George W. Bush is out of office, conservatism is out of fashion, and the oilmen have lost their clout. Bryan Burrough, author of The Big Rich, tracks the rise and fall of the ornery, loudmouthed state.
Bryan Burrough is a special correspondent at Vanity Fair and the author of five books, including the bestseller Barbarians at the Gate (written with co-author John Helyar). A film based on his last book, Public Enemies, will be released this summer, starring Johnny Depp as the legendary bank robber John Dillinger.
In an excerpt from his new book, The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes, Bryan Burrough revisits the Hotel Del Charro, the elite playground where stars like John Wayne and Elizabeth Taylor drank mint juleps by the pool.