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This episode is an interview with Catherine Musemeche who wrote a fascinating biogrpahy on Mary Sears, titled: Lethal Tides: Mary Sears and the Marine Scientists Who Helped Win World War II. It tells the story of how the U.S. Navy was unprepared to enact its island-hopping strategy to reach Japan when World War II began and how oceanographers came to the rescue. Our efforts were severely hindered in that there was inadequate data on  tides, planning for coral reefs, etc. - to enact effective amphibious landing. Mary Sears, an overlooked oceanographer with untapped talent who, along with her team, became instrumental in turning the tide of the war in the United States’ favor. 

Episode Markers (in mins:secs)

• Introduction (0:0)
• Start of Interview (2:12)
• Early Education (5:13)
• History of Woods Hole Oceanographic Inst. (7:45)
• Mary Sears Life in 1941 (11:30)
• Return to Woods Hole (15:50)
• Difficult Island Landings(Pacific) & Tarawa Island (19:36)
• Using Data from Mary Sears Reports (27:06)
• Mary Sears - becoming a Naval Officer (37:35)
• Recognition of Mary Sears (40:42)
• Inspiration for Book (45:16)

This book is far more than a biography, and it weaves the multiple story lines – of our war efforts in the Pacific, the efforts of these scientists to bring about the critical victories and of course the incredible life of Mary Sears.

• Amazon Link to Book
• Book reviews - Kirkus & Barnes and Noble

As mentioned in this episode, Kate will be speaking at a December WW2 conference (at this link).

Catherine “Kate” Musemeche is a graduate of the University of Texas McGovern Medical School in Houston, Texas and the University of Texas School of Law. Musemeche’s first book, Small, was longlisted for the E.O. Wilson/Pen American Literary Science Award and was awarded the Texas Writer’s League Discovery Prize for Nonfiction in 2015. Her second book, Hurt, was named one of the top ten EMS books of the decade. She has also contributed to Smithsonian Magazine, the Wall Street Journal,  New York Times’ “Motherlode” blog, KevinMD.com, Creative Nonfiction magazine and EMS World. She lives in Austin, Texas.

I am also pleased to announce my podcasts about Amalia Kussner resulted in a biography to be published next Spring! See link here for the Amazon (on sale now).

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