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Red Sea Spies: The True Story of Mossad's Fake Holiday Resort
In the early 1980s on a remote part of the Sudanese coast, a new luxury holiday resort opened for business. Catering for divers, it attracted guests from around the world. Little did the holidaymakers know that the staff were undercover spies, working for the Mossad - the Israeli secret service.
Providing a front for covert night-time activities, the holiday village allowed the agents to carry out an operation unlike any seen before. What began with one cryptic message pleading for help, turned into the secret evacuation of thousands of Ethiopian Jews who had been languishing in refugee camps, and the spiriting of them to Israel.
Written in collaboration with operatives involved in the mission, endorsed as the definitive account and including an afterword from the then Mossad director, this is the complete, never-before-heard, gripping tale of a top-secret and often hazardous operation.
Providing a front for covert night-time activities, the holiday village allowed the agents to carry out an operation unlike any seen before. What began with one cryptic message pleading for help, turned into the secret evacuation of thousands of Ethiopian Jews who had been languishing in refugee camps, and the spiriting of them to Israel.
Written in collaboration with operatives involved in the mission, endorsed as the definitive account and including an afterword from the then Mossad director, this is the complete, never-before-heard, gripping tale of a top-secret and often hazardous operation.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published February 6, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
January 7, 2021
Though the title says it is the story of the Mossad's fake diving resort, the book covers so much more. The book is essentially about the whole operation of smuggling Ethiopian Jews to Israel through Sudan, who was at that time technically at war with Israel. Lead by the brilliant leader "Dani", the Mossad used many ways to smuggle out the Jews, both legally and illegally, but the crown jewel in this operation was definitely the setup of a real working diving resort set up on the Sudanese coast by the Israeli's to smuggle them out with the help of the Israeli Navy. A truly amazing story which is well researched and written of yet another colorful chapter of the Israeli forces' operations. Highly recommended reading!!
July 29, 2020
Wow, what a book! The Mossad secretly created and ran a diving resort on the Sudanese coast in the 1980s to smuggle Jewish Ethiopian refugees to Israel... It's crazy! The book also discusses the other ways they smuggled Jews out from two countries essentially at war with Israel.
Osama bin Laden reportedly stayed there for two months some time after the Israelis had abandoned it. The location is currently called Red Sea Resort; during the time of the Mossad it was called Arous.
Although philosophically I take issue with a foreign nation invading the sovereignty of another, it sounds like they saved a heck of a lot of people from a lot of suffering, and those involved were very brave and committed to the cause.
It's a well-written book, although the chronology is difficult to follow at times. I especially liked that it humanised the people involved, and the author didn't insert themselves into the story, i.e. it wasn't about the process of the author researching and interviewing people like some of these types of books; it just focused on telling the story.
Osama bin Laden reportedly stayed there for two months some time after the Israelis had abandoned it. The location is currently called Red Sea Resort; during the time of the Mossad it was called Arous.
Although philosophically I take issue with a foreign nation invading the sovereignty of another, it sounds like they saved a heck of a lot of people from a lot of suffering, and those involved were very brave and committed to the cause.
It's a well-written book, although the chronology is difficult to follow at times. I especially liked that it humanised the people involved, and the author didn't insert themselves into the story, i.e. it wasn't about the process of the author researching and interviewing people like some of these types of books; it just focused on telling the story.
February 14, 2020
An excellent account of the daring mission by the Mossad to rescue tens of thousands of Ethiopian Jews that were either dying of famine or trapped in Sudanese refugee camps. The author has fact checked this historic rescue with the actual people who were involved and used their eye witness testimony and hands-on role to create the most authentic version of this mission yet. After you read this book you will be disappointed in the Netflix adaptation of the story which doesn’t even come close to depicting the real life heroes who put their lives on the line for the greater good, saving an entire community in a hostile land and bringing them all to Israel
September 13, 2020
This is an amazing true story that should be known throughout the world. In today’s culture, it seems even more relevant although it was from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Well written, this can be a difficult read to keep up with the names and locations but it is so worth it.
