An. international group of Marxist oil scholars have put together a significant initial exploration of the energy crisis as a product of the needs of national and international capital.

The 14 essays explore, via case studies and theoretical pieces, five different confrontations in the class struggle over oil: between governments and oil companies; between capital and oil workers; among factions and classes vying for state power; between classes within each state; and among factions of international capital.

This is a relatively difficult collection to read; to understand it, one must be fluent in Marxist vocabulary and concepts.

Surprisingly lacking are country chapters on Mexico and Saudi Arabia - vital states to cover in any comprehensive account of international oil.

And future scholars pursuing research in this field must make far greater use of inside industry publications and the data of international organizations, such as the IMF and the World Bank. Without current hard data, progressive studies of industry will languish in the backwaters of dogma.

But for all its imperfections, this study is still imperative reading for anyone trying to make sense of - never mind change - the world energy situation.