Short answers, pulled from the story.
Alexander Wheelock Thayer taught at the Westfield School in Dedham, Massachusetts during the winter of 1838 and 1839. He earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard University before working as a librarian there.
Alexander Wheelock Thayer began his investigation after noticing errors in Anton Schindler's biography of Ludwig van Beethoven that first appeared in 1840. These discrepancies regarding Schindler's reliability as Beethoven's amanuensis motivated Thayer to verify historical details himself.
Alexander Wheelock Thayer supported himself through journalism while learning German and collecting information across the continent. He eventually secured an appointment as US Consul in Trieste to provide financial stability for his continued biographical work.
The first edition of the biography appeared in three volumes between 1866 and 1879. It covered Beethoven's life from birth until 1816, with Hermann Deiters completing the work after Thayer's death.
Hermann Deiters completed the work after Thayer's death, followed by Hugo Riemann who produced volumes four and five in 1907 and 1908. Henry Edward Krehbiel created the first English edition of the biography in 1921.