Deschutes Public Library

The mysterious case of Rudolf Diesel, genius, power, and deception on the eve of World War I, Douglas Brunt

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-361) and index

contains biographical information

platesillustrations

index present

non fiction

The mysterious case of Rudolf Diesel

bibliography

1369679958

Douglas Brunt

genius, power, and deception on the eve of World War I

"The hidden history of one of the world's greatest inventors, a man who disrupted the status quo and then disappeared into thin air on the eve of World War I--this book answers the hundred-year-old mystery of what really became of Rudolf Diesel. September 29, 1913: the steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide, or murder. After rising from an impoverished European childhood, Diesel had become a multi-millionaire with his powerful engine that does not require expensive petroleum-based fuel. In doing so, he became not only an international celebrity but also the enemy of two extremely powerful men: Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and the richest man in the world. The Kaiser wanted the engine to power a fleet of submarines that would finally allow him to challenge Great Britain's Royal Navy. But Diesel had intended for his engine to be used for the betterment of mankind and kept the technology out of the hands of the British or any other nation. For John D. Rockefeller, the engine was nothing less than an existential threat to his vast and lucrative oil empire. As electric lighting began to replace kerosene lamps, Rockefeller's bottom line depended on the world's growing thirst for gasoline to power its automobiles and industries. At the outset of this new age of electricity and oil, Europe stood on the precipice of war. Rudolf Diesel grew increasingly concerned about Germany's rising nationalism and military spending. The inventor was on his way to London to establish a new company that would help Britain improve its failing submarine program when he disappeared. Now, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt reopens the case and provides an astonishing new conclusion about Diesel's fate" --, Provided by publisher

Author's note -- Prologue -- Part I : War and oil engines, 1858-1897 -- Chapter 1 : An international identity -- Chapter 2 : A brief stay in London -- Chapter 3 : A new empire in Europe -- Chapter 4 : Is anyone truly self-made? -- Chapter 5 : Petroleum upends the game -- Chapter 6 : Pursuit of the ideal -- Chapter 7 : Meant for more than a salary -- Chapter 8 : Wilhelm II envies a navy -- Chapter 9 : The birth of diesel power -- Part II : Diesel proliferation, 1897-1910 -- Chapter 10 : Lord Kelvin goes first -- Chapter 11 : A hiccup before the grand prize -- Chapter 12 : The trappings of success -- Chapter 13 : A study of the sleeping giant -- Chapter 14 : "The old house" fights for its life -- Chapter 15 : The Kaiser adopts "risk theory" -- Chapter 16 : A place among the armaments of nations -- Chapter 17 : Dawn of the new era -- Part III : Masterpiece, 1910-1913 -- Chapter 18 : Rudolf Diesel breaks ranks -- Chapter 19 : The admiralty boards the MS Selandina -- Chapter 20 : Secrets of the first Lord -- Chapter 21 : The great light to the west -- Chapter 22 : Rising pressure -- Chapter 23 : The final months -- Chapter 24 : SS Dresden : September 29, 1913 -- Part IV : Vanishing act -- Chapter 25 : The world reacts -- Chapter 26 : The available theories -- Chapter 27 : Operation Rudolf Diesel -- Chapter 28 : Fingerprints -- Epilogue: At last -- Acknowledgments -- Appendix -- Timeline -- Addendum : Secrets at M.A.N--Battleship diesels for the Geat War -- Notes -- Comments regarding the bibliography -- Bibliography -- Image credits -- Index

adult