Review
A beautifully written and rare diving book. It was so compelling that we had trouble selecting an extract for review...so we chose five! --Diver Magazine UK
Product Description
The Funniest Diving Book in Years
Leading Magazine Reviews
…It’s as authentic as it is hysterical. It’s a chuckling page-turner. Dive Gear Reviews USA
…A beautifully written and rare diving book. Diver Magazine UK
…Very funny, honest and entertaining. The Egyptian Chamber of Diving and Water Sports
Ever wanted to jack it all in and start a new life in Egypt? The scuba diving resort of Sharm el Sheikh has been one of the world’s best kept secrets. It only hits the news in times of mishap but behind the scenes of this hugely popular and vibrant city are hundreds of ex-pats living the dream of a life in the sun.
John Kean’s hilarious book, ‘Lost Wife, Saw Barracuda – True Stories from a Sharm el Sheikh Scuba Diving Instructor’ is an inside fly-on-the-wall look at the ups and downs of swapping the rat race for a life in Sharm el Sheikh. It is frank, honest and gripping in sometimes epic proportions, but the humor and magnetic appeal of Sharm el Sheikh and Egypt shines through every time in this beautifully written true story.
Over a decade, this mild-mannered, ex-stockbroker has been chased by aggressive sharks, had a 737 airliner drop from the sky into the sea, broken four bones, been arrested three times and finally, blown up by terrorists. On the plus side, Sharm el Sheikh’s outstanding natural appeal, year round sun and amazingly talented and friendly community of Egyptian and ex-pat residents has made it a home from home, free of the stresses of everyday life in Europe.
Unlike other fly on the wall or ‘inside’ books, John actually takes you along with him for the ride. His accounts are genuine, highly informative and very funny. Turning tragedy and mishap into humor is the book’s strength and you’ll find a laugh on nearly every page.
The story is heavily upstaged by the comical antics of five, highly entertaining characters coming to terms with neutral buoyancy, hangovers and Egyptian taxi drivers. The legendary exploits of the latter are awarded an entire chapter where we’re introduced to, Airbag, Sharm el Sheikh’s worst driver and in contrast, Joseph, who takes up the offer of a job swap, gives John his taxi and becomes a scuba diver for the day!The most dramatic chapter of Lost Wife, Saw Barracuda is the vivid, minute-by-minute account of dive staff involvement during the Sharm bombings in July 2005. This rare civilian insight of a grand scale terrorist attack shows the human cost of those caught up and the tremendous resolve of unlikely rescuers in preventing further loss of life.
Despite occasional tragedy, Lost Wife, Saw Barracuda is a positive book that will thrill and entertain, portray scuba diving as an engaging and enjoyable sport and show readers the brighter side of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. Anyone can read and enjoy this wonderfully funny story.
It’s a must read if you’ve ever been even remotely near water!
About The AuthorJohn Kean is a professional diver and writer who, following a scuba holiday to Egypt in 1997, gave up the rat race for a new life in Sharm el Sheikh. His other titles include the definitive, ‘SS Thistlegorm – The True Story of the Red Sea’s Greatest Ship Wreck’.John has written feature articles for several international dive and travel magazines, been interviewed on national television and is also a regular guest speaker at UK dive shows. He has completed over 5,500 dives and holds a master instructor rating with the leading scuba training agency, however, he counts his most important qualification as having ‘an equal number of ascents and descents’.