January 13, 2025
Super interesting read about a really cool and important story. I knew the basic premise but loved the journey from undercover in Sudan to the resort to the ends of operation Moses and Solomon. Crazy what became of the “jinxed” resort and the lasting relationship Dani had with the Ethiopian Jewish community and Mahgoub and the other agents. I also really enjoyed reading a book about Israel that had nothing to do with Palestine or the Arab/Israeli conflict.
September 7, 2025
5 stars as it would feel wrong to give a true story like this any less! Such an incredible mission, our people are seriously epic!!
July 10, 2021
The story itself is every bit as incredible (and basically nuts) as you’d imagine - a paean to intelligence operations conducted by the seat-of-the-pants, and where any one of thousands of things could have gone wrong and blown the whole thing. As a microcosm of the mission behind Israel, it’s a fantastic story which is made all the more interesting for how much access the author has.
Given how compelling the story is, the writing itself felt slightly stilted - the scale of the operation means that the characters fade slightly into the background and you don’t really get a sense of how much of a toll this sort of multi-year subterfuge in a hostile country must have taken. But it’s a great romp and to an extent the story speaks for itself.
Given how compelling the story is, the writing itself felt slightly stilted - the scale of the operation means that the characters fade slightly into the background and you don’t really get a sense of how much of a toll this sort of multi-year subterfuge in a hostile country must have taken. But it’s a great romp and to an extent the story speaks for itself.
November 28, 2020
Fascinating thrilling story of real heros and daring escape. I couldn't put it down!
August 19, 2021
This was a top notch, non fiction, real life thriller.
The subtitle caught me; The true story of Mossad's fake diving resort. As a diver I found the notion that the Mossad ever had a diving resort extremely amusing.
There is not much about the diving, to be honest, in fact this story is about the long, long process whereby the Mossad smuggled Ethiopian Jewish refugees out of Sudan in the 1970's - 1980's and I feel pretty privileges to have read this amazing story. The author was given the go ahead to write this, so he has a huge amount of inside information and stories directly from the mouths of those who living the experience.
Ethiopia (which I mainly know of as the origin of the coffee bean) had a population of Jews who had diverged from Israel and travelled to Ethiopia, it is estimated, about 3000 years ago. Over time they lost touch with the world and in 1900 (or thereabouts) when they were 'rediscovered' by European anthropologists, they did not believe there was any such thing as a white Jew. They were isolated in their country, persecuted for their religion and for quite some time the Beta Israel - as they know themselves - where in a bad place. Ethiopian government, while sanctioning murder rape and enslaving of that community, refused to allow them access to leave the country. That is in short the background, I think I got it mostly right, my source is entirely this book.
In the late 1970's with no diplomatic relations between Israel and Sudan a single Mossad agent went to Sudan to see if there were Jewish refugees hiding in the Ethiopian refugee camps. He found one and those two dedicated men developed a system to smuggle Beta Israel by air to Europe on forged passports where they could be met by agents and taken 'home' to Israel. As the numbers increased, they were also smuggled in their hundreds and thousands by sea and this is where the dive resort was developed as a means to hide Mossad agents in Sudan from where they could continue to help refugees.
It is a thrilling and fascinating story. It is also told in a prosaic, matter of fact fashion, with no false attempts to inject drama into what is already such a fascinating story. I liked the style of writing, with it's tiny insights into the organisation of the Mossad hierarchy. The matter of fact description of the horrific things the Beta Israel refugees had to deal with and the precarious situation in Sudan.
I think this style of non-fiction may be a little hard for people to read if they are used to modern reporting with over-sensationalisation , but I think once you hit your pace with the narrative it is a story that is well worth reading. Personally I enjoyed it immensely and the ending was an all nighter - I found I could not put the last few chapters down at all.
The subtitle caught me; The true story of Mossad's fake diving resort. As a diver I found the notion that the Mossad ever had a diving resort extremely amusing.
There is not much about the diving, to be honest, in fact this story is about the long, long process whereby the Mossad smuggled Ethiopian Jewish refugees out of Sudan in the 1970's - 1980's and I feel pretty privileges to have read this amazing story. The author was given the go ahead to write this, so he has a huge amount of inside information and stories directly from the mouths of those who living the experience.
