Book review: Treasures, Shipwrecks & The Dawn of Red Sea Diving

Many divers are adventurers at heart, and this memoir from Howard Rosenstein, who opened the first dive school in Sharm El-Sheikh, is a fascinating read. This true story dives headfirst into a groundbreaking time, where uncharted dives and historical discoveries were an extraordinary routine. From discovering Roman coins glinting on the seabed to unearthing sunken treasures and secrets of the past in the unmapped depths, all while navigating a tightrope walk between nations still at war, this is an extraordinary story.

Howard braved floods, assisted grounded ships and even braved the depths of Mount Sinai itself. The entrepreneur rubbed shoulders with underwater legends, bestselling authors, photography greats and even world leaders. He navigated murky shipwrecks, charmed amorous sharks and found himself a player in the delicate dance of peace negotiations. 

Through his dive centres, first in the Mediterranean then in the Sinai scene, Howard became a pioneer of recreational diving, and this beautiful hardback book is an insight into his extraordinary career, with a cornucopia of stories from his long, illustrious diving career.