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Dirk Pitt® #16
Valhalla Rising
Marine explorer Dirk Pitt must rely on the nautical lore of Jules Verne to stop a ruthless oil baron with his sights set on political power in this #1 New York Times-bestselling series.
In the middle of its maiden voyage, a luxury cruise ship using revolutionary new engines suddenly catches fire and sinks. Its alarms stay silent; its sprinkler system remains inactive. Nearby NUMA special projects director Dirk Pitt notices smoke and races to the rescue. He's too late to save the engineer behind the ship's new technology, but helps the man's daughter, Kelly Egan, escape with her father's work in a leather briefcase.
While Ms. Egan strives to uncover the hidden value in her father's inventions, Pitt is hired on by maritime insurers to investigate the wreckage. Neither are prepared for the mechanical marvels they'll soon be forced to confront. The machines could only be the stuff of legend, described in the tales of Viking explorers or the accounts of Jules Verne. And they may be Pitt and Egan's only hope when an oil tycoon with a plan of his own appears on the scene.
Before journey's end, Pitt will take on a power-mad millionaire, tread upon territory previously known only to Verne's illustrious Captain Nemo, and make shocking discoveries about his own past.
In the middle of its maiden voyage, a luxury cruise ship using revolutionary new engines suddenly catches fire and sinks. Its alarms stay silent; its sprinkler system remains inactive. Nearby NUMA special projects director Dirk Pitt notices smoke and races to the rescue. He's too late to save the engineer behind the ship's new technology, but helps the man's daughter, Kelly Egan, escape with her father's work in a leather briefcase.
While Ms. Egan strives to uncover the hidden value in her father's inventions, Pitt is hired on by maritime insurers to investigate the wreckage. Neither are prepared for the mechanical marvels they'll soon be forced to confront. The machines could only be the stuff of legend, described in the tales of Viking explorers or the accounts of Jules Verne. And they may be Pitt and Egan's only hope when an oil tycoon with a plan of his own appears on the scene.
Before journey's end, Pitt will take on a power-mad millionaire, tread upon territory previously known only to Verne's illustrious Captain Nemo, and make shocking discoveries about his own past.
712 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 2001
690 people are currently reading
5623 people want to read
About the author
Clive Cussler
622 books8,438 followersCussler 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 was 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 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 addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was 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 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 died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
Cussler was 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 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 addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was 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 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 died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 652 reviews
August 11, 2025
A typical, silly, perposteri0us downright outlandish Clive Cussler book , however a delicious nugget in 712 pages of diversion and I loved it. One of the countless Dirk Pitt novels that is full , both great in entertainment and much more disbelief but joyful. Now this is the reason readers continue to comeback again and again. If not for eternity but close enough to heaven for the fans. The author was well- known to start a story hundreds and even thousand of years in the distant past, then connected them to the present. This time our subjects are Vikings or if you prefer Norsemen, in A.D. 1035, these ferocious sea raiders leave frigid Greenland not a tropical paradise indeed. For what now is the nicer North American continent specifically Canada, but travel south soon. The old saying the natives are restless is apropos here, as a matter of fact fits like a kids glove. Up the Hudson River the Northmen progress until they don't, no need to say why. Exit the Vikings enter Dirk Pitt of NUMA fame (National Underwater and Marine Agency) , never heard of it, shame on you. Admiral James Sandecker , Mr. Pitt's boss sends him to survey the bottom of the sea in the vast South Pacific , however something very catastrophe occurs. The fabulous Emerald Dolphin has caught fire, on her maiden voyage, (sounds familiar) , the humongous luxury ocean liner, with spurring smoke climbing into the dark skies, stranding 2,500 helpless passengers and crew aboard , can they escape? You people of little faith, never reading these titles , relax Dirk Pitt IS HERE, on the Deep Encounter and he's in at least ten more volumes. Despite that a very gigantic boat it isn't but Dirk has friends though never quite able to accommodate all, still some is better than none. The hazardous scenes, flames, thick smoke, innumerable passengers jumping on high, dropping down , crashing into each other below, bodies floating in the water, before sinking slowly into the eternal oblivion. The saga of Titanic surfaces in your mind unfortunately, as Dirk jumps to rescue a pretty young woman, her body submerging under, the eyes shutting , tongue quiet, breathing shallow the end is fully unavoidable, the daughter Kelly of famous scientist Dr. Elmore Egan, inventor of new tech, a revolutionary marine engine on the big ship has disappeared but the storm hasn't... And other exciting yet insane plot incidents, which gives this a solid purity of movement. The fifth Cussler novel I've read and never been disappointment.
July 4, 2012
This book started out all right, on a three-star level. There was a lot of action which kept me interested. Pitt saved the day, and then... he did it again. And again. And again. It was just too much, and it grew more unlikely with every time. Furthermore, the story is packed with gorgeous, frightened women who stare up at Pitt in wide-eyed admiration and enjoy cleaning up after him in his a-ma-zing museum of a home. Truly disgusting. And last but not least, every motorized vehicle (and there are many of those!) is described in painful technical detail.
The book is soaked in testosteron, with an outburst of ridiculous sentimentality in the last chapter. I have been rolling my eyes so many times it was hard to read on.
The book is soaked in testosteron, with an outburst of ridiculous sentimentality in the last chapter. I have been rolling my eyes so many times it was hard to read on.
August 30, 2021
Il solito Cussler con l'aggravante di una trama ripetitiva e spompata. Quello che dovrebbe essere ormai un canone diventa una trita ripetizione di situazioni e luoghi comuni, in pratica un libro incagliato. Persino la narrazione parallela, quella che di solito consente a Cussler di correre a briglia sciolta nello spazio-tempo del verosimile, e' sciapa, banale e per nulla avvincente.
May 29, 2021
Title: Valhalla Rising
Author: Clive Cussler
Date Published: 2001
Pages: 537
When the luxury cruise-liner Emerald Dolphin which had on board 1600 passengers in opulence styles and served by 900 crews members, powered by a newly invented propulsion system designed and developed by Dr. Elmore Egan a Nobel Prize-winning mechanical genius went on fire and eventually sanked it was thought to be an accident until certain things began to fall into place.
"Illuminated by the ocean of lights from the ship they saw billowing clouds of thick smoke and tongues of flames gushing through melted and smashed ports and windows on the deck below. The sight was dazzling as well as terrifying. Only then did panic begin to mushroom. It became total when the first of the passengers to reach the boat deck found themselves facing a wall of fire".
This was a wild ride and could be compared to a little John Grisham and a little Robert Ludlum and a host of other fast-paced fiction.
The author's use of suspense and simple English made it more enjoyable.
" Families with children first', Mcferrin shouted through his bullhorn to the crew. The old tradition of women and children first was now commonly ignored by modern seamen in favor of keeping families intact. After the sinking of the Titanic, when most of the men had gone down with the ship, leaving widows with fatherless small children, Practical minds had felt that families should either live as one or die as one".
The way Dirk Pitt walk into the room where Kelly Egan and Josh Thomas were been held and tortured by Omo Okanai and his viper group on page 334 don't seems believable after giving the perception that Omo Okanai and his viper's group are well trained and blood thirsty mercenaries who should have killed Dirk Pitt immediately he was identified because he is of no value to them.Apart from this shortcoming i enjoyed this book.
Author: Clive Cussler
Date Published: 2001
Pages: 537
When the luxury cruise-liner Emerald Dolphin which had on board 1600 passengers in opulence styles and served by 900 crews members, powered by a newly invented propulsion system designed and developed by Dr. Elmore Egan a Nobel Prize-winning mechanical genius went on fire and eventually sanked it was thought to be an accident until certain things began to fall into place.
"Illuminated by the ocean of lights from the ship they saw billowing clouds of thick smoke and tongues of flames gushing through melted and smashed ports and windows on the deck below. The sight was dazzling as well as terrifying. Only then did panic begin to mushroom. It became total when the first of the passengers to reach the boat deck found themselves facing a wall of fire".
This was a wild ride and could be compared to a little John Grisham and a little Robert Ludlum and a host of other fast-paced fiction.
The author's use of suspense and simple English made it more enjoyable.
" Families with children first', Mcferrin shouted through his bullhorn to the crew. The old tradition of women and children first was now commonly ignored by modern seamen in favor of keeping families intact. After the sinking of the Titanic, when most of the men had gone down with the ship, leaving widows with fatherless small children, Practical minds had felt that families should either live as one or die as one".
The way Dirk Pitt walk into the room where Kelly Egan and Josh Thomas were been held and tortured by Omo Okanai and his viper group on page 334 don't seems believable after giving the perception that Omo Okanai and his viper's group are well trained and blood thirsty mercenaries who should have killed Dirk Pitt immediately he was identified because he is of no value to them.Apart from this shortcoming i enjoyed this book.
March 11, 2025
This is a book for teenagers, half scientific, half adventures.
It looks like a mixture of Jules Verne and James Bond, with many hard-believable facts, tons of coincidences and a lot of unnecessary casualties. The hero is too clever and and strong for my likes, but so goes the pattern.
Three stars mainly for the effort, otherwise it should be (at least) one less...
It looks like a mixture of Jules Verne and James Bond, with many hard-believable facts, tons of coincidences and a lot of unnecessary casualties. The hero is too clever and and strong for my likes, but so goes the pattern.
Three stars mainly for the effort, otherwise it should be (at least) one less...
August 29, 2009
My first Cussler book, and it will be my last. Before anyone sends me a nasty-gram about this review, remember, I'm not taking away your right to enjoy this book, it's just that I didn't. Dirk Pitt is just a little too much, don't you think? I mean, your ancient rare plane isn't showing up for your air show? Call Dirk Pitt! Need to know the exact year that some submarine crashed? He's your guy! I won't give it away, but I was glad that the ending of the book presented Pitt with a situation where he was a little bit unsure how to react. It was way too little and too late.
July 12, 2018
Another likeable if totally implausible fantasy thriller from Clive Cussler in the Dirk Pitt series (we previously reviewed 'Atlantis Found' on GoodReads back in 2012).
This immediate successor to 'Atlantis Found' [#15 in the series] is not nearly as loopy but it does manage to weave in Viking settlers to early medieval America and Jules Verne's 'Nautilus' as well as a vintage dogfight over Manhattan into a tale of corporate attempts to overthrow the Constitution.
There is a lot in these stories that is formulaic (not least periodic statistics on particular feats of engineering) but, where it is so, Cussler does it well within an exciting flow of events that comes to a neat resolution with characters you will either like or loathe in very black and white terms.
But the real reason to enjoy these books is psychological - they are optimistic, decent and likable. Cussler is perhaps trying to preserve the best of the American dream against the many corrupt threats arising from ideologues or the greedy. If it is nonsense, it is feel-good nonsense.
Cussler (in this book) even does a Stan Lee by appearing at just the right moment in the South Seas on yet another finely engineered craft (a catamaran) to rescue our two heroes (Pitt and Giordino) and help them defeat a dastardly villain and rescue their shipmates.
That is not a spoiler because it is just one incident in a book of rollercoaster thrills, the villain is not the villain and no reader is in any doubt that the two heroes are not going to triumph from the first page of the book. The question is only by what ingenious means they will do so.
If there is a precusor in genre literature, it not the dour or brutal American thriller but the nineteenth century imperial adventure tale where doughty scions of the white race protected the West from a variety of perils in jungle, desert and bush.
There is an aspect of the book interesting in that context - the hero and his sidekick are effectively privileged state bureaucrats with a strong sense of duty. They do, however, have a commendable aversion to taking human life (unlike their psychopathic mass-murdering opponents).
Yet, despite the world or America (which can sometimes seem like the same thing to Americans) being brought to the brink of apocalypse or melt-down, there is not an ounce of fashionable pessimism in these books - though sometimes grief and sadness at the loss of a character.
The ultimate vision of the world is thoroughly optimistic despite the evil forces of chaos threatening it. This optimism arises from a combination of a belief in engineering, the values of honest state service, manliness and courage, and the essential decency of the good guys.
To the reader, the book is saying that you would be right to be afeard of the sort of immolation that Roland Emmerich dines on in his apocalypse movies but that you have no real need to worry because selfless death-defying heroes in the honest part of government are there to save you.
It is liberalism albeit one pickled some time long before identity politics and political correctness. The genders are clearly demarcated but within a framework of respect and equality. Women are as successful and brave as the men but also thoroughly feminine as the men are masculine.
Cussler has his cake and eats it on sexuality. There are no sex scenes but the men are effectively polyamorous while the women are always stunning, fashionable and educated - Dirk Pitt's 'primary' girlfriend is an undoubtedly courageous US Congresswoman.
If this is a fantasy, it is one for good people who want a better world that looks a little like a world that has already been lost. A nostalgia for old ships, cars and aircraft is recurrent. Great literature it is not. Great tale-telling it generally is.
December 4, 2014
Oh dear, where to start?
Perhaps the fact that the highlight of the stupendous, mega-cruise ship was the stupendous, fantastic, indoor shopping mall, whose loss Cussler keeps bemoaning? Would that be petty?
There's clearly a market for this stupidity, as this was Dirk Pitt TM No. 16 and I see in the workroom that the library has just gotten the latest.
I rarely give up on a book, but after a certain number of "miraculous" events, it is clear that Clive Cussler just doesn't care if the book is coherent; he just rolls from action sequence to action sequence (with stunning beauties swooning over the devil-may-care protagonist in their wake).
I enjoy puzzling out plots, but if after writing the hero into an almost impossibly tight spot, the author can't be bothered to come up with something plausible to get him out, what's the point?
Something more plausible than, say, the author (yes, the author) showing up in a fantastic (literally) yacht to pluck brave Dirk and the rest of the abandoned crew of his submersible out of the water and whisk them hundreds of miles away, to the bad guys' lair, where the rotters have taken the hijacked good guys' ship in order to sink it [pause here ... the baddies want to sink the heroes' ship, but instead of doing so immediately after they hijack it in the middle of the Pacific, they sail it to their top secret island hideaway where they carefully hide it for a week or so before preparing to sink it with all hands on board because ... because ... NO! Bad reader! Thinking bad! Action GOOD!]
Oh look! A plane full of disabled kids on a sightseeing trip around NYC in an antique plane! Let's have a guy in red Fokker triplane try to shoot them down, only to have them saved miraculously by our dashing hero and then have the villain escape (wait for it) miraculously!
That's when I finally gave up and moved on, so you'll have to read it yourself to discover the next "exciting" adventure of dashing Dirk Pitt TM ...
Perhaps the fact that the highlight of the stupendous, mega-cruise ship was the stupendous, fantastic, indoor shopping mall, whose loss Cussler keeps bemoaning? Would that be petty?
There's clearly a market for this stupidity, as this was Dirk Pitt TM No. 16 and I see in the workroom that the library has just gotten the latest.
I rarely give up on a book, but after a certain number of "miraculous" events, it is clear that Clive Cussler just doesn't care if the book is coherent; he just rolls from action sequence to action sequence (with stunning beauties swooning over the devil-may-care protagonist in their wake).
I enjoy puzzling out plots, but if after writing the hero into an almost impossibly tight spot, the author can't be bothered to come up with something plausible to get him out, what's the point?
Something more plausible than, say, the author (yes, the author) showing up in a fantastic (literally) yacht to pluck brave Dirk and the rest of the abandoned crew of his submersible out of the water and whisk them hundreds of miles away, to the bad guys' lair, where the rotters have taken the hijacked good guys' ship in order to sink it [pause here ... the baddies want to sink the heroes' ship, but instead of doing so immediately after they hijack it in the middle of the Pacific, they sail it to their top secret island hideaway where they carefully hide it for a week or so before preparing to sink it with all hands on board because ... because ... NO! Bad reader! Thinking bad! Action GOOD!]
Oh look! A plane full of disabled kids on a sightseeing trip around NYC in an antique plane! Let's have a guy in red Fokker triplane try to shoot them down, only to have them saved miraculously by our dashing hero and then have the villain escape (wait for it) miraculously!
That's when I finally gave up and moved on, so you'll have to read it yourself to discover the next "exciting" adventure of dashing Dirk Pitt TM ...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2011
I enjoyed this book a lot for being a thriller and an action adventure but its use of Vikings in the plot proved to be a bit of 'all talk and no substance'.
The very first chapter is about Vikings settling and discovering North America but not an event that has a happy ending.
The rest of the story focuses on new technologies regarding water propulsion on huge luxury cruisers, some scientists new ultimate engine oil and the corruption and power behind many of America's top homeland oil companies.
You don't encounter anything to do with the first piece on vikings until the characters realise that the murdered scientist had an obsession with american rune stones. Even when they do make the viking discovery of the century it is kind of overshadowed with a blast from a Jules Verne story.
Look at the story critically the vikings are only used to provide a convenient historic secret hiding place for the Verne aspect to the mystery and drama and all this still accumilates in the last few chapters at the end of the book after the main storyline regarding oil rich and power mad CEO's trying to be even more clever and lethal for more power and money. It would have still been a good book without the Viking influence as the Verne aspect adds a touch of bizarre interest to it.
For once I am sad to say for any viking fans don't let the longship on the cover fool you into a rip roaring viking adventure - as you won't come across the image until the very end when it doesn't bare much impact or power on the entire story.
The very first chapter is about Vikings settling and discovering North America but not an event that has a happy ending.
The rest of the story focuses on new technologies regarding water propulsion on huge luxury cruisers, some scientists new ultimate engine oil and the corruption and power behind many of America's top homeland oil companies.
You don't encounter anything to do with the first piece on vikings until the characters realise that the murdered scientist had an obsession with american rune stones. Even when they do make the viking discovery of the century it is kind of overshadowed with a blast from a Jules Verne story.
Look at the story critically the vikings are only used to provide a convenient historic secret hiding place for the Verne aspect to the mystery and drama and all this still accumilates in the last few chapters at the end of the book after the main storyline regarding oil rich and power mad CEO's trying to be even more clever and lethal for more power and money. It would have still been a good book without the Viking influence as the Verne aspect adds a touch of bizarre interest to it.
For once I am sad to say for any viking fans don't let the longship on the cover fool you into a rip roaring viking adventure - as you won't come across the image until the very end when it doesn't bare much impact or power on the entire story.
August 5, 2023
The audio version I listened to was a 6-hour abridged version narrated by Ron McLarty who was excellent. It was jam packed and having read other Clive Cussler books I know there was a lot missing, but the short version fit perfectly with the drive time of our vacation. Cussler starts this book with the Vikings settling on the Hudson River and another period scene set in 1898 where a Navy boat is rammed by an underwater ship. I loved these scenes and was looking forward to how it all fit a modern-day story. Great action, thrilling adventure, and the mystery of how it would all play out. The stunner at the end was priceless.
Kelly Egan and her father are on the maiden voyage of a cruise ship which is powered by revolutionary technology invented by her father when the ship suffers catastrophic failures due