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| Clive Eric Cussler |
Clive Cussler was a prolific American author of thrillers, especially featuring Dirk Pitt. He was born in Illinois in 1931 and I was surprised to discover died in Arizona in Feb 2020. Over his life he wrote 80+ books in 5 different thriller series. A number feature an agency he founded, the National and Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA). Thus far I've focused on his Isaac Bell series but have also read a couple in his Dirk Pitt series. I'll highlight each series.
1. Dirk Pitt.
"Pacific Vortex! is the first book in Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventure series. I've previously enjoyed the first three books in his Isaac Bell mystery / adventure series and I've wanted to try his other series for a while now. I've purchased the first book in each of his other series.
So to start off with, before you take on this book, suspend disbelief. Very important. It's a far-fetched, full-on adventure. Dirk Pitt works for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency. He's a rebel, strong-willed, tough, handsome and can seemingly do almost anything; fly helicopters and planes, scuba dive, yada yada yada.
The story starts with the disappearance of an experimental US Navy nuclear submarine in an area known as the Pacific Vortex.. sort of the equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle, except it's little known and mysterious. Months after the disappearance, Pitt, while swimming in Hawaii, on a hidden beach comes across a flotation capsule that seemingly came from the Starbuck. He returns it to the Navy and they take him on to discover what happened to the sub, to try and locate its remains and also to find out more about the Pacific Vortex.
Thus begins a thrill ride of extraordinary dimensions. Attempts are made on Pitt's life, underwater adventures take place in the Pacific Vortex, more killings and dangerous exploits. Who is this mysterious Delphi? Are the Russians involved? And what the heck is Kaniloni? (and no it's not an Italian pastry... well, yes it is, but not in this case)
As I mentioned at the beginning, much of the action and the story is far-fetched, but at the same time, it's full of action, easy and fun to read... and a good introduction to Dirk Pitt. I think I preferred the Isaac Bell stories, at least so far, but I do want to try more of the series to see if the stories improve and if we find out more about Dirk Pitt. It didn't scare me away (a light 3 stars)"
So to start off with, before you take on this book, suspend disbelief. Very important. It's a far-fetched, full-on adventure. Dirk Pitt works for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency. He's a rebel, strong-willed, tough, handsome and can seemingly do almost anything; fly helicopters and planes, scuba dive, yada yada yada.
The story starts with the disappearance of an experimental US Navy nuclear submarine in an area known as the Pacific Vortex.. sort of the equivalent of the Bermuda Triangle, except it's little known and mysterious. Months after the disappearance, Pitt, while swimming in Hawaii, on a hidden beach comes across a flotation capsule that seemingly came from the Starbuck. He returns it to the Navy and they take him on to discover what happened to the sub, to try and locate its remains and also to find out more about the Pacific Vortex.
Thus begins a thrill ride of extraordinary dimensions. Attempts are made on Pitt's life, underwater adventures take place in the Pacific Vortex, more killings and dangerous exploits. Who is this mysterious Delphi? Are the Russians involved? And what the heck is Kaniloni? (and no it's not an Italian pastry... well, yes it is, but not in this case)
As I mentioned at the beginning, much of the action and the story is far-fetched, but at the same time, it's full of action, easy and fun to read... and a good introduction to Dirk Pitt. I think I preferred the Isaac Bell stories, at least so far, but I do want to try more of the series to see if the stories improve and if we find out more about Dirk Pitt. It didn't scare me away (a light 3 stars)"
b. Iceberg (#3 / 1975).
"Iceberg by Clive Cussler is the 3rd book in the Dirk Pitt series featuring NUMA and the 2nd book I've read. I've also read the first to in Cussler's Isaac Bell series and have to say that so far I prefer the latter series. But if you like an adventure with lots of action, you'll enjoy this.
The plot is quite convoluted and difficult to describe concisely. So let's see... An iceberg, monitored by the US Coast Guard is discovered to have a ship frozen into it. Dirk Pitt and an oceanologist, Hunnewell, fly to it on a helicopter and discover its been destroyed by fire along with the crew. The Russians also seem to be interested. Flying onward to Iceland to report their findings, their helicopter is attacked by a mysterious jet, forcing Pitt to crash into the sea, but not before he manages to also disable the aircraft. This begins a fast-paced, twisting adventure about undersea exploration, taking over countries and involving many, many deaths / murders.
It's an entertaining adventure / action thriller, but with almost too many twists and turns. As well, there is a constant almost toxic masculinity, but I guess that's a product of the times. Heroes had to be aggressive, masculine, tough.. Pitt is all of those things. In general, I was entertained and the story moved along quickly. (3 stars)"
The plot is quite convoluted and difficult to describe concisely. So let's see... An iceberg, monitored by the US Coast Guard is discovered to have a ship frozen into it. Dirk Pitt and an oceanologist, Hunnewell, fly to it on a helicopter and discover its been destroyed by fire along with the crew. The Russians also seem to be interested. Flying onward to Iceland to report their findings, their helicopter is attacked by a mysterious jet, forcing Pitt to crash into the sea, but not before he manages to also disable the aircraft. This begins a fast-paced, twisting adventure about undersea exploration, taking over countries and involving many, many deaths / murders.