Ethiopia (which I mainly know of as the origin of the coffee bean) had a population of Jews who had diverged from Israel and travelled to Ethiopia, it is estimated, about 3000 years ago. Over time they lost touch with the world and in 1900 (or thereabouts) when they were 'rediscovered' by European anthropologists, they did not believe there was any such thing as a white Jew. They were isolated in their country, persecuted for their religion and for quite some time the Beta Israel - as they know themselves - where in a bad place. Ethiopian government, while sanctioning murder rape and enslaving of that community, refused to allow them access to leave the country. That is in short the background, I think I got it mostly right, my source is entirely this book.
In the late 1970's with no diplomatic relations between Israel and Sudan a single Mossad agent went to Sudan to see if there were Jewish refugees hiding in the Ethiopian refugee camps. He found one and those two dedicated men developed a system to smuggle Beta Israel by air to Europe on forged passports where they could be met by agents and taken 'home' to Israel. As the numbers increased, they were also smuggled in their hundreds and thousands by sea and this is where the dive resort was developed as a means to hide Mossad agents in Sudan from where they could continue to help refugees.
It is a thrilling and fascinating story. It is also told in a prosaic, matter of fact fashion, with no false attempts to inject drama into what is already such a fascinating story. I liked the style of writing, with it's tiny insights into the organisation of the Mossad hierarchy. The matter of fact description of the horrific things the Beta Israel refugees had to deal with and the precarious situation in Sudan.
I think this style of non-fiction may be a little hard for people to read if they are used to modern reporting with over-sensationalisation , but I think once you hit your pace with the narrative it is a story that is well worth reading. Personally I enjoyed it immensely and the ending was an all nighter - I found I could not put the last few chapters down at all.
December 6, 2022
I was disappointed by this book. Not because it didn’t live up to my expectations in content - it more than exceeded them - but the way it was written made it so hard to get through it makes me sad that the story of such an incredible feat isn’t getting what it deserves.
Still an incredible story of heroic action and compassion.
Still an incredible story of heroic action and compassion.
May 13, 2023
The first couple of chapters were very slow and bit dry, explaining the historical background of the rest of the book. Aside from a couple other stretches of needed background, the rest of the book was thrilling spy stuff of the 'can't put it down' variety.
Highly recommended for everyone who can put with the slow parts (and difficult content, mentioned below) for an exciting and thought provoking bit of history you don't hear much about.
There are references to rape (one with a bit of description, not graphic, but very uncomfortable to read about), and brief references to infertility, dead animals and war/violence. Also, racial and religious tensions come up frequently throughout the narrative.
Highly recommended for everyone who can put with the slow parts (and difficult content, mentioned below) for an exciting and thought provoking bit of history you don't hear much about.
There are references to rape (one with a bit of description, not graphic, but very uncomfortable to read about), and brief references to infertility, dead animals and war/violence. Also, racial and religious tensions come up frequently throughout the narrative.
December 13, 2023
Gripping account of the rescuing of most of the Ethiopian Jewish community to Israel.
May 26, 2020
The world of non-fiction has been one I didn't dare to explore for a long while. I think I must have been intimated by reading about something real and inescapable, but I took the wrong approach for far too long. Books like Red Sea Spies not only enrich one's knowledge but also broadens the reader's awareness of the world.
Berg tells us the story of how the Mossad helped bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel for the first time in known history. The Mossad's agents gave years of their lives to accomplish an unprecedented mission. Each person involved in the re-homing of Ethiopian Jews made a massive impact on the lives of thousands of people who dreamed about Jerusalem for entire generations.
The events that take place in this book are themselves more than worthy of our notice, but the way Berg puts everything together, it's truly admirable. I must remark on how brilliantly Berg's writing and storytelling style made this book not also entertaining, informative and moving, but a true page-turner history book.
I enjoyed how this book isn't about Berg and his investigative process per se; it's solely focused on the events that lead to the creation of the Red Sea Resort and its aftermath. The author did an outstanding job at humanising all the people involved, the true heroes which played a crucial role in saving people from hostility and starvation.
