Full Fathom Five

About the Book

book description: Full Fathom Five is a wonderful story of the sponge fishermen—Americans of Greek ancestry—of Tarpon Springs, Florida, their strange and beautiful customs, and the warmth and goodness of their way of life. It is a story told by Alek Paradisis, a man who believed he could solve any problem with his fist.

About the Author

Ahmad Kamal was born on a Colorado Indian reservation in 1914 of Turco-Tatar parents who were forced into exile by the Tsar for participation in the 1905 revolution. Kamal's genetic makeup imprinted all his endeavors, be they as deep sea diver, combat pilot, horseman, warrior, or as exponent of national self-determination.

Kamal commanded the Basmachi Rebellion in Turkistan in the 1920s and 1930s, supported the independence of Indonesia and Algeria, and was commanding general of the Muslim liberation forces of the Union of Burma in the 1980s. Though he devoted his entire life to the independence of his fatherland from Russian and Chinese yokes, he died a month short of the collapse of the USSR. Japan's press, Asahi Shimbun marked his existence, stating: "Ahmad Kamal lived like a Samurai—and died like a Samurai."