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Deep Six (Dirk Pitt #7)

3.81 of 5 stars 3.81 · rating details · 7,815 ratings · 118 reviews

The President disappears from his yacht just as poison is released into the ocean. Dirk Pitt must save the government, its leader--and seize personal revenge.

Mass Market Paperback, 470 pages

Published June 1985 by Pocket (first published January 1st 1984)

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Dec 23, 2007 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I cannot say that I disliked the book, but I'm not sure that I need to read another Cussler story. He's a good writer, in that action and adventure sort of way, where leading men are strong, moral and all of the women love them. His stories are well plotted, lots happens, not necessarily by the way of surprise plot twists, but the action scenes are well thought out with the hero racing from one predicament to the next. At the end of the book, the hero saves the damsel and the villain perishes. N...more

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Mar 28, 2008 Felicia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It seems like each time I start reading a Clive Cussler book I finish the first chapter and say, "Oh my god this guy can write." This was no exception. This story is quick, entertaining, and thoroughly enjoyable. As I noted last time, it also has too many coincidences, takes on plot elements so big that they verge on ridiculous and diverges sharply from reality. This doesn't bother me, although I admit that I think that Tom Clancy does a better job with realism. On the other hand, I don't think...more

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Mar 07, 2009 Brooke rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009, thriller

This actually ended up being better than I expected. After being disappointed by too many books in a row, I decided to go for the next Dirk Pitt novel on my TBR list. I figured that at least I'd know I was getting into melodramatic and over-the-top situations. Clive and Dirk delivered what I was looking for and then some - a Russian scheme to brainwash the President of the United States, emotional promises of vengeance coupled with pounding fists, and a half a dozen ridiculous reasons for female...more

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Jul 03, 2010 Bryan added it

Great brainless summertime read: Clive Cussler has made a very successful career at producing fast paced, entertaining adventures which provide us with a clean cut hero in the form of Dirk Pitt as he finds himself battling yet another villain out to ruin the world.

While Cussler's fans, who number in the legions, faithfully purchase each new novel as it comes out, there has been a change in the novels as they have become longer in length, with more exotic locales and more fantastic in their stori

...more Great brainless summertime read: Clive Cussler has made a very successful career at producing fast paced, entertaining adventures which provide us with a clean cut hero in the form of Dirk Pitt as he finds himself battling yet another villain out to ruin the world.

Deep Six is one of the older novels, written in the 1980s, and does not suffer from some of the far fetched coincidences that plague the latest stories. The novel concerns itself with the machinations of the Bougainville Shipping corporation. This Korean based company has used hijacking, bribery and murder to grow to its influential status and has become involved in a plot, with the Soviet Union, to kidnap and brainwash the President of the United States.

Into this steps our hero, Dirk Pitt, of the National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA) who loses a friend to one of Bougainville's old crimes. While investigating this crime, he stumbles across the Presidential kidnapping plot.

Like most of the Pitt novels, this one motors along at breakneck speed as we are introduced to a surprisingly large cast of characters and spend our time moving between US government figures trying to hide knowledge of the kidnapping plot, Soviet agents aiding and trying to block the success of the kidnapping/brainwashing scheme, a private investigator seeking revenge, and a host of myriad characters. The novel nevers spends long at any one location and there is a refreshing lack of multi-dimensionality. The good guys are always good. They are willing to risk their lives for the cause of truth and justice. The bad guys are uniformly bad with no redeeming qualities.

There are, admittedly, gaps in some of the logic and you have to decide to go along for the ride at the beginning of the novel if you hope to enjoy it. However, the novel never strays into fantasy and though it may seem improbable, it never seems unbelieveable.

In the later Dirk Pitt stories, the novels are jam packed with extra information as we learn about, among other things, the diamond trade and the trade in illegal antiquities. The earlier novels, like this one, don't seek to educate but merely to entertain. There are no extraneous scenes here, everything happens for a purpose. Simply put, it is a fun adventure. Great for those times when you just want to turn your brain off and live in the moment.