Overall, Red Sea Spies is a book I believe everyone should read. Before reading it, I was completely unaware of the lengths Israel went through to bring its people home, and everyone should know about this remarkable moment in modern history.
Berg tells us the story of how the Mossad helped bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel for the first time in known history. The Mossad's agents gave years of their lives to accomplish an unprecedented mission. Each person involved in the re-homing of Ethiopian Jews made a massive impact on the lives of thousands of people who dreamed about Jerusalem for entire generations.
The events that take place in this book are themselves more than worthy of our notice, but the way Berg puts everything together, it's truly admirable. I must remark on how brilliantly Berg's writing and storytelling style made this book not also entertaining, informative and moving, but a true page-turner history book.
I enjoyed how this book isn't about Berg and his investigative process per se; it's solely focused on the events that lead to the creation of the Red Sea Resort and its aftermath. The author did an outstanding job at humanising all the people involved, the true heroes which played a crucial role in saving people from hostility and starvation.
Overall, Red Sea Spies is a book I believe everyone should read. Before reading it, I was completely unaware of the lengths Israel went through to bring its people home, and everyone should know about this remarkable moment in modern history.
October 16, 2021
In the late 1970s and early 80s, thousands of Ethiopian Jews escaped from their own country, through Sudan, another state that was an enemy of Israel. The story of that escape and the Israeli Mossad agents who got the Ethiopian Jews to Israel is the subject of the book Red Sea Spies: The True Story of Mossad's Fake Diving Resort by Raffi Berg. The dramatic events inspired a movie on Netflix also.
Berg tells this amazing story with enough detail to show just how difficult and precarious the entire operation was from beginning to end, yet at a page-turner pace. The two men at the center of the story, Dani the agent who organized the operation and kept it going, and Ferede Aklum, the Ethiopian Jew who worked from beginning to end to get his people to Israel, begin with getting a few Jews out with fake documents to the buying and running a diving resort on the Red Sea. The resort allows Jews to be taken out by sea and later is a base that allows hundreds to be flown out at a time on Israeli C-130 Hercules transport planes.
It is a great story from beginning to end. I knew so little about Ethiopian Jews and their exodus from remote areas of the country where they lived for more than a millennium. Now I feel like a witness to a land, sea and air miracle in the late 20th Century.
Enjoy!
Berg tells this amazing story with enough detail to show just how difficult and precarious the entire operation was from beginning to end, yet at a page-turner pace. The two men at the center of the story, Dani the agent who organized the operation and kept it going, and Ferede Aklum, the Ethiopian Jew who worked from beginning to end to get his people to Israel, begin with getting a few Jews out with fake documents to the buying and running a diving resort on the Red Sea. The resort allows Jews to be taken out by sea and later is a base that allows hundreds to be flown out at a time on Israeli C-130 Hercules transport planes.
It is a great story from beginning to end. I knew so little about Ethiopian Jews and their exodus from remote areas of the country where they lived for more than a millennium. Now I feel like a witness to a land, sea and air miracle in the late 20th Century.
Enjoy!
February 27, 2024
It's absolutely incredible how Israel was evacuating Ethiopian Jews from the hostile Sudan by inventing unprecedented schemes on large scale.
I still cannot fathom why muslim world is so hostile to jews, threatening to kill any if their identities are revealed, while still not letting them leave peacefully from their country. And at the same time Israelis being incredibly creative in saving a tribe that is so different from a typical jew, but as they follow the tradition and are persecuted in their own country. Such a striking contrast between nation's priorities; hatred towards people who lived next to you for the last 2000 years and done nothing wrong vs. care for strangers and being in general humane to people.
Nearly 2000 people were smuggled to Israel during this operation, which involved Mossad establishing and running a resort in Sudan, which was also a base for agents in action. The most breathtaking part was how Israel sent transport planes Herculeses to land somewhere deep in other country's territory right on the ground, collect refugees and leave without being noticed.
I don't think I have read anything so emotional and adventurous at the same time. This story restores the faith in some parts of humanity.
