The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel

Starred review from July 10, 2023
“No inventor was more disruptive to the established order than Rudolf Diesel,” writes historian and novelist Brunt (Trophy Son) in this thrilling investigation. The French-German inventor of the diesel engine, a revolutionarily efficient improvement over earlier internal combustion engines, Diesel mysteriously disappeared on Sept. 29, 1913, during an overnight crossing of the English Channel. His body was found 11 days later by sailors on a Dutch steamer, who recovered Diesel’s personal effects, but left the body in the sea. Brunt analyzes several theories to explain Diesel’s death on the eve of WWI, including the possibility that he was assassinated by either Germany’s Kaiser Wilhelm II (who made clear that it was “essential that no other nation have access to Diesel’s genius”) or John D. Rockefeller (whose Standard Oil “required that the world be addicted to crude oil,” whereas Diesel’s engines were capable of burning alternative fuels). Brunt dismisses these and other theories, instead reaching a remarkable conclusion: Diesel, he claims, was secretly transported to Canada by way of a complex British covert operation. There he aided in engine development for the Allies. Brunt cites several pieces of evidence including Diesel’s wife’s disappearance six months after his own (presumably to join him), subsequent British breakthroughs in engine technology, and a similar fake corpse deception that was carried out by British intelligence during WWII. Brunt’s audacious yet surprisingly tenable theory makes for a wildly enjoyable outing.

July 15, 2023
A World War I-era tale about an important invention and a mystery surrounding its creator. In his latest, Brunt, the author of Ghosts of Manhattan, chronicles the life and work of Rudolf Diesel, who disappeared in September 1913. While the word diesel is well known in the English language, most readers know little or nothing about Diesel and the innovative internal combustion engine he invented. The author's interest in history and politics shines through in his well-researched, engaging book. In addition to describing the engine and its applications, Brunt provides a clear picture of Diesel the inventor, the polyglot, the man dreaming of social justice and a peaceful world. "The process of invention is inherently linked to the social and economic challenges of the time," writes the author, "and inventors like Rudolf Diesel were generally working in response to forces beyond their control." The text is equally fascinating when the author delineates the pursuits of Kaiser Wilhelm II, John D. Rockefeller, and Winston Churchill, all of whom were factors in Diesel's life. Brunt's curiosity about Diesel is contagious even if a good portion of the narrative is about his contemporaries, whether inventors, politicians, or business tycoons. The author's theory about Diesel's disappearance rests on this extensive backstory, though it lacks definitive proof and remains confounding. Regardless, Brunt brings readers on a pleasant excursion across Europe and North America, chronicling the stories of German aspirations to trump British naval power and the landscape of the U.S. before it became a true world power. Also intriguing are Diesel's accurate predictions about pollution, solar power, and even rising nationalism, and the book's parallels to present-day innovations and their societal and political implications make it a worthy read. After all, Diesel lived in tumultuous times that bear striking similarities to the present. Weaving together technological, economic, social, and political threads, Brunt offers much to ponder.

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September 1, 2023
Brunt (Trophy Son, 2017) offers a comprehensive account of the life and accomplishments of the world-famous designer of the eponymous internal combustion engine, Rudolf Diesel, who vanished at sea in 1913 at age 55. Born in Paris to Bavarian parents, Diesel and family fled in 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War. Poverty loomed until a family connection in Bavaria opened an avenue to a first-class technical university degree. Diesel toiled in the refrigeration business for ten years, while pursing a lifelong obsession with designing a fuel-efficient engine. Brunt's clear explications of the technical challenges involved lead to Diesel's breakthroughs in the 1890s, his patents, financing, development, and international licensing. His engine disrupted petroleum production and naval propulsion (it was ideal for submarines). Hence Brunt's injection of John D. Rockefeller, Winston Churchill, and Kaiser Wilhelm II into the story, and his theories about how they factor in Diesel's disappearance. Whatever readers make of Brunt's proposal that Diesel defected to Britain during WWI, they will agree he has written a textured and sensitive portrayal of Diesel's personality in its private and public aspects.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.