Under the Red Sea Sun
Encyclopedia
Under the Red Sea Sun is a book by Edward Ellsberg
describing salvage operations of the many ships scuttled by the Italians to block the port of Massawa on the Red Sea
coast of Eritrea
during World War II. Massawa
's excellent harbor was vital first to the Italian then to the British war effort.
Ellsberg, a skilled writer, described how a small group of workers under his direction accomplished an almost Herculean task with virtually no resources. Much of the story is an entertaining account of the bureaucratic politics of working in a remote backwater far from support and assistance.
Ellsberg paints a realistic picture of confusion and incompetence in the early days of the war. He was particularly caustic about the American civilian contractor building facilities at Ghinda
and Asmara
, where it was much cooler than at Massawa but was too far away for the facilities to ever be used by harbor personnel.
's Polish division (Eurobank Poland) to create a corporate project management training program called Massawa Training, which in 2007 won the PMI Award in its category.
Edward Ellsberg
Rear Admiral Edward Ellsberg, OBE was an officer in the United States Navy and a popular author. He was widely known as "Commander Ellsberg."-Early years:...
describing salvage operations of the many ships scuttled by the Italians to block the port of Massawa on the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
coast of Eritrea
Eritrea
Eritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
during World War II. Massawa
Massawa
Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa Massawa, also known as Mitsiwa (Ge'ez ምጽዋዕ , formerly ባጽዕ is a city on the Red Sea coast of Eritrea. An important port for many centuries, it was ruled by a succession of polities, including the Axumite Empire, the Umayyad Caliphate,...
's excellent harbor was vital first to the Italian then to the British war effort.
Ellsberg, a skilled writer, described how a small group of workers under his direction accomplished an almost Herculean task with virtually no resources. Much of the story is an entertaining account of the bureaucratic politics of working in a remote backwater far from support and assistance.
Ellsberg paints a realistic picture of confusion and incompetence in the early days of the war. He was particularly caustic about the American civilian contractor building facilities at Ghinda
Ghinda
Ghinda is a town in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea. It lies between Asmara and Massawa.-Overview:Ghinda is a major fruit and vegetable growing area and a centre for Tigre Muslims. It lies near the springs of Sabarguma...
and Asmara
Asmara
Asmara is the capital city and largest settlement in Eritrea, home to a population of around 579,000 people...
, where it was much cooler than at Massawa but was too far away for the facilities to ever be used by harbor personnel.
Quotation
Ellsberg, who had vast technical knowledge and experience, described experts as "...people who know so much about how things have been done in the past that they are usually blind to how they can be done in the future."Reviews
- Atlantic 178:172. December 1946.
- Booklist 43:84. November 15, 1946.
- Christian Science Monitor, November 15, 1946. P. 16.
- New York Times November 3, 1946. P. 5.
- New Yorker 22:65. December 28, 1946.
- San Francisco Chronicle, November 12, 1946. P16.
- Saturday Review 29:14. November 16, 1946.
The book as inspiration
The story of Ellsberg's heroic effort inspired EurobankSociété Générale
Société Générale S.A. is a large European Bank and a major Financial Services company that has a substantial global presence. Its registered office is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, while its head office is in the Tours Société Générale in the business district of La...
's Polish division (Eurobank Poland) to create a corporate project management training program called Massawa Training, which in 2007 won the PMI Award in its category.