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Rating: 
Summary: Grabs you by the throat
Review: "The invisible hands squeezed my trachea. In desperation, I clutched at my throat to pry away the enemy's fingers. But no one had hold of me. Instant panic ... I'm out of air." These words from the prologue set the stage for a fantastic adventure. Actually, Jedwin Smith takes you on several adventures with Mel Fisher and his cast of characters as they search for and find emeralds and gold, and as they try to overcome the many barriers, including fatal ones, they face along the way. Smith is a great storyteller. You'll become one with the ocean and wonder why in the heck you didn't become a treasure seeker yourself. There's still Atocha treasure out there. I can't wait for the sequel when another mother lode is discovered.
Rating:
Summary: Adventure and Intrigue
Review: Fatal Treasure took me on an adventure few people even know still exists - diving the ocean bottom for sunken treasure. Smith took me inside one of the last frontiers where gold and silver and emeralds still can be found. Through his own experience with the treasure hunt he spun the tale of the Mel Fisher family and their lifelong quest through three generations for the Atocha; a Spanish galleon that sunk off the Florida coast during a hurricane in 1622. In the search for sunken treasure, he kept me intrigued with all the colorful characters, the triumphs and tragedies and the unfailing belief that "Today is the Day". It gave me a lesson in history , a look inside the life of a treasure diver, and a refreshing view of Key West as seen from a bicycle. He makes me believe that I am really there and have touched the treasures of the Atocha. Thank you for such a wonderful journey.Mickey Martin
Freeport, Illinois
Rating:
Summary: A rollercoaster ride
Review: Got this book from my wife who caught me staring at my collected works of Patrick O'Brien and C.S.Forester as I was contemplating rereading one or the other or both while I wait for the Russell Crowe movie to come out. Fatal Treasure was just the ticket. Smith tenderly describes wrenching family loss, grinding fruitless searching by the divers and then, well, better if you see for yourself. It gave me goose bumps.
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Summary: The Last Great Treasure Hunt
Review: Jedwin Smith takes the reader on a whirlwind ride through the hurricane's eye of decades of Mel Fisher's treasures, triumphs and tragedies while searching for the elusive Spanish Galleon, Atocha. Smith, being one of the few journalists who actually kept coming back for more, was caught up in the search and after some personal introspection, proved to have what it takes to be an accepted member of the crew. Mel Fisher was a 20th century adventurer who loved to explore the sea's tightly held secrets of the past and its many treasures. He was a man who would share his dream with anyone who would listen; those that did, would be offered the opportunity to experience that adventure first hand; if they accepted, they usually got much more than they could have ever imagined. Although the title, "Fatal Treasure", reveals the worst tragedies Mel and his crew had to endure in the course of their 16-year odyssey, the book also deals in great detail with the mindset of those who would spend their lives probing the depths to make one man's dream their own obsession. As for Mel Fisher's explanation as to why he did what he did, he had a rather simple quip to his most complex vocation. His response would be- "for the fun, romance and adventure"; an attitude and spirit of mind that embraced life and all who knew him. "Fatal Treasure" is really a story about an American hero who would not allow government interference, financial ruin or great personal tragedy sway him from what he believed was his right as an American citizen to pursue. This is the "gift" he bestowed on his crew, and became the real treasure to be found and understood. If there is an underlying theme to Smith's narrative, it would certainly be a lesson in civics about personal freedoms and how easy it would be for us to lose them, and if we do, "Fatal Treasure" just may become the story of this country's "Last Great Treasure Hunt." A Great Read! 5 stars
Rating:
Summary: Taste the gold, smell the emeralds
Review: Jedwin Smith uses his journalistic talents to take you with him and the Fisher family on the roller coaster ride of a lifetime. The descriptions of the diving makes you feel the pressure in your ears, and the vivid clarity of the treasure finds makes you look around to see if an emerald is floating down on you. Smith also captures the very essence of Key West, the only really different place in the USA and home to the most congenial group of really different people you will ever meet. The book is sensuous in feel, true to the facts and an honest telling of a real adventure. This book should stand for many years to come as the definitive work on the Atocha treasure hunt.
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Summary: A vicarious adventure
Review: Reading Jedwin Smith's book, Fatal Treasure, is like going on an exciting and dangerous underwater mission, but with someone else taking all the chances. It is a vicarious experience I'll never forget. This is a wonderful book, a treasure about finding treasure.
Rating:
Summary: Gripping True Story
Review: Several books have been written on Mel Fishers treasure hunt for Atocha. However, Jedwin offers a perspective found in no other book. HE WAS THERE. Jedwin gets up close and personal with the Fisher family and treasure hunters. Jedwin takes you to the bottom of the Florida Straits with the men and women who made Fishers dream come true. You'll experience the excitement of finding treasure, and the tragedy at the lives lost in the relentless search for gold. I couldn't put it down. Semper Fi
Rating:
Summary: The Power of Dreams
Review: The power of dreams unfolds in the real life story of the Mel Fisher family, the American treasure hunters who gained international notoriety. Mel Fisher dreamt of discovering the three hundred year old Spanish Empire's vast fortune stored aboard the Atocha and Margarita, two ships that were lost and buried somewhere deep below the oceans surface off the coast of the Florida Keys. It was a daunting qwest. It was one of the longest and most successful treasure hunts in history. The story is told through the eyes of the reporter, Jedwin Smith, a friend of the Fisher family who was allowed on their expeditions. Jedwin Smith brings the story to life. You feel as though you are with them on the boats tasting the salty air, in the ocean diving with your heart racing with anticipation, and celebrating with exuberance when they make a discovery! I found myself pulled into the story anxious to find out what happened next. This story has it all. Suspense, intrigue, mystery, adventure and as the book jacket says, "... the enormous power of wealth both for good and evil." I'm waiting to find out which motion picture studio will snap up this book and make a feature movie out of it!
Rating:
Summary: The Power of Dreams
Review: The power of dreams unfolds in the real life story of the Mel Fisher family, the American treasure hunters who gained international notoriety. Mel Fisher dreamt of discovering the three hundred year old Spanish Empire's vast fortune stored aboard the Atocha and Margarita, two ships that were lost and buried somewhere deep below the oceans surface off the coast of the Florida Keys. It was a daunting qwest. It was one of the longest and most successful treasure hunts in history. The story is told through the eyes of the reporter, Jedwin Smith, a friend of the Fisher family who was allowed on their expeditions. Jedwin Smith brings the story to life. You feel as though you are with them on the boats tasting the salty air, in the ocean diving with your heart racing with anticipation, and celebrating with exuberance when they make a discovery! I found myself pulled into the story anxious to find out what happened next. This story has it all. Suspense, intrigue, mystery, adventure and as the book jacket says, "... the enormous power of wealth both for good and evil." I'm waiting to find out which motion picture studio will snap up this book and make a feature movie out of it!
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