Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

Skeleton Coast (The Oregon Files #4)

4.01 of 5 stars 4.01 · rating details · 3,339 ratings · 123 reviews

The author of the bestselling NUMA(r) and Dirk Pitt(r) series continues the adventure and intrigue featuring his unbeatable hero of the high seas: Captain Juan Cabrillo...

ebook, 384 pages

Published October 3rd 2006 by Berkley (first published January 1st 2006)

more details... edit details

Get a copy:

More…

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

Lists with This Book

This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Add this book to your favorite list »

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 3,000)

filter | sort: default (?) | rating details

May 19, 2012 Greg Bascom rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The story begins in 1896 with the theft of a fortune in uncut diamonds from the Herero king in then the Bechuanaland Protectorate (now Botswana). After a treacherous escape across the Kalahari Desert, the five thieves, all Brits, reach the HMS Rove, their chartered escape vessel. But as soon as they board, they are trapped by a violent storm and their pursuers attack. Officially, the HMS Rove is lost a sea, but the story narrator reveals it is buried eight miles inland in the desert.

In the prese...more

like · see review

Apr 07, 2012 Huw Evans rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction

I don't think I have read any Cussler before but, whilst this passed away a snowy day in Derbyshire, I had to wonder whether CC is sponsored by the arms manufacturers whose products he so lovingly details, or perhaps by the named clothing outlets he repeatedly cites. If anything all this detail is unnecessary and actually detracts from the story overall. Suffice it to say that if this were a computer game it would have all the activities to make a brilliant multiplayer shoot'em up! The key chara...more

like · see review

Nov 30, 2011 Tbradas rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I don't oftenly read books for entertainment, but this one might change all that. This is one great book. Fourth in the Oregeon Files action/adventure series, it deals with a lot of things ranging from corrupt African government, enviornmentalists, diamond-hunters and much more. Best not get into that now...
Anyway, it has a lot of action in it and one who does not like the action genre might find it a little cheesy. However, this one is not that bad, for it encorporates a great amount things li...more

like · see review

Jun 14, 2012 Neil Hanson rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The storytelling is severely hampered by the silly political sermonizing of the author. I'm sure great propagandists from Stalin or Hitler would be proud of how the author has taken a group of "good guys", and created fiction that turns them into villains.

The essence of the story is that Cabrillo and crew must save the world from eco-terrorists. The author then proceeds to look for every opportunity to deliver a sermon about the evils of all the conservationists and environmentalists in the worl...more

like · see review

Sep 02, 2011 Jack rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another Cussler book downed. That makes 3 in under two weeks. This book does have a history section at the beginning which should be good as my last review slated Cussler for not putting one in Dark Watch. However, the 35 paged history section at the beginning of the book was dreadfully boring and didn't have much of an effect on the rest of the book. When the history at the beginning makes a large difference in the plot of the book I can understand it. This history was in the late 19th century...more Another Cussler book downed. That makes 3 in under two weeks. This book does have a history section at the beginning which should be good as my last review slated Cussler for not putting one in Dark Watch. However, the 35 paged history section at the beginning of the book was dreadfully boring and didn't have much of an effect on the rest of the book. When the history at the beginning makes a large difference in the plot of the book I can understand it. This history was in the late 19th century and depicted four men running away from the Herero tribe with sack fulls of the Hereros' blood diamonds. They make it to the HMS Rove on the coast, with the diamonds, but are then all savagely killed by the Herero and are buried under natural sand dunes for more than a century. The diamonds play a small part in the book and could easily be left out. What did I do wrong to Cussler for him to make me read those 35 pages?

Moving on, the rest of the book was interesting. We meet our hero Juan Cabrillo (A.K.A. Mr. Person Who Does Things So Very Unbelievable), on the Congo River after tricking the Congolese Army of Revolution to take weapons with trackers in them so that the government can find where the uber-secretly hidden CAR base is. This plan though doesn't work out as planned though ...