It's an entertaining adventure / action thriller, but with almost too many twists and turns. As well, there is a constant almost toxic masculinity, but I guess that's a product of the times. Heroes had to be aggressive, masculine, tough.. Pitt is all of those things. In general, I was entertained and the story moved along quickly. (3 stars)"
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"Dirk Pitt rides a tidal wave of intrigue in this classic Cussler.
On an isolated Greek island, a World War I fighter plane attacks a modern U.S. Air Force base--a mysterious saboteur preys on an American scientific expedition--and Dirk Pitt plays a deadly game of hunter and hunted with the elusive head of an international smuggling ring."
On an isolated Greek island, a World War I fighter plane attacks a modern U.S. Air Force base--a mysterious saboteur preys on an American scientific expedition--and Dirk Pitt plays a deadly game of hunter and hunted with the elusive head of an international smuggling ring."
"A potential
breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming…a series of unexplained
deaths in British Columbia…a rash of international incidents between
the United States and a longtime ally that threatens to erupt into a
shooting war. NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk. Jr. and
Summer, know there's a connection—but they also know they have very
little time to find it.
Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived from that doomed mission. And if Pitt and his buddy Al Giordino aren't careful, the very same fate may await them…and the world."
Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived from that doomed mission. And if Pitt and his buddy Al Giordino aren't careful, the very same fate may await them…and the world."
2. NUMA.
"When Kurt Austin, the
leader of a courageous National Underwater & Marine Agency
exploration team, rescues beautiful marine archaeologist Nina Kirov off
the coast of Morocco, he becomes the next target of Texas industrialist
Don Halcon. A madman bent on carving a new nation out of the
southwestern United States and Mexico, Halcon's scheme hinges on Nina's
recent discovery involving Christopher Columbus, and a priceless
pre-Columbian antiquity buried in the battered remains of the sunken
Italian luxury liner "Andrea Doria." Only Kurt Austin and his crack NUMA
team stand between Halcon and the "Andrea Doria's" silent steel hull --
and if their deadly mission fails, Halcon will ride to power on a wave
of death and destruction."
"A Kurt Austin Adventure
In Serpent, his New York Times bestseller, Clive Cussler introduced Kurt
Austin, a hero for the new millennium, and created a new bunch of NUMA super-sleuths who infused his work with a...jolt of energy (The Denver
Post). Now Austin and his crew slake their thirst for action as they
attempt to drown an eco-extortionist's plan to control the world's
freshwater supply. BLUE GOLD A Novel from the NUMA Files From deep
within the Venezuelan rain forest emanates the legend of a white goddess
and a mysterious tribe with startling technical accomplishments. Few
believe the tribe exists -- and even fewer suspect its deity may hold
knowledge that can change the course of history. For National Underwater
& Marine Agency crew leader Kurt Austin, an investigation into the
sudden deaths of rare whales leads him to the Mexican coast, where
someone tries to put him and his mini-sub permanently out of commission.
Meanwhile, in South America's lush hills, a specially assigned NUMA
crew turns up the white-goddess legend -- and a murderous cadre of
bio-pirates intent on stealing medicinal secrets worth millions. Soon
Austin and his crew realize they're working the opposite ends of the
same grand scheme. A billionaire California tycoon is poised to rise to
power by monopolizing the earth's vastly depleted freshwater reserves
and ultimately dominate the world. Austin has a hunch Venezuela's
mythical tribal goddess has some real roots in science, and may be the
key to locating a secret formula that could turn vast amounts of
seawater into fresh. But with each step into the bush, he and his NUMA
team feel like fish out of water -- and must fight a deadly,
twisting trail of enemies through a dense jungle of treachery, blackmail,
and murder."
"In the heart of the old
Soviet Union, a mining tycoon is determined to overthrow the Russian
government-distracting the U.S. with a man-made natural disaster using a
notoriously unstable compound known as "fire ice." Detonation of this
compound could create a tidal wave big enough to destroy a major city.
But Kurt Austin and his Special Assignment Team are about to make a few
waves of their own..."
3. Oregon Files.
"In his first
feature-length adventure, it's up to Cabrillo and his crew of expert
intelligence and Naval men to put Tibet back in the hands of the Dalai
Lama by striking a deal with the Russians and the Chinese. His gambling
chip is a golden Buddha containing records of vast oil reserves in the
disputed land.
But first, he'll have to locate—and steal—the all-important artifact. And there are certain people who would do anything in their power to see him fail..."
But first, he'll have to locate—and steal—the all-important artifact. And there are certain people who would do anything in their power to see him fail..."
"Cabrillo and his motley
crew aboard the clandestine spy ship Oregon have made a very comfortable
and very dangerous living working for high-powered Western interests.