For accomplishing all that it seeks to do, this novel rates a 5 stars.

(less)

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Feb 08, 2012 Nader Elhefnawy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Clive Cussler's Deep Six can be thought of as something of a transitional work for the author, occupying a space in between his early, tightly focused, short novels like 1976's Raise the Titanic, and the sprawling epics which came later, starting with 1986's Cyclops.

This transitional quality is apparent in Cussler's handling of the book's two main plot threads – the first, an investigation of a marine disaster in the northern Pacific, and the second, the mystery following the disappearance of th...more Clive Cussler's Deep Six can be thought of as something of a transitional work for the author, occupying a space in between his early, tightly focused, short novels like 1976's Raise the Titanic, and the sprawling epics which came later, starting with 1986's Cyclops.

This transitional quality is apparent in Cussler's handling of the book's two main plot threads – the first, an investigation of a marine disaster in the northern Pacific, and the second, the mystery following the disappearance of the presidential yacht with the President, VP, House Speaker and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate all aboard.

The first mystery engages Pitt and his friends from NUMA exclusively for the first third of the book or so. They only become involved with the second mystery in the book's middle, and play only a minor role in that investigation until the last third of the story, when the two threads finally converge. Filling the gap is a great deal of inside-the-Beltway intriguing among officials of the National Security Council and the Secret Service. As is usual with such thrillers, Cussler's portrait of D.C. struck me as simplistic, inauthentic and lacking in nuance, almost a civics class textbook version of governance. The foreign politics are equally flat, down to the foreign villains (which are, as one might expect, one-dimensional clichés that occasionally verge on racism). Indeed, the Soviet strategy comes off as astonishingly clumsy, in stark counterpoint to the tactical and technological genius the KGB and its partners display in executing the scheme.

In short, others have done this stuff before and after and in many cases better, and it is poor compensation for what is missing in the earlier parts of the story, where in their limited appearances Pitt and company do not do much more than contribute to a couple of underwater searches (the second of them treated rather briefly), and engage in some mostly stationary detective work. We are more than halfway through the story before Pitt has his first brushes with the bad guys, and it is some time after that before he gets up to his usual antics. The result is a story that gets better as it goes along, with the last third providing exactly the kind of thing I've enjoyed in his books, especially in the action-packed finale full of over-the-top heroics, flashy military hardware and creative anachronism as the clock ticks down to disaster – but getting there is occasionally a slog.(less)

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Feb 16, 2010 Donnie Springfield rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Clive Cussler formula is simple: historic event leads to present day discovery, but the hero isn't the only party interested in the historic find. Action ensues, the bad guys are beaten and the hero gets the girl. The formula is not tired, but this is an exhausting outing for hero Dirk Pitt.

Dirk Pitt is an all American Jacques Cousteau and James Bond hybrid, a collector of classic cars, connoisseur of classy women and expert in all things oceanic. In Deep Six, Pitt faces the destruction of...more

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Jul 24, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It was ok. I thought it was kind of funny how dated parts of it were. For example, the President of the USA's secretary was using a typewriter. The book does take place in 1989 and it was written then, so it is authentic in that. There was a lot of almost sci-fi, with the Manchurian Candidate stuff about kidnapping the President and brain washing him. I honestly don't think we could do that now, let alone in the 80s. I'm going to read the next book, Cyclops, next. That's about business men havin...more

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May 11, 2009 Janet rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This book is proof that it is possible to actively root for fictional characters. The scene where the Stonewall Jackson filled with civilian Civil War re-enactors chases down and subdues Lee Tong’s tug boat is some of the best writing I’ve read in years. I was mentally thinking “Hell yeah! Go! Go! Go! Go!” and if Liana and Nate hadn’t been in the room I probably would have started cheering out loud. The only complaint I have is about the “Nerve Agent S” subplot. I know Cussler was using it as an...more

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Nov 19, 2012 Ryan Scicluna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: clive-cussler

I really enjoyed reading this book. The plot is a bit far fetched but the way it was written made it a suspenseful thriller. All the characters have body and make the book more realistic in a way. The only problem I had was with Dirk Pitt (the star of the series), I like him but the fact that he physically gets beaten to death and endures a lot of physical challenges and recovers in a few seconds as if nothing happened, well that's a bit too much for me. I would have no problem if he spends at l...more

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Feb 02, 2009 Patrick Gibson rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: nobody, really

Shelves: testosterone

Dirk Pitt finally makes love to Al Giordano.

