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Apr 09, 2009

Paris rated it:

Great survival adventure with zombies and toxic waste all on top of a shocking conspiracy theory. I know that movies never ever live up to the books they were based on, but this one takes the cake. If I heard right, Cussler even tried to sue the movie for using his character names and book title because the movie was so far from the book. The characters were all wrong, the plot was missing its key element and the action (that movies usually can replicate to a degree) was boring. But, the book st More...

1 comment like (2 people liked it)

Aug 01, 2007

Murphy rated it:

This review is in honor of my Mother. My husband got me reading Clive Cussler and I loved Dirk Pitt, man about town,treasure hunter and Savior of the Universe on a regular basis. I got my Mom to read them and now that is about all she reads. She keeps reading them over and over, thinking every time is the first time. She will tell you that you always learn something about the world from Clive Cussler and it is true. Rather like a James Bond on steroids, Dirk swashes his way through adventure, wo More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Aug 21, 2007

Michael rated it:

Please, if you have seen the movie but have not read the book, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy. The movie was absolute shit. A complete bastardization of a great read. 3/4 of the book was not there. The actors sucked and the screen play...I have no words. The characters as Cussler writes them are fantastic. You get so wrapped up in this book you will not go to bed until you finish it. The story starts out with a bang and just keeps twisting and turning. This is not pulitzer materi More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Feb 06, 2009

Patrick rated it:

If you were a novice to Cusslers books and asked me which to begin with, I would probably choose this one. It’s among his earlier books written before he became his own national monument on the Washington Mall. Don’t get me wrong. I like his books and read them as quickly as I devour M&M’s—no nutritional value but sure as hell taste good. I enjoyed waiting to see how the author would tie in the Ironclad and the body of Lincoln—something I don’t think the movie accomplished. Speaking of which: th More...

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Jan 26, 2012

Jim rated it:

I saw the movie & then read the book. It wasn't bad, but was definitely a candy read. A lot of unlikely events come together to make this a non-stop thriller. Suspension of disbelief is a must from the get go, but there is enough logic overall to make it enjoyable. Pitt reminds me of a modern James Bond from the movies - not the books - in that he's the man's man, equally at home underwater or climbing a mountain, with top skills in just about everything, handsome, witty, & .... Well, you g More...

5 comments like (7 people liked it)

Sep 14, 2010

Jeremy rated it:

Another terrific Cussler adventure helmed by the stalwart Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino. The way that Cussler ties together the mysterious disappearance of a Civil War ship and the mysterious disappearance of a world famous aviator with a sinister current-day plot unraveling the scum of true intentions hiding under a hazardous waste plant is brilliant...although having read Inca Gold first (the book that comes after this one in the series), the intersection of all these imaginative plot points feel More...

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Aug 04, 2009

Rae rated it:

This was one of those "oh sh** I'm about to board a plane and I have no books to read why am I such an idiot OH LOOK an airport bookstore!!" books. I started reading it on the plane, was utterly freaked out by the cannibalistic scene at the very beginning of the book, and gave up on it for several months. When I did end up going back to it, I quite liked it. I doubt I would read anything like it again, but it was fun to jump into the whole "action" genre for a while and be sw More...

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Jul 14, 2009

Ammon rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Mar 04, 2010

Lindsey rated it:

I claimed this book because the movie is one of my favorite guilty-pleasure flicks. It isn't good by any stretch of imagination but it's fun and whacky and silly. It's a nice movie to watch when you just want to giggle aimlessly at something.

Usually, when I love a book, I hate the movie. There's just no way to pack all the story and depth and characterization of a novel into a two-hour show. It's impossible. So if I liked the book, I tend to ignore the movie completely. Inverse More...

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jan 18, 2009

Scott added it

Loved this book. Wish it had more Civil War content, instead of it just being a subtext...

I want to talk about the Movie that came out about this... it's a tangent, so bear with me... when I read a book, my imagination always supplies the face and mannerisms and perhaps the actor- of the characters in the text.

