Douglas Brunt: The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I
Douglas Brunt joins Carol Fitzgerald to talk about THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I, which was an instant New York Times bestseller. Apple Books has selected it as one of the 20 best books of 2023, and it already was named one of the Best History Books of the Year by Audible. Doug talks about the origin of the story, which came about as he bought an older boat, and how his fascination with the character of Rudolf Diesel sprang from there. Many know about Diesel fuel, but few are aware that it was named for the man who invented it, along with the first Diesel engine. Doug explains why he chose to include a wider view of what was going on in the world at the time, as well as theories about Diesel’s fate. He goes on to present his thoughts on what really happened; to him, it was neither suicide nor murder. He also reveals his inspiration for his podcast, “Dedicated with Doug Brunt,” where he speaks with authors --- and shares cocktails. Book discussed in this episode: THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I by Douglas Brunt Our Latest “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews: Tess Gerritsen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s885KBtDOsY Jessica Knoll: https://youtu.be/Tbfe3JckjhI Sharon Virts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3apzsRDXCI William Kent Krueger: https://youtu.be/Msr6r9J_-PY Jean Kwok: https://youtu.be/zi5aAQBvX6g Thrity Umrigar: https://youtu.be/F0btsAxTPQA Our Latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Events: Alice Elliott Dark: https://youtu.be/4fgncFSfeM0 Laura Dave: https://youtu.be/fD82fbLJ1Pg Kristin Hannah: https://youtu.be/p4dVHdVZC3I Allison Pataki: https://youtu.be/7HmJlMd0V1A Fiona Davis: https://youtu.be/DT-XR5ue_5Q Nita Prose: https://youtu.be/f_Ev0KN8z2M Sign up for newsletters from Bookreporter and Reading Group Guides here: https://tbrnetwork.com/newsletters/ FOLLOW US on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bookreporter Website: https://www.bookreporter.com Art Credit: Tom Fitzgerald Edited by Jordan Redd Productions