CAbrillo escapes with RPG damage having scarred his beloved ship, the Oregon. The Oregon is disguised to look like junk whereas it is a high tech mobile command base for Cabrillo and his team of mercenaries who are 'good' and have 'good' morals.

Their next mission is to rescue Merrick, a billionaire who runs a research company called Merrick/Singer. We later find out that he has been abducted by his former partner Singer who has turned into an eco freak. For many different (and might I say credible [a word that isn't used positively much in my reviews of Clive Cussler novels]) reasons Singer wants to make Merrick pay for his damage to the environment and to create a super hurricane to show America that it has to do something to stop global warming and to stop the'natural' hurricanes from getting any worse.

All of the side plots of the book combine neatly to add to the horrific main plotline that Cussler so carefully weaves. I can see where Singer comes from but his plans (of which I shall not fully mention) are slightly on the extreme side. One might say that Singer is mentally incapacitated.

As usual Cabrillo foils all of Singer's plans, remains the un-sung hero, and has an ending very similar to Dark Watch (please see 'Dark Watch' review).

After reading this book I know which cities in Africa are most corrupt, I know not to give weapons to the CAR and I know not to steal blood diamonds from the Herero tribe (or anyone for that matter). I always love an educational book ...

Being serious though I did enjoy it. It was nicely executed and had a nice dose of humour in it as well. It's not designed to be a serious book so by saying that the book was completely unbelievable, ridiculous and had far too happy an ending is not a criticism.

(less)

like · see review

Aug 22, 2009 Penny rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

1896: four englishmen flee for thier lives acrooss the Kalahari desert, carrying a stolen fortune in raw diamonds, chased by a fierce African tribe. The thieves manage to reach the waiting HMS Rove - only to die with thier pursuers in a vicious storm....
Present day: Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the covert combat ship oregon have barely escaped a mission on the congo river, when they intercept a mayday from a boat under fire off the african coast. cabrillo takes action, saving the beautiful sloa...more

like · see review

Jul 13, 2012 Michelle rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure

Skeleton Coast was an okay summer read, a bit of adventure to pass these long, hot days.

It's a standard Clive Cussler, filled with daring action sequences, all the top weaponry, and some cool survival scenes - nothing ground breaking. There's a bit of an environmental twist to this, due to the nature of the antagonist being an eco-terrorist, but it wasn't a bash you over the head with environmental issues type thing like the Avatar movie, or what's become of the Maximum Ride series.

Really, it w...more

like · see review

Dec 26, 2008 Allan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: action, adventure

Skeleton Coast is my first Cussler book and I'm a bit underwhelmed. It started off quite well with a decent idea of lost diamonds in the desert but as soon as the unbelievably, too-good-to-be-true heroes of the Oregon show up, all credibility went out the window.
These guys can go without sleep for days, walk through a hail of bullets and still come out the other end gleaming. Sure, there's plenty of action and lots of cheesy dialogue but it's all fairly predictable stuff but if that's your thing...more

1 like · like · see review

Apr 30, 2010 S.R.R. Colvin rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I was attracted to this book by the title. I've toured the Skeleton Coast in the area near Kolmanskop, Luderitz, and where the Eduard Bohlen now rests inland, being swallowed by the Namib Desert. There's a lot of history and diamond intrigue there.

I loved the book. 5 stars to Skeleton Coast! Main character, Juan Cabrillo, is EXACTLY what I am looking for when I read an adventure. He's handsome, smooth, skilled in all things important, you name it! Juan's adventures can take me there (and keep me...more

like · see review

May 28, 2012 Jaime rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I actually listened to this book on a road trip, and I must say it was entertaining. I don't know if the story itself was more entertaining or just the cheesy-ness of it. Filled with all sorts of rediculously cheesy lines and similies, this book made me laugh quite a bit. I also zoned out through much of the abundant action detail--maybe I'm just a girl, but does anyone really care about such detail on the guns or the boats or what not? It would take him 20 minutes to explain a fight seen that p...more

like · see review

Feb 20, 2012 Frank rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: thrillers-mystery, adventure

