by Ian Urbina
First published 2019
Ian Urbina spent five years investigating the world's oceans, regions too vast for effective policing and lacking clear international oversight. These waters harbor extensive criminal operations and worker exploitation connected to fishing, oil, and shipping industries that support global economies. Urbina traveled hundreds of miles offshore to document the experiences of traffickers, pirates, mercenaries, enslaved laborers, and abandoned stowaways who inhabit this lawless realm. He witnessed a near-mutiny at sea, faced confrontation with the Vietnamese navy, and observed the harsh living conditions aboard commercial vessels. The author had to build trust with sea workers accustomed to isolation and silence. His reporting reveals a hidden network of criminality spanning the globe, from vigilante conservationists to illegal oil dumpers, from abortion providers operating in international waters to thieves salvaging shipwrecks. This investigation uncovers how maritime lawlessness enables widespread abuse in an environment where oversight remains nearly impossible. The book combines adventure narrative with investigative journalism to expose the disturbing realities of ocean-based industries that connect to everyday global commerce.
Genres: adventure, crime, non-fiction, investigative-journalism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism, world-building
Setting: Oceans, International Waters
Period: Contemporary
544 pages · Hardcover · Knopf
Content warnings: abuse, trafficking