“The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel:” Douglas Brunt

You know the name but you don’t know him.

Diesel.

We see the word everyday – gas pumps, the sides of vehicles, etc., but the majority of people do not relate diesel with Rudolf Diesel, the German engineer who created, developed and marketed the diesel engine in the early 20th century.

Unlike Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, etc., Diesel is mostly forgotten by history, even while his invention and the liquid that fuels it not only holds sway today but still bears his family name.

Author Douglas Brunt reminds 21st Century readers of the importance of the invention and informs us of the life of the man, as well as the unsolved mystery of his unexpected death in 1913.

In “The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I,” Brunt reveals Diesel’s childhood as a brilliant youngster living in near poverty, caught in the ever-competing factions of Europe’s warring nations.

A few lucky strokes allowed Diesel to escape the hardships of his immediate family’s straits and enroll into school where his genius and versatility of mind were soon apparent.

Diesel’s life is amazing because it defined and defied Europe’s classes. He spent his childhood in poverty. As a young husband and father of three, he entered the middle class for several years as he developed his engine. With the success of the diesel engine, Diesel accumulated a fortune as well as international influence.

The diesel engine was a revolution for transportation. It streamlined the manpower and storage space needed for steam engines used in ships and trains. It was clean compared to the choking soot clouds of steam. Diesel provided more horsepower than steam or the developing gasoline engines.

Businesses were attracted to diesel and so were nations. Rulers and business magnates paid close attention to the diesel engine – for various reasons and with multiple motives.

Two examples: John D. Rockefeller viewed diesel as something that could destroy his hold on oil and gasoline products; Kaiser Wilhelm II wanted diesel exclusively for German interests and was particularly concerned with Diesel working with Great Britain.

Following Diesel’s disappearance from a ship, some scholars have linked Rockefeller and Wilhelm to the engineer’s death.

Brunt looks at those suspicions and details the possibilities of the disappearance being due to accident, suicide, murder and even another possibility.

Author Jay Winik got it right when he compared “The Mysterious Case of Rudolf Diesel” as being “equal parts Walter Isaacson and Sherlock Holmes.”  

Get to know the man behind the name. Get this book.

 

“Fantastic Four 1234”

With the movie “The Fantastic Four: First Steps” set for a July release, some readers may want to dive into some past issues of the FF.

There are plenty of creative team runs and story arcs worthy of discovering or reading for the first time. 

The Fantastic Four is referred to as “Marvel’s First Family” for a reason. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby created the super team in 1961. The FF were created in response to DC’s Justice League, but with a lot of differences. The FF’s members were family – best friends, siblings, love interests, all rolled into one before taking a space flight and receiving their special powers. They argued like family. They didn’t look heroic. Initially, the FF didn’t even have costumes but uniform jumpsuits (which is, arguably, what they still wear 60-plus years later). 

Readers can find a lot to love in the 1960s Lee-Kirby stories – especially the “Coming of Galactus” storyline, which looks to be the main influence for the upcoming movie.

Readers can find plenty to enjoy in the current FF run, by writer Ryan North, which is about 30 issues in, and puts the emphasis back on the family dynamic as well as the scientific exploration of the Lee-Kirby era.

Or maybe, readers would like to spend time in legendary comics writer-artist John Byrne’s long 1980s run on the FF.

Or maybe just a quick dip into a masterful FF miniseries from about a quarter century ago.

“Fantastic Four 1234” was not on my radar until a couple of weeks ago. It was released in 2002. Prolific comics writer Grant Morrison penned the book. Jae Lee provides beautiful detailed drawings for the four-issue mini-series. Jose Villarrubia’s colors are masterful and set the mood for mystery.

For longtime FF readers, the storyline is familiar: Dr. Doom seeks to hurt arch-rival Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mr. Fantastic and leader of the FF, by destroying the Fantastic Four. Doom offers Ben Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing, his humanity. Doom offers Sue Richards, a.k.a. the Invisible Girl/Woman, romance through an affair with Namor, the Sub-Mariner. Doom squelches the flames of Johnny Storm, a.k.a. the Human Torch. And Doom believes he has Richards trapped.

Again, all familiar territory for any FF reader.

But it’s not. 

Morrison, Lee and Villarrubia do some unique things with “Fantastic Four 1234.” Some fantastic things. “1234” is not what “First Steps” will likely be but it is a FF story worth finding in the weeks counting down to the movie. Especially with a new printing being released June 3.