I still cannot fathom why muslim world is so hostile to jews, threatening to kill any if their identities are revealed, while still not letting them leave peacefully from their country. And at the same time Israelis being incredibly creative in saving a tribe that is so different from a typical jew, but as they follow the tradition and are persecuted in their own country. Such a striking contrast between nation's priorities; hatred towards people who lived next to you for the last 2000 years and done nothing wrong vs. care for strangers and being in general humane to people.
Nearly 2000 people were smuggled to Israel during this operation, which involved Mossad establishing and running a resort in Sudan, which was also a base for agents in action. The most breathtaking part was how Israel sent transport planes Herculeses to land somewhere deep in other country's territory right on the ground, collect refugees and leave without being noticed.
I don't think I have read anything so emotional and adventurous at the same time. This story restores the faith in some parts of humanity.
February 15, 2021
Red Sea Spies chronicles the little known Mossad mission "Operation Brothers" wherein Jewish Ethiopians who fled to Sudan were brought to Israel. I was not familiar with Israel's history surrounding their African neighbors during the 40s-80s, and found the context to be enlightening. This is both fact and narrative driven, in the vein of Argo, but a little less gripping. I was really moved to read about the sacrifice the Ethiopians made and their willingness to walk to Israel if need be. The sacrifice of the Mossad agents and others who willingly gave time and money to rescue the Beta Jews was astounding! I was initially drawn to the book in hopes that it would have a lot of detail about the fake diving resort, which it didn't. Most of the book focuses on the prep work and the inner working of Mossad in the operation. I would be interested to learn more about Operation Moses and Solomon after this!
March 5, 2021
An amazing true story that showcases the strength and perseverance of people to get things done. I knew a little about these secret operations but learned so much from this book. Still hard to believe this happened and that even now, years later, the true story is allowed to be told. Overall easy to read, like fiction, although I did have to refer back to the list of people involved to remind myself of their role. Good thing I could bookmark the page in the ebook.
January 10, 2021
I was only vaguely aware of the Ethiopian Jewish population, and equally unaware of the efforts to extract them. This is an amazing story, and I'm so glad it can finally be told. There are so many little details - it's also impressive with respect to the research done.
February 1, 2020
This story is based on an actual event. The book is a surprising story. A remote beach is advertised as a luxury resort, when it is actually a cover up for a spy ring. There's lots of intrigue.
November 23, 2024
Red Sea Spies: The True Story of Mossad's Fake Diving Resort by Raffi Berg is one of those books that you can’t put down once you start reading. It’s a gripping tale that reads like a spy thriller, but the fact that it’s all true makes it even more remarkable. The story centers around a daring and almost unbelievable operation by Mossad in the 1970s, when Israel’s intelligence agency set up a fake diving resort in Egypt as part of a covert mission to help Ethiopian Jews escape to Israel.
Berg has a real talent for bringing this incredible story to life. He pulls you into the world of espionage, where Mossad agents cleverly created a fake resort as a cover to secretly transport refugees from Sudan. The level of creativity and risk involved is astounding, and the tension throughout the operation keeps you on the edge of your seat. It feels like you’re right there with the agents, watching them navigate the delicate balance of secrecy, deception, and danger.
But what makes Red Sea Spies truly special is how Berg humanizes the story. While the espionage details are fascinating, it’s the people at the heart of the mission that really resonated with me. The Jewish Ethiopian refugees—many of whom had endured unimaginable hardship—were finally given a chance at freedom, and Berg doesn’t just tell their story from a distance. He shares their courage and perseverance, which adds a deeply emotional layer to the book.
Berg’s access to key figures involved in the mission gives the story authenticity and depth. His interviews and research provide fascinating insight into the operation’s planning and execution, making the book both informative and engaging. It’s clear that he put in a lot of effort to ensure this is as much a history of the people as it is a tale of espionage.
The one minor downside might be that some readers unfamiliar with the political landscape of the Middle East could find certain parts a bit dense. But for anyone who enjoys a well-researched, real-life thriller, this is a minor issue at most.
