The Fourth Horseman: The Tragedy of Anton Dilger and the Birth of Biological Terrorism

Koenig, Robert

ISBN 10: 1400133505 ISBN 13: 9781400133505

Publisher: Tantor Audio, 2007

Synopsis

The story of Anton Dilger brings to life a missing chapter in U.S. history and shows, dramatically, that the Great European War was in fact being fought on the home front years before we formally joined it. The doctor who grew anthrax and other bacteria in that rented house was an American-the son of a Medal of Honor winner who fought at Gettysburg-on a secret mission, for the German Army in 1915. The Fourth Horseman tells the startling story of that mission led by a brilliant but conflicted surgeon who became one of Germany's most daring spies and saboteurs during World War I and who not only pioneered bio-warfare in his native land but also lead a last-ditch German effort to goad Mexico into invading the United States. It is a story of mysterious missions, divided loyalties, and a new and terrible kind of warfare that emerged as America-in spite of fierce dissention at home-was making the decision to send its Doughboys to the Great War in Europe.

This story has never been told before in full. And Dilger is a fascinating analog for our own troubled times. Having thrown off the tethers of obligation to family and country, he became a very dangerous man indeed: A spy, a saboteur, and a zealot to a degree that may have so embarrassed the German High Command that, after the war, they ordered his death rather than admit that he worked for them.

About this title

About the Author:

Robert L. Koenig, a Contributing Correspondent for Science magazine, has written about German topics for more than two decades, covering stories ranging from the fall of the Berlin Wall to revelations of atrocities in Nazi-era scientific research.

From AudioFile:

Robert Koenig has pieced together an elaborate history of the first attempt at germ warfare undertaken in the U.S. Anton Dilger, a German-American born in rural Virginia, obtained his medical degree in Germany. Dilger applied his scientific knowledge against the Allies in WWI, attempting to infect horses bound for Europe with anthrax and glanders germs. Koenig's exhaustive research paints a picture of the political climate of the times and shows how the Great War affected the German-American community. Norman Dietz narrates Koenig's history with authority, relishing the twists and turns presented. In the few places where Koenig's account gets repetitive or bogged down in details, Dietz keeps the pace moving with subtle energy. H.L.S. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

About this edition

• Publisher: Tantor Audio
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1400133505
• ISBN 13: 9781400133505
• Binding: Audio CD