But their newest clients have come from the Far East to ask for
Cabrillo's special brand of assistance: a consortium of Japanese
shipping magnates whose fortunes are being threatened by brutal pirates
trolling the waters of Southeast Asia.
Normally, such attacks on the high seas are limited to smaller ships and foreign-owned yachts-easy targets on the open ocean. Now, however, giant commercial freighters are disappearing. But when Cabrillo confronts the enemy, he learns that the pirates' predations hide a deadly international conspiracy-a scheme of death and slavery that Juan Cabrillo is going to blow out of the water."
Normally, such attacks on the high seas are limited to smaller ships and foreign-owned yachts-easy targets on the open ocean. Now, however, giant commercial freighters are disappearing. But when Cabrillo confronts the enemy, he learns that the pirates' predations hide a deadly international conspiracy-a scheme of death and slavery that Juan Cabrillo is going to blow out of the water."
4. Isaac Bell.
"This is my first experience with Clive Cussler and I enjoyed very much. A nice, well-paced historical thriller with car chases, train chases, bank robberies, all good stuff. I especially found the bit about the San Francisco earthquake interesting as I had read a book about those events last year and it reminded me of that excellent story. Isaac Bell is an interesting character, son of a rich banker who has chosen to fight crime and now chases a bank robber/ murderer for the Van Dorn Detective agency. He's definitely larger than life but still thoughtful. The killer is also interesting, a sociopath who thrives on the thrill of the robberies he commits and cares not for life. An extreme challenge for Bell. An interesting time in history, pre WWI as the US is becoming a major power but still a bit of a wild frontier. Most enjoyable. 3.5 stars"
"Wow! I wonder if Clive Cussler gets paid by the word; or maybe because he has a co-writer for many of his books, they both feel that they need to contribute 200+ pages for each book. OK, enough kidding. Considering it's size, The Wrecker, the 2nd book in the Isaac Bell thriller / mystery series, is a page-turning thrill-ride.
Isaac Bell is the top detective in the Joseph Van Dorn Detective Agency. Van Dorn assigns Bell to catch and stop The Wrecker, an unknown enemy who seems bent on destroying the Southern Pacific Railway company owned by millionaire, Oswald Hennessy. Trains are derailed, people killed, damage to the major railway tunnel that Hennessy is trying to build through the Cascade Mountains. Bell and his team of Van Dorn agents must race against time to find out who this mysterious Wrecker is and also to save Hennessy's railway.
It's a fast-paced story, full of action (some which you just have to suspend disbelief with) that leaves you breathless and tension and thrills. Bell races from one end of the country to try to find out who the Wrecker is and to try and stop his plans. We meet his lover Marion Morgan, an intelligent, beautiful, independent woman, again as Isaac and Marion build on their relationship. We meet The Wrecker and get a peak at his plans as they develop throughout the story.
All in all, it's a fun ride, rocketing throughout the United States in the early 1900's, as the railways were trying to unite the country and the world was filled with adventure. Great stuff! (3.5 stars)"
"1908, and American engineering geniuses are being killed off one by one . . .
When a brilliant battleship gun engineer commits suicide, his disbelieving family turn to legendary Van Dorn Detective Agency. Quickly on the case, Isaac Bell establishes that the clues point not to suicide, but murder.
So when further deaths connected to a top-secret project follow, Bell realizes that this is sabotage. With the world plunging towards war, it's clearly a spy at large. But which of the many foreign agents he has encountered is responsible? Or is there a more sinister explanation?
In a blistering story featuring dreadnought battleships and railroads, criminal gangs and beautiful women, The Spy is a breathtaking thriller that just happens to have at stake the fate of the world."
"1910, and America's first ever cross-country flying race has been sabotaged . . .
Newspaper magnate Preston Whiteway is offering a big prize for the first aviator to cross America in under fifty days. He wants Josephine Frost - the country's leading as well as most glamorous pilot - to win. Which is why he's hired Isaac Bell of the Van Dorn Detective Agency.
Josephine saw her husband Harry Frost kill a man. Now he wants her dead. And with underworld contacts ready to help in every city en route, he'll do anything, go after anyone who gets in his way - including Whiteway and Bell."
5. Fargo Adventures.
"Thousands of years ago, the Persian king Xerxes the Great was said to have raided the Treasury at Delphi, carrying away two solid gold pillars as tribute. In 1800, Napoleon Bonaparte and his army stumble across the pillars in the Pennine Alps. Unable to transport them Napoleon creates a map on the labels of twelve bottles of rare wine. And when Napoleon dies, the bottles disappear.
Treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo are exploring the Great Pocomoke Swamp in Delaware when they are shocked to discover a World War II German u-boat. Inside, they find a bottle taken from Napoleon's 'lost cellar.' Fascinated, the Fargos set out to find the rest of the collection. But another connoisseur of sorts has been looking for the bottle they've just found. He is Hadeon Bondaruk - a half- Russian, half-Persian millionaire. He claims to be a descendant of King Xerxes himself.
And he wants his treasure back."
I've got a bit of reading to do. The complete listing of Cussler's works is available at this link.
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