I just wanted to say that I was at first skeptical, then happy with the casting of Matthew McConagnahy as Dirk Pitt! Of course, although I love Steve Zahn- and he was More...

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Jan 13, 2011

Joshua rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

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Nov 08, 2011

Ken rated it:

I'll temper this saying I have never read any Clive Cussler before. This must put me in a minority as the trade paperback I'm reading says there are 125 million books in print.

I'm only at the beginning and the backstory created interest and it appears to be developing into a pretty intriguing story. The reason I'm commenting so early is I have some gripes with the editing or, the lazy effort by the author.

In one scene, the heroine's car is being torched. The descripti More...

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Jun 10, 2010

Rainier rated it:

I have read every fiction and non-fiction piece CC has had his name on and in recent years that is about all he has to do with the books, but the good news is all of the writers he "co-authors" with write in a similar style and have all been worth the read. He is another one of those authors you should read from his first work forward for several reasons. he also has several character sets that he used and are now being used by his co-authors so that in itself can cause issues. BUT More...

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Jul 25, 2010

Amber rated it:

I admit, I tried the book because I enjoyed the movie. However, the book and the movie are night and day. The plot is so much more expansive in Cussler's version. I enjoyed the adventure and the two male protagonists. I didn't so much care for the heroine or certain situations (much like Pitt putting a gun to the heroine's head and almost killing her to spare her from another ill fate to be stopped just short of the task). Some dialogue made me cringe, like that at the dinner scene in the beginn More...

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Jan 23, 2009

Kristy rated it:

If you love a good Clive Cussler...I think this is one of his best! And who can help but love Dirk Pitt. I really enjoyed this Dirk Pitt book because usually they take place in the middle of the seas, but here Dirk has to survive the desert on what little knowledge he picked up as a Boy Scout; and find a ship that was grounded in a dried up river bed so long ago that the sands have completely covered it. I love how Eva, the World Health Organization doctor is saved just in the nick of time by Al More...

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Jul 18, 2011

Eileen rated it:

I loved this book, it was one of my favorite until some of his new ones came out. I love the surprise ending, it was a great book and the movie was great fun. If all you have seen is the movie then you have missed the best part of the duo. The combination of Al and Dirk is so good in this book just like in their other books where they are together. They play well off of each other and the story moves forward as seen through their eyes. Even though you know that everything will be all right More...

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Jan 29, 2012

Mallory rated it:

Another crackling Cussler thriller! I swear, I don't know how he does it, keeping all these seemingly unrelated plot points going and drawing them all together at the end. And I love all the historical connections and revisionist history he brings into the story as well. I think this may be the first time Dirk Pitt doesn't do any diving or undersea exploration during his exploits. Of course, the title is "Sahara," so that makes sense. Kazim and Massarde were excellent villains, purely More...

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Sep 29, 2011

Amar rated it:

The book starts of a bit slow. Fould it a little boring till about the time they were about to reach Mali. And then it picks up pace. Could not put down the book after that till the end. Action packed. Amazing plot. Kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what pitt and al would do next. Totally loved the book. Look forward to reading more Clive Cussler books. I would like to share a line in the book. "But inside him beat a heart that wouldn't quit and a heart that could not die without a f More...

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Oct 17, 2009

Becky rated it:

Book Report: Sahara

Clive Cussler’s novel Sahara astounded me with its intense plot, diverse characters, and intriguing settings. As amazing as the Movie Sahara is, the book it’s based on threw it out of the water. Without a doubt, Sahara is one of the best books I have ever read.

One of the things that captured me in Sahara was all of the remarkable settings, one of which was the desert itself. The main characters Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino cross the Sahara many times, on More...

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Dec 03, 2011

Pamela rated it:

I originally started reading the Dirk Pitt series because I wanted to read this one: Sahara. The film version (which I know Cussler hates and sued over) is one of my favorite movies. Definitely in my top ten. Snappy dialogue, wit, humor, doesn't take itself too seriously, but tells a cracking good story with no extra fancy bits thrown in. Oh, how I wish I could say the same about the book.

The general premise of the book is the same of the movie, but I admire the screenwriters for More...