All in all, Red Sea Spies is a fantastic read. It’s a perfect mix of suspense, history, and human drama. Berg does an incredible job of weaving together the espionage, the politics, and the deeply personal stories of survival. It’s a powerful reminder of the lengths people will go to help others and how ordinary individuals, in extraordinary circumstances, can change the course of history. This book is one I highly recommend to anyone looking for a gripping and inspiring true story.
Berg has a real talent for bringing this incredible story to life. He pulls you into the world of espionage, where Mossad agents cleverly created a fake resort as a cover to secretly transport refugees from Sudan. The level of creativity and risk involved is astounding, and the tension throughout the operation keeps you on the edge of your seat. It feels like you’re right there with the agents, watching them navigate the delicate balance of secrecy, deception, and danger.
But what makes Red Sea Spies truly special is how Berg humanizes the story. While the espionage details are fascinating, it’s the people at the heart of the mission that really resonated with me. The Jewish Ethiopian refugees—many of whom had endured unimaginable hardship—were finally given a chance at freedom, and Berg doesn’t just tell their story from a distance. He shares their courage and perseverance, which adds a deeply emotional layer to the book.
Berg’s access to key figures involved in the mission gives the story authenticity and depth. His interviews and research provide fascinating insight into the operation’s planning and execution, making the book both informative and engaging. It’s clear that he put in a lot of effort to ensure this is as much a history of the people as it is a tale of espionage.
The one minor downside might be that some readers unfamiliar with the political landscape of the Middle East could find certain parts a bit dense. But for anyone who enjoys a well-researched, real-life thriller, this is a minor issue at most.
All in all, Red Sea Spies is a fantastic read. It’s a perfect mix of suspense, history, and human drama. Berg does an incredible job of weaving together the espionage, the politics, and the deeply personal stories of survival. It’s a powerful reminder of the lengths people will go to help others and how ordinary individuals, in extraordinary circumstances, can change the course of history. This book is one I highly recommend to anyone looking for a gripping and inspiring true story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2021
This book tells the story of the amazing and successful effort of Israel's Mossad to rescue thousands of Ethiopian Jews that were trapped languishing in Sudanese refugee camps. Gaining access to those who were directly involved in this daring mission over a number of years as well as careful research, Berg has done a masterful job in writing this book. He fact checked the historic rescues to create an authentic version of the events. The courage and bravery of all involved is really eye opening. Realizing the risks that everyone involved took, the audacity of the plans and tactics along with the sheer tenacity to make it happen reinforces ones belief in humanity. The lengths these agents went through to rescue the Ethiopian Jews, who became part of the very fabric of Israel, is truly awe inspiring.
August 1, 2021
This is the story of Israelis smuggled thousands of Ethopian Jews our of Sudan into Israel. It recounts multiple operations of how by sea, air and other methods Israeli intelligence risked their lives to save others. I will preface by saying that I'm not a huge non fiction reader but this was a well researched story. That said while there was a lot of background on the Ethopian Jews history I would have liked to have better understood why the Ethopian Jews wanted to leave in the first place and why Israel was involved. I also would have liked to have known more about the day to life at the resort in Arous under which thousands were smuggled out by sea and air under the noses of the guests staying there. But overall a great recount of the history and the challenges faced to bring Ethopian Jews to Israel.
April 16, 2022
In the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction category, this is the account of Israel's rescue of Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps in Sudan, an enemy country. The book is very well written and organized.
The Israeli operatives posed as Europeans running a diving resort in a remote area of Sudan. But this book is so much more - it is the story of the Ethiopian aliyah - of the brave Ethiopian Jewish community that suffered many hardships and faced unthinkable dangers on its way to Israel, and of the Israelis whose ingenuity, bravery and commitment to bringing home all Jews who want to move to Israel.
I was initially reluctant to read this book, because I recently watched "The Red Sea Diving Resort," a movie on this subject, so I thought I would be bored with the same story. However, this book complements the movie well, as it provides much more depth and context.
The Israeli operatives posed as Europeans running a diving resort in a remote area of Sudan. But this book is so much more - it is the story of the Ethiopian aliyah - of the brave Ethiopian Jewish community that suffered many hardships and faced unthinkable dangers on its way to Israel, and of the Israelis whose ingenuity, bravery and commitment to bringing home all Jews who want to move to Israel.
