logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2022
27m 44s

The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Lethal Tid...

Chris Voss
About this episode

Lethal Tides: Mary Sears and the Marine Scientists Who Helped Win World War II by Catherine Musemeche

“Magnificently researched, brilliantly written, Lethal Tides is immensely entertaining and reads like an action novel. Catherine Musemeche has brought to life the incredible work of the scientists and researchers who made such a remarkable contribution to America’s war effort in the Pacific theater during WWII.” —Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy, Ret.), #1 New York Times bestselling author of Make Your Bed and The Hero Code

Lethal Tides tells the story of the virtually unknown Mary Sears, “the first oceanographer of the Navy,” whose groundbreaking oceanographic research led the U.S. to victory in the Pacific theater during World War II.

In Lethal Tides, Catherine Musemeche weaves together science, biography, and military history in the compelling story of an unsung woman who had a dramatic effect on the U.S. Navy’s success against Japan in WWII, creating an intelligence-gathering juggernaut based on the new science of oceanography.

When World War II began, the U.S. Navy was unprepared to enact its island-hopping strategy to reach Japan. Anticipating tides, planning for coral reefs, and preparing for enemy fire was new ground for them, and with lives at stake it was ground that had to be covered quickly. Mary Sears, a marine biologist, was the untapped talent they turned to, and she along with a team of quirky marine scientists were instrumental in turning the tide of the war in the United States’ favor.

The Sears team analyzed ocean currents, made wave and tide predictions, identified zones of bioluminescence, mapped deep-water levels where submarines could hide and gathered information about the topography and surf conditions surrounding the Pacific islands and Japan. Sears was frequently called upon to make middle-of-the-night calculations for last-minute top-secret landing destinations and boldly predicted optimal landing times and locations for amphibious invasions.

In supplying these crucial details, Sears and her team played a major role in averting catastrophes that plagued earlier amphibious landings, like the disastrous Tarawa, and cleared a path to Okinawa, the last major battle of World War II.

Up next
Jul 2022
The Chris Voss Show Podcast – It Really Is Simple: A Holistic Approach To Self-Confidence: A Practical Guide by Alexandra Dotcheva
It Really Is Simple: A Holistic Approach To Self-Confidence: A Practical Guide by Alexandra Dotcheva Holisticselfconfidence.com Oftentimes, poorly defined priorities can get in the way of our self-esteem, lower our self-confidence, and impact our decision-making for years or even ... Show More
37m 18s
Jul 2022
The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD by Jason Kander
Invisible Storm: A Soldier’s Memoir of Politics and PTSD by Jason Kander NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “A truly special book. This combination of honesty, thoughtfulness, urgency, and vulnerability is not common in leaders, and Jason demonstrates boundless occupancy of all of these t ... Show More
29m 34s
Jul 2022
The Chris Voss Show Podcast – Nathan Hirsch, CEO of EcomBalance
Nathan Hirsch, CEO of EcomBalance Ecombalance.com 
19m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2023
WW2: Naval Power
In accounts of the Second World War, the role Navy's played is often overlooked. But the Navy's of both the Allied and Axis forces engaged in some of the biggest maritime campaigns in history. From near total elimination of forces, to epic sea battles, the Second World War change ... Show More
44m 50s
Jun 2023
194 - The Battle of Leyte Gulf
The battle of Leyte Gulf was the largest naval battle of WWII, it consisted of four separate actions near the Philippines between the US Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Japanese plan was to disrupt the American landings on the island of Leyte. In one respect, the plan wa ... Show More
1h 5m
Jan 2021
Marine conservationist Heather Koldewey
Professor Heather Koldewey wants to protect our oceans from over-fishing and plastic pollution. An academic who is not content to sit back and let the science speak for itself, she wants to turn science into action and has found conservation allies in some unexpected places. Work ... Show More
27m 7s
Jun 2022
The Battle of Midway
On the 4th of June 1942, the US Navy took on the might of Japan's Imperial Navy in the battle of Midway. It was America's Trafalgar! At the end of the fighting devastating losses had been inflicted on the Japanese and the entire strategic position in the Pacific was upended in fa ... Show More
49m 25s
Aug 2023
The WW2 Pacific Theatre of January-May 1942: When Japan Was Omnipotent and America Was a Fearful Underdog
After the devastating Japanese blows of December 1941, the Allies found themselves reeling with defeat everywhere in the Pacific. Although stripped of his battleships and outnumbered 10:3 in carriers, the US Navy commander-in-chief Admiral Ernest J. King decided to hit back at Ja ... Show More
40m 40s
Jan 2023
Plastics in oceans and sea cucumbers
Max Pearson presents a compilation of this week's Witness History programmes from the BBC World Service. You'll hear the story of how a marine biologist made a shocking discovery finding small bits of plastics floating thousands of miles of the east coast of America. Then, marine ... Show More
51m 44s
Feb 2022
Episode 2: Training
When National Geographic Explorer Tara Roberts meets Ken Stewart, the co-founder of Diving With a Purpose (DWP), she’s moved by his near 20-year mission to find the Spanish pirate ship Guerrero, which wrecked off the coast of Florida in 1827. Tara decides to train with DWP, learn ... Show More
34m 3s
Feb 2024
Combattre sur mer pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale - Entretien avec Loïc Guermeur
Mes chers camarades, bien le bonjour ! Quand on parle de la Seconde Guerre mondiale, il est généralement question du déroulement général de la guerre, de l’occupation, des principales batailles terrestres… et moins souvent de ce qu’il s’est passé du côté naval. Quelles étaient le ... Show More
1h 50m
Jul 2023
The USS Indianapolis’ Secret Mission Turns into Tragedy
July 16, 1945. It’s the summer of 1945 and World War II is underway. The USS Indianapolis has just set out from Mare Island on a top-secret mission. The famous vessel is delivering enriched uranium and other components of “Little Boy” to Tinian Island. The mission is technically ... Show More
30m 13s
Sep 2023
The Battle of Midway
On the 4th of June 1942, the US Navy took on the might of Japan's Imperial Navy in the battle of Midway. It was America's Trafalgar! At the end of the fighting devastating losses had been inflicted on the Japanese and the entire strategic position in the Pacific was upended in fa ... Show More
47m 35s