Not really. (But one has to wonder.)

The villain is Korea and their plot to kidnap the President. There is piracy, murder and the potential to kill all life in the oceans. You don’t need to know more. The formula was well established even in this early Cussler novel. The impossible situations are escaped in clever ways, divergent elements are brought together in head-scratching succession and Dirk breaks a few more hearts (but not Giordano’s—probably to...more

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Apr 09, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Clive Cussler fans!

In this seventh installment of the Dirk Pitt series, Deep six we get a whole lot more Dirk, which I loved! Unlike the last two books that switched around with different points of view every few pages, and not having Dirk's point of view almost at all, in this one again it does switch points of view but not nearly as much also as I said it has a whole lot more of Dirk's point of view.

Deep six, which I still don't understand the name unlike the others where I figured it out in the book, is about...more

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Feb 26, 2012 Frank rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This one will keep you riveted to the book. Dirk Pitt is in this one and one of best characters of Clive Cussler. Sunken chemicals in Alaska and the threat of destroying ocean life only sets the stage for a deeper plot, an international plot to kidnap the president. A Ghost ship and a burning luxury liner all adding to the many layers of this fascinating tale. This book has all the excitement and thrilling adventure of the other prior 6 books with a fascinating ending.

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Mar 14, 2013 Julia rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wow..this is a book you won't be able to put down. I'm not into thrillers, butI absolutely recommend it. I can only give it three because some of it seems wildly implausible, but the opening chapter into the bank teller's lonely life and her gutsy escape to what she hoped was freedom was an incredible intro. Too bad Clive wasn't into literary genre, but still worth the read. The man absolutely can write!

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Aug 19, 2012 Jill rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: over-the-top-action-adventure

This is your typical Dirk Pitt adventure. Much like reading a cheesy action/guy movie, it's full of explosions, women, impossible Hail Mary passes, and so much more macho awesomeness. I loved every second. Granted, his adventures are so ridiculous and far flung that there is no feasible way that they could ever happen, but it's always fun to image the outlandish one-sided battles that Cussler writes Pitt into winning. If you're looking for a good action escape read, this one will certainly deliv...more

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Sep 02, 2012 Debbie rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: dirk-pitt, action-adventure, historical-fiction

Best in the series so far -- much better than Iceberg. The historical information is great and was woven into an interesting and plausible story. I always enjoy the tight spots the heroes get into and the ingenious ways they escape. The way Cussler intertwines all the plots, with all the intrigue, action, mystery make you want to read cover to cover without putting it down.

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Nov 06, 2009 John Shumway rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is the same comment for all the Dirk Pitt books:
Great set of books, I had to stagger these books into my reading rotation since they are so similar.
Dirk Series Book in less then 50 words.
(introduction to bad guy, introduction to hot chick, introduction to Dirk, Dirk gets in impossible dangerous situations to stop the bad guy, Dirk wins, Dirk gets the hot chick.)

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Mar 09, 2011 Tom Park rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As with any series that has a star protagonist, you kinda know he isn't going to be killed off before the end of the novel. With Cussler, the fun is in the convoluted plot twists that get you to the end, never really knowing who all will survive yet another day. This is a bit of a fun read with a touch of sci fi to make you wonder if it could really happen.

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Mar 21, 2010 Jeff Brateman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In the words of Joe, "cookie-cutter" books. Each book is similar, bad guy wants to do something huge, Dirk Pitt's job to stop them. I read these 3 books a while ago, and don't remember what each was about, but remember the description of each major character pretty well. Anyways, you read one, you read them all.