I was initially reluctant to read this book, because I recently watched "The Red Sea Diving Resort," a movie on this subject, so I thought I would be bored with the same story. However, this book complements the movie well, as it provides much more depth and context.
January 20, 2023
This reads like a spy thriller, perhaps because it is a real life one. Mossad, Israel's intelligence agency, the equivelant of the CIA, opens a luxury holiday/vacation dive resort on the Sudanese coast as a front to rescue Jews from Ethiopia that have made it to the Sudan. It is a fascinating, fast paced, at time scary look at a positive outcome. There is poignancy, humor, fear, of how to do this in a third world country that is a sworn enemy of Israel and pull it off with several near misses.
Set in the early 1980s the Mossad had never attempted anything like it. As a side note, I lived in Israel in 1981-1982 during part of this story and while I was unaware of what was going on, there are parts of this book I feel like I lived. That too is fascinating.
Well worth the read.
Set in the early 1980s the Mossad had never attempted anything like it. As a side note, I lived in Israel in 1981-1982 during part of this story and while I was unaware of what was going on, there are parts of this book I feel like I lived. That too is fascinating.
Well worth the read.
August 26, 2021
Incredible story. How an African tribe practising a primitive form of Judaism were recognised as Jews and were how tens of thousands were smuggled out of Ethiopia through Sudan to a new life in Israel via a covert Mossad operation that involved taking over and running a diving resort, boat pickups by night, secret military flights into makeshift improvised runways in hostile country, passport issuing scams and the bribery of government officials to turn a blind eye to flights leaving the country. It shows the determination and level of support Israel will give to those it considers its own.
This would make a great action movie.
This would make a great action movie.
January 29, 2023
A true story about how Israel with assistance from their Mossad, other operatives and dedicated experts were able to get a large Jewish population from Ethiopia to Israel under the most dire and ever-changing conditions. Remarkable in the cooperation and expertise needed to affect such a rescue that took place over a period of years (considering the buildup, preparation and actual events.) Daring and thrilling and true heroism with an unwavering sense of mission no matter what the obstacles. Highly recommended.
October 8, 2024
This book details the entire smuggling operation of Jews from Ethiopia, rather than focusing on the resort itself. In fact, I find that the resort is minor to the story’s entirety.
That is to say that story is any less interesting. The story is told from a third person perspective, with Dani being the central focus for much of the book. It captures the essence of struggle nicely, with hierarchical, security and practical concerns challenging the startup of an iconic act. It is a tale all too familiar with leaders operating with risk, as characters are put through incredulous scenarios of espionage and smuggling. You feel as though you are a part of the operation yourself!
Worth a read.
That is to say that story is any less interesting. The story is told from a third person perspective, with Dani being the central focus for much of the book. It captures the essence of struggle nicely, with hierarchical, security and practical concerns challenging the startup of an iconic act. It is a tale all too familiar with leaders operating with risk, as characters are put through incredulous scenarios of espionage and smuggling. You feel as though you are a part of the operation yourself!
Worth a read.
June 24, 2025
The story of the Exodus of the Jews of Ethiopia to Israel is one of the great stories of modern Jewish history. Many details remained secret even now, many years later. This well-researched book documents the role played by Israel's Mossad and armed forces in creating the process which successfully moved thousands of Ethiopian Jews to Israel by land, sea, and air. A fascinating part of the story was the Mossad running a diving resort in Sudan as a cover as it was enabling Ethiopian Jews to escape.
August 21, 2025
The title is somewhat misleading. Only the 2nd half of the boom is related to the title. Its much more than the title, 20 years after the event the author gets to write a true and detailed account of bringing the Ethiopian jews to Israel. We get to understand their history, and deep convictions and belief in the promised land. Excellent historical reference as well as a great true adventure story.
August 21, 2020
Knowing this is a true story made it all the more engaging. This is about an amazing journey of Ethiopian Jews/Refugees risking their lives to secretly escape to Israel, and the Israeli people who helped make this a reality. A story of selflessness and determination to bring a group of people who were only discovered last century to exist!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews