilhelm-friedrich-hegel--73832851</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73832851</guid><pubDate>Sat, 15 Aug 2026 09:01:56 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73832851/introduction_to_the_philosophy_of_history_georg_wilhelm_friedrich_hegel.mp3" length="132379077" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>16530</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Brief Account of the Bahai Movement-Ethel J. Rosenberg</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/brief-account-of-the-bahai-movement-ethel-j-rosenberg--73807486</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73807486</guid><pubDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 07:59:52 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73807486/brief_account_of_the_bahai_movement_ethel_j_rosenberg.mp3" length="29668699" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>3705</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Clog Shop Chronicles-John Ackworth</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/clog-shop-chronicles-john-ackworth--73778861</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73778861</guid><pubDate>Mon, 10 Aug 2026 21:19:10 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73778861/clog_shop_chronicles_john_ackworth.mp3" length="197968953" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>24721</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Henry VI, - Part 2 - William Shakespeare</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/henry-vi-part-2-william-shakespeare--73322984</link><description><![CDATA["Henry VI" by William Shakespeare explores the tumultuous events surrounding the reign of King Henry VI, a period marked by political strife, civil war, and the struggle for power. This classic work delves into themes of leadership, loyalty, and the complexities of human ambition, making it a timeless reflection on the nature of authority and conflict. The play's exploration of the fragility of governance and the consequences of division resonates deeply in today's world, where political instability and competing interests continue to shape societies. Shakespeare's masterful dialogue and rich characterizations invite listeners to reflect on the enduring lessons of history and the human condition.]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/73322984</guid><pubDate>Sat, 01 Aug 2026 18:53:50 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/73322984/henry_vi_part_2_william_shakespeare.mp3" length="91695721" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>"Henry VI" by William Shakespeare explores the tumultuous events surrounding the reign of King Henry VI, a period marked by political strife, civil war, and the struggle for power. This classic work delves into themes of leadership, loyalty, and the...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA["Henry VI" by William Shakespeare explores the tumultuous events surrounding the reign of King Henry VI, a period marked by political strife, civil war, and the struggle for power. This classic work delves into themes of leadership, loyalty, and the complexities of human ambition, making it a timeless reflection on the nature of authority and conflict. The play's exploration of the fragility of governance and the consequences of division resonates deeply in today's world, where political instability and competing interests continue to shape societies. Shakespeare's masterful dialogue and rich characterizations invite listeners to reflect on the enduring lessons of history and the human condition.]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>11450</itunes:duration><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Oil - Upton Sinclair - Part 3</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/oil-upton-sinclair-part-3--72254713</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72254713</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Jun 2026 09:00:21 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72254713/oil_upton_sinclair_part_3.mp3" length="202389876" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>25299</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>bases,bunny,doheny,dome,father,historical,oil,producer,sinclair,teapot</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Oil - Upton Sinclair - Part 2</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/oil-upton-sinclair-part-2--72254712</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72254712</guid><pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 09:00:25 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72254712/oil_upton_sinclair_part_2.mp3" length="280431842" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>35054</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>bases,bunny,doheny,dome,father,historical,oil,producer,sinclair,teapot</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item><item><title>Oil - Upton Sinclair - Part 1</title><link>https://www.spreaker.com/episode/oil-upton-sinclair-part-1--72254711</link><description><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></description><guid isPermaLink="false">https://api.spreaker.com/episode/72254711</guid><pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 21:51:01 +0000</pubDate><enclosure url="https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/72254711/oil_upton_sinclair_part_1.mp3" length="278654888" type="audio/mpeg"/><itunes:author>Upton Sinclair</itunes:author><itunes:subtitle>The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period...</itunes:subtitle><itunes:summary><![CDATA[The two main characters of “Oil” are James Arnold Ross, called “Dad”, and his son James Jr., called “Bunny”. The book is loosely based on a real character (Edward L. Doheny) and some real events and locations, mostly in Southern California. The period was World War 1, and the events were not unlike those of the Teapot Dome Oil Scandal during the Harding administration. Like many of Sinclair’s novels, themes concern social conflicts and injustices, labor vs. management, democracy vs. socialism, and morality vs. immorality. In this story, Bunny’s father is a very successful oil entrepreneur, and ultimately a millionaire. There is great love between Bunny and his father, but over time, Bunny begins to question his father’s ethics. Bunny is a seeker for truth, throughout the story, as he grows through several decades—as a youth, as a soldier, as a college student, and as a wealthy oil producer. Religion plays a big role in the story, as one of the characters becomes a charismatic evangelist preaching a new faith, “the third revelation.” The film “There Will Be Blood” bases much of its story on this book. - Summary by Bob Rollins]]></itunes:summary><itunes:duration>34832</itunes:duration><itunes:keywords>bases,bunny,doheny,dome,father,historical,oil,producer,sinclair,teapot</itunes:keywords><itunes:explicit>false</itunes:explicit><itunes:image href="https://d3wo5wojvuv7l.cloudfront.net/t_rss_itunes_square_1400/images.spreaker.com/original/8591b57cb64f8fc5ad35d02710039e48.jpg"/><itunes:episodeType>full</itunes:episodeType></item></channel></rss>