I hadn't read a Cussler novel in several years (probably about 10). This one pretty much is how I remembered them - loads of action bringing several good story-lines together. The first part of the novel where H.A. Ryder (a tribute to H. Rider Haggard perhaps??) and his group were being pursued across the Kalahari in 1896 was a great set-up to the rest of the story about African rebels, eco-terrorism, etc. I also enjoyed the Juan Cabrillo character and his group. I will have to read more of the...more

like · see review

Dec 19, 2012 Kara Jorges rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The two best adventure writers currently drawing breath deliver another superb adventure from the Oregon Files. This book bears the distinct stamp of both Cussler and duBrul, which means a great read for us! Though I kind of miss the old format of the Corporation pulling off a multi-pronged heist of some sort, this book’s more basic adventure yarn format is a smashing success. Juan Cabrillo is turning into one heck of a leading man.

Like all Cussler novels, this one begins with a story from the p...more The two best adventure writers currently drawing breath deliver another superb adventure from the Oregon Files. This book bears the distinct stamp of both Cussler and duBrul, which means a great read for us! Though I kind of miss the old format of the Corporation pulling off a multi-pronged heist of some sort, this book’s more basic adventure yarn format is a smashing success. Juan Cabrillo is turning into one heck of a leading man.

Like all Cussler novels, this one begins with a story from the past, this time about millions of dollars worth of diamonds that disappear off the African coast. DeBeers investigator Sloane MacIntyre is searching for them when she needs to be rescued from some very dangerous men by Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon.

The Oregon happened to be in the area because of a job delivering weapons to some rebels on the Congo River that had gone awry. The ship also intercepts a piece of a satellite phone conversation regarding a kidnapped industrialist and, ever the capitalist, Juan Cabrillo decides to send in a team to rescue him, sure of a handsome reward. Of course, the same people who kidnapped the American businessman and one of his employees are also involved in an even bigger scheme that threatens millions of lives, and it also ties together with Sloane MacIntyre’s diamond hunt.

This book is not for the squeamish, full of lots of violence and starring some really evil bad guys. Typical of both authors, we never turn away from the action, instead relishing every moment of it. When not embroiled in an intense, unflinching battle scene, the book delves even deeper into the character of Juan Cabrillo. He is fast climbing the ranks of my favorite adventure heroes, and I have to say we’ve got both Cussler and duBrul to thank for that. Cabrillo encompasses the best of both.

You can’t go wrong reading Cussler or duBrul, and this book showcases the immense talents of both. If you haven’t delved into the Oregon Files yet, get busy. You’re missing out on some of the best adventure fiction being written today.
(less)

like · see review

Feb 04, 2009 Jonathan rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. For all you lovers of Clive Cussler or first time readers thank you for reading this review. The Oregon as you may or may not know is a ship that looks like crap on the outside but on the inside will make the Enterprise look like a shuttle craft. He is a writer of fiction and nonfiction but this book is the third or fourth book featuring The Oregon. His other fiction books which are just as good, involves a character in one series by the name of Dirk Pitt and the other involves another characte...more For all you lovers of Clive Cussler or first time readers thank you for reading this review. The Oregon as you may or may not know is a ship that looks like crap on the outside but on the inside will make the Enterprise look like a shuttle craft. He is a writer of fiction and nonfiction but this book is the third or fourth book featuring The Oregon. His other fiction books which are just as good, involves a character in one series by the name of Dirk Pitt and the other involves another character by the name of Kurt Austin. Kurt and Dirk work for NUMA, which is a real life organization run by Clive and his son Dirk Cussler. The stories he writes sometimes cross paths with the various characters of his fiction works. This book involves all of the characters from the Oregon, Dirk himself, and Kurt.

