Treasonous Tides: A Historical Primer of Espionage within the U.S. Department of the Navy

Treasonous Tides looks at more than a century of espionage against and within the U.S. Department of the Navy (DON) to discern the trends that will illuminate the future of U.S. naval counterintelligence. Based on the principles of war, the book suggests a new way to interpret naval counterintelligence that emphasizes the merger of intelligence and law enforcement to ensure that the DON wins the war at sea. Including more than 50 espionage cases that impacted the DON from 1898 to 2010, the book places each case into historical perspective, provides a brief overview, and draws out the significance and lessons learned for each. The book highlights trends that remain applicable today while also revealing how the DON’s past apathy and lack of investment in counterintelligence led to strategic surprise on several occasions. The book also provides unique insight into the motivations and methods of those who spied against the DON, most of which remained remarkably consistent for more than 100 years. At the strategic level, the book clarifies the relative significance of each case and uses that information to suggest an operational prioritization for the future. Everyone involved in resourcing, planning, executing, and benefiting from U.S. naval counterintelligence will profit from the history and analysis presented here.