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Mar 16, 2013 Steve Sarrica rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The seventh Dirk Pitt book. It has been a while since I've read one and Dirk seems more distant and less clearly drawn compared to earlier works. The plot to Deep Six is way, way out there, but the details are well thought out and entertainingly presented. James Bond wouldn't believe this story.

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May 06, 2011 Jake rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The president is kidnapped and brain washed, a poison is killing everything in the Pacific, and Dirk Pitt's car is blown up. Dirk is once again the man charging into battle on the open sea in a paddle boat with a bunch of Confederate Soldiers (reenatcto

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Mar 19, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction-and-westerns

A ghost ship drifts across the northern Pacific.... A Soviet luxury liner burns like a funeral pyre....
And the U.S. President's yacht is heading for disaster....
Somewhere off the coast of Alaska, a sunken cargo poses a threat of unthinkable proportions. Potentially, the lost shipment of chemicals could destroy all life in the ocean -- and perhaps the world -- unless DIRK PITT® can find it first. But time is running out for the NUMA agent and his team. Pitt's main target is just one deadly compon...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Macjest rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Since I read one of his books last month I thought I'd go back and read another one that I don't remember that well. This one features the President getting kidnapped and Dirk Pitt has to find him before you know what breaks loose. Another fun read.

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Mar 08, 2009 David Feinstein rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

You want character development and real-world men and women, read something else. You want good, old-fashioned excitement, danger and adventure, read Cussler's Dirk Pitt. Great escape! Mr. Cussler, when do we get to see the movie?

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Dec 30, 2012 Neville rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A good Cussler read. Pitt andd Giordino as the key players in the book with a number of various twists and turns. Of course the story line is pure fiction, but you get into the story and enjoy the chance to let your mind get away from the real world.

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Aug 19, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Again, typical Cussler. I enjoy reading Cussler for the James Bond-esque adventures. Such a plot is obviously unbelievable, yet that is what I expect from him therefore it does not bother me. Great for a summer read to lose myself in!

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Nov 13, 2007 Jared rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

This is the first book I've read by Clive Cussler, and will probably stay that way. If you're really into quick-read books that don't require thought (and, indeed, often require you not to think) like those written by Dan Brown and John Grisham, you might like his books. If you like lots of action, improbable travel times, things blowing up, people dying in various inventive ways, and the hero getting through it all mostly unscathed, you might like this book. I thought it was okay, up until the...more

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Apr 27, 2013 Jennifer rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed it but it was as silly as usual. Dirk Pitt saves America....this time evil Koreans and the Russians kidnap the President and others and implant a chip in his brain for mind control. I thought the book was way too long and there was a lot of waffle that was unnecessary. Still, it kept me occupied on the train.

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Feb 10, 2009 Lindy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: just-read

Read this aloud to my stepdad and really enjoyed the adventures of Dirk Pitt- my first one. I though Cussler pulled the characters together well, though not my favorite genre of books- but would love this in a movie!

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May 03, 2013 Uwe rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

What a ridiculous story, so fare away from EVERTHING .....unbelievable that he wrote this story, JUST forget and start another one or read it and get rid of your brain ! Have fun .......then.

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Oct 02, 2012 Brandon Baggett rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: pleasure

My love for Clive Cussler slowly grows and I am excited to read more of the wild adventures of Dirk Pitt. I recommend these books for anyone who enjoys a nice thriller/action.

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About Clive Cussler

Cussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time...more Cussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.

Cussler is an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers have discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.

In September, 1998, NUMA - which turns over all artifacts to state and Federal authorities, or donates them to museums and universities - launched its own web site for those wishing more information about maritime history or wishing to make donations to the organization. (www.numa.net).

In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler is also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He has been honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.

Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt r Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).

Clive Cussler lives in Arizona. (less)

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Deep Six (Dirk Pitt #7)

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