Crommelin examines the life and career of Capt. John G. Crommelin, USN starting with his arrival on board the USS Enterprise in 1942 and the sinking of the USS Liscome Bay in 1943. Noting that Crommelin's story is ""fundamentally the tale of a tragic figure,"" Coe traces the rise of Crommelin's paranoia and increasing enthusiasm for conspiracy theories, as well as his repeated, unsuccessful attempts to launch a post-military political career.