This ship is owned by a group of people who are, for lack of a better term, mercs. But not as killers but as people who have come from the different areas of our government ranging from the marines on up to the FBI and NSA who have retired but still want to do some good.

The ship has the look of an old tramp freighter to give people the idea it is not all reliable and wont last long but like I said looks can be decieving. The ship is owned by the Corporation who is run by a man by the name of Juan Cabrillo. The people who work for the company get great benefits. For example, new members get $10,000 to redo their suites, eat food from great chefs, and all the latest gear and weaponary.

This story is about a job the Corp. took on for the CIA gone bad. They must keep a miltia from using guns they sold them from killing innocent people while trying to save a businessman who was kidnapped and stop a massive hurricane from forming and dealing alot of damage to the US, that is being controlled by a radical enviromental group.

The characters are well developed to the point of where you see what each person looks like and the story thru their eyes as it is being told. The dialogue is great and so is the story. It kept me in suspense the whole time I read the book.

Whenever I read any of his books I always feel as if I was there with them traveling the seas, fighting alongside them, or just enjoying everything that you can get while working for the company. He always does a great job of writing his books and somehow makes you feel like your there with the characters.(less)

like · see review

Dec 27, 2008 Don rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Oregon Files has gotten better since Jack DuBrul joined Clive Cussler on this series with the third book (this is book 4 in the series). The writing is more focused with DuBrul.

There is a lot of action in this one! The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because there are just too many coincidences in the storyline this time. Had this story been a plan that was just executed to perfection it would've gotten 5 stars but instead it is a plan that was never completely formed and just seem...more

like · see review

Aug 22, 2008 Michelle rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: just-plain-awful, thriller

Um...I feel sort of like a jerk doing this. But I have to warn people. I wish someone had warned me. Clive Cussler is CHEESE BALL. His characters, at least the "hero" of his story in this case, are so incredibly beyond believable. They go through days on end of brutal conflicts against man and nature, never sleep a wink, and still come out on top, beating down the bad guy with a whole lot of self-righteous oratory. I get it. You are supposed to suspend your disbelief when you are reading fiction...more

like · see review

Apr 17, 2013 Howard Zang rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Anyone who likes Action/Adventure

Shelves: action-adventure

Good book as always from Clive Cussler. Lots of action, plenty of nice high tech military equipment along with a few sneaky tricks. The Oregon files is one of my favorite series. As usual this book is a good stand alone read, but it will have you looking for other books in the series. Along with anything else Cussler has written. The characters are well fleshed out, the pace is good and the story line keeps you turning the pages.

like · see review

Feb 17, 2013 Debra Meyer rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Clive Cussler is a good author but he has a habit of writing books within a book and sometimes it gets so confusing that you get the feeling your reading a whole bunch of short stories and by the time you get to the end your kind of getting it but still feel confused. This is one of the most confusing so far of his books I've read and it almost needs a map at each chapter just to help figure it out.

like · see review

Jul 31, 2008 Karyn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2009-n-before

The best part about any Clive Cussler book you pick up is that the initial intrigue you start off with will go on until the last page. He keeps you guessing and as always when reading a clive cussler book, i find it very hard to put the book down and go off to work the next day..I keep wondering whats going to come next the whole day through.
I've resorted to reading him only on the weekends - the whole book at one go.

This is my first Oregon book, and i quite like Chairman Juan. The Oregon's crew...more

like · see review

Mar 06, 2012 Nick rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

My first Clive Cussler book and I really enjoyed it. Environmental fanatics with plans to "wake up" the world to dangers of destroying our planet, kidnapping, covert ops, high tech gizmos, high speed chases on land and sea, rocket-propelled grenades, stand offs, close calls, and African rebels over-throwing corrupt governments.

