Virtual Author Talk with Douglas Brunt

Join us as we chat with New York Times bestselling author, Douglas Brunt, about his bestselling debut non-fiction work The Mysterious Case of Rudolph Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I. This book reveals the hidden history of Rudolf Diesel, one of the world’s greatest inventors, and his mysterious disappearance from the steamship Dresden on the eve of World War I. 

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.

For more information, and to register for these and other upcoming talks, go to https://libraryc.org/greenfieldpubliclibrary

 This program, brought to you by the Friends of the Greenfield Public Library in partnership with the Library Speakers Consortium, is free and open to the public.