Part I: War & oil engines, 1858-1897. An international identity
A brief stay in London
A new empire in Europe
Is anyone truly self-made?
Petroleum upends the game
Pursuit of the ideal
Meant for more than a salary
Wilhelm II envies a navy
The birth of diesel power
Part II: Diesel proliferation, 1897-1910. Lord Kelvin goes first
A hiccup before the grand prize
The trappings of success
A study of the sleeping giant
"The old house" fights for its life
The Kaiser adopts "risk theory"
A place among the armaments of nations
Dawn of the new era
Part III: Masterpiece, 1910-1913. Rudolf Diesel breaks ranks
The admiralty boards the MS Selandina
Secrets of the first Lord
The great light to the west
Rising pressure
The final months
SS Dresden: September 29, 1913
Part IV: Vanishing act. The world reacts
The available theories
Operation Rudolf Diesel
Fingerprints
Epilogue: at last.