Teapot Dome, a sandstone formation in Wyoming that overlooks a United States Naval Oil Reserve, furnished a name for one of the most sensational scandals in the history of American politics. Professor Noggle unravels this complex tale of corruption, tracing Teapot Dome from its origins in the conservation feuds of 1920-1921 through the bitter partisanship that evolved between the two major political parties. He scrutinizes the tactics used by each party either to exploit or to minimize the conspiracy. Utilizing the published accounts and the mass of unpublished writings surrounding the scandal, he brings to life the people involved, both those condemned for their part in the conspiracy and those praised for uncovering it, including: Albert B. Fall, Secretary of the Interior; Harry F. Sinclair, President of Sinclair Consolidated Oil Corp.; Edwin Denby, Secretary of the Navy; Senators Thomas Walsh and Robert LaFollette; President Warren G. Harding, and many others.

Concerned primarily with the scandal's effect on people and politics and not with fixing blame, Professor Noggle reappraises the issues and personalities, links new names to Teapot Dome, and removes some of the stigma from others.