The book had me fully hooked after the first chapter. Plenty to enjoy in this book. I plan on reading more of Cussler in the future.

like · see review

Oct 11, 2012 Jose rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: cussler-clive

After overlooking the fact that in general the crew of the Oregon are the luckiest people on earth... that they are always on the right place at the right time... and even on tough situations they always manage to survive at the end... the book is good... I felt it had more action than previous books... and for the first time they are adding a new member to the team... and they link some of the other charachters from other books from the same author.

like · see review

Jan 23, 2013 Kathy rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adult-fiction

Certainly not great literature, but then again, very few books published nowadays are! Fun, entertaining, a quick read - the perfect antidote to a stressful day. As with all the Oregon Files books this was a little formulaic, there were a few too many details about weapons, many coincidences...but still a fun book.

like · see review

Apr 05, 2013 Joyce Mosby rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I received this book from a giveaway.

THis is not my usual type of book. I usually read cozies. But I enjoyed this book. it was full of action and the plot had some unpredictable
twists. Juan Cabrillo is a flawed hero with an agenda. I plan on looking for more novels by Clive Cussler.

like · see review

Feb 15, 2011 Jakub Nowak rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: from-the-library

A solid Cussler (although I do not know how much Cussler and how much Brul is in this book) and that is enough for all Cussler fans. Juan Cabrillo is no Dirk Pitt and in general the characters are not so 'likeable' but still it's a pretty solid 'save the world' action novel.

like · see review

Aug 13, 2009 Linda rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another fast-paced adventure story by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul. It's light, easy reading, and yet all the Oregon Files books focus around serious and timely political and environmental issues. The story is entertaining, but the subject matter is weighty.

like · see review

Dec 01, 2008 Jessica rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Hey, another fun adventure by the Oregon team, don't cha know (sorry, still in hating Sarah Palin mode). These Oregon files are a little sappy sometimes, but they pack lots of action into every page, so they're perfect for a boring train ride home. Plus, I'm still in love with Juan Cabrillo, the main character. Shhhhh...don't tell Bret! LOL

like · see review

Mar 09, 2009 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I enjoyed this book slightly less than the previous 3 in the series. It's still entertaining but I had a had time relating to the desert portions of the story. The desert is the last place I'd want to be! Still, I would recommend it as part of the series.

like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Ricardo rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Cussler has to be praised for his consistency if not for his originality. Once you've read a couple of his books, you've read them all. Only the locations and the name of the villains change.

like · see review

May 14, 2012 Glenn Harris rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Standard page-turning thriller, though it was little disconcerting that more than half the action occurred because the good guys kept screwing up. They always got themselves out of the jam in the nick of time, of course.

like · see review

Sep 09, 2010 Katie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I liked it, but the author is definitely a Man's Man. Lots of paragraphs dedicated to the description of the AK-47 guns in the fight scenes. Fun story though. Love the global warming twist lol.

like · see review

Sep 12, 2012 Ian jackman rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

An African terrorist group working with a European eco-terrorist to create the deadliest storm ever to hit the Americas, this was an amazing book, you cant stop turning the pages

like · see review

« previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 … 99 100 next »

new topic
Discuss This Book

There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »

Recommend it | Stats | Recent status updates

combine
Other Editions (35)

More editions...

Genres

Adventure

65 users

Thriller

35 users

Action

18 users

Mystery

12 users

Suspense

7 users

Historical Fiction

4 users

Science Fiction

3 users

Mystery > Crime

3 users

Thriller > Mystery Thriller

3 users

Adult Fiction

2 users

See top shelves...

Readers also enjoyed similar books

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)

More about Clive Cussler...

Books by Clive Cussler

More…

Share This Book

Facebook Twitter Your website

Trivia About Skeleton Coast

No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »

title link	preview: Skeleton Coast
avg rating	preview: Skeleton Coast Goodreads rating: 4.01 (3339 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8084321-skeleton-coast?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1355872956l/8084321.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8084321-skeleton-coast?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Skeleton Coast by Clive Cussler[/url]

Skeleton Coast (The Oregon Files #4)

Friend Reviews

Community Reviews

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website