The History of the Standard Oil Company the power of the press. As such, "The History of Standard Oil Company" harbors great significance as a standard-bearer of modern investigative journalism. In his 2008 book "Taking on the trust : the epic battle of Ida Tarbell and John D. Rockefeller", Steve Weinberg described "The History of the Standard Oil Company" as "arguably the greatest work of investigative journalism ever written". The History of the Standard Oil Company The History of the Standard Oil Company is a 1904 book by journalist Ida Tarbell. It is an exposé about the Standard Oil Company, run at the time by oil tycoon
The History of the Standard Oil Company is credited with hastening the breakup of Standard Oil, which came about in 1911, when the Supreme Court of the United States found the company to be violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. The subsequent decision splintered the company into 34 "baby Standards." The value of Rockefeller's shares rose after the breakup as the new companies had a positive development on the stock exchange. The original book was a two-volume hardcover set. An abridged paperback edition was released later. The inspiration behind "The History of Standard Oil Company" was largely fueled by Ida Tarbell's childhood experiences. Her father, Franklin Tarbell, worked