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Mar 31, 2010

Eric rated it:

This was a fun exciting read. It was my first Clive Cussler novel, and I usually struggle reading a book if I've already seen the movie, but I didn't have that problem with this one. It was very different from the movie. I really liked the whole book, but I did feel like the whole TEXAS boat incident was a little out of place. It seemed like it didn't really have anything to do with the story, and it was just thrown in at the beginning an the end as a way to try to include it in a novel that More...

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Apr 09, 2011

Holly (Full Moon Bites) rated it:

Another incredible installment by Clive Cussler! In this adventurous eleventh book of the Dirk Pitt series Cussler pulls out all the stops. From not stop action, interesting characters and electrifying suspense, this is one book you do not want to miss!

One of the things that really did it for me in this book was the setting, but mostly how much detail we get. I love books that have been so well researched and written that I can close my eyes and actually be there, that make me crave More...

1 comment like

Dec 21, 2011

Tyson rated it:

I'm not sure of what to think with this book. I've read a few Clive Cussler novels, most recently The Chase, but this was my first Dirk Pitt adventure. Before I go any further I should say I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I had just finished The Chase when I was in a bookstore that was having a receivership sale. For e-book fans, a bookstore is a place where the good trees go to die. I was browsing the remaining stock and picked up Sahara, knowing I would enjoy it. Even the movie was ab More...

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Sep 07, 2011

Jonathan rated it:

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here

0 comments like (1 person liked it)

Jul 21, 2008

Challis rated it:

This was a fun book to read. It was very exciting all the way through with fun, interweaving seemingly unrelated plots. The lead character, Dirk Pitt, is highly likeable, resourceful, tough, and of course, charming. I did see the movie first, so it was fun picturing the cocky and suave Michael McConaughey as the undefeateable Dirk Pitt.
These books are very satisfying to read, because the good guy, often on the brink of death, somehow survives or escapes, rescues the damsel in distress and More...

1 comment like

Jun 17, 2010

Bob rated it:

Sahara was the most far-fetched, silly novel I’ve read in a long time. Each chapter upped the ante on un-believability. And what can I say about Dirk Pitt; just reading his name makes me laugh. Having said all that, I loved the book. It was a rollercoaster ride as fun as it was impossible, and it was perfect reading for a Jamaica beach, where the sun was hot, the women hotter and the drinks flowed freely.

I’m reading Inca Gold now, but it’s nowhere near as fun.

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Jul 27, 2009

Andrew rated it:

After having seen the movie a number of times, I finally decided to read the book that the movie was based on. And when I say that the movie was based on the book, that is not really saying much! This was quite a page-turner, with lots of action...mostly believable. But as is always the case, there was so much more to the book than the movie! I highly recommend this book to anyone who has seen the movie, even though you will probably not want to watch the movie anymore after you have read the bo More...

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Nov 24, 2010

Deedee rated it:

The book is far better than the movie, though all things being equal, Matthew McConaughey is very easy on the eyes even in a really bad movie. I love the engrossing stories Cussler weaves around myths and legends, though the testosterone heavy hero is a bit much for some folks(females mainly). Who wouldn't love a good story about a hidden treasure the US governement wanted to keep hidden until they could retrieve it themselves...if only they could find it.

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Mar 28, 2011

Eric rated it:

This is an okay trash read, the narrative was overly simplistic and as the book progresses more & more stuff is thrown in. Honestly it seemed more like a bad screen play for a James Bond-esck b-flick. Plus, while we are lost in the desert escaping the Mines of Mordor lets fine the body of Honest Abe, a lost explorer and a old civil war battle ship. Come on folks can't you stay on topic. You can tell this is one of his early books.

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Sep 10, 2009

Dlora rated it:

I liked the movie better than the book in the first half of the story but I liked the book better than the movie in the last half of the story. So you decide if you want to read the book or see the movie. Lots of swashbuckling adventure and good triumphing over evil. I was quite interested in the setting--I ended up reading about the western African nations and learning more about Mali and the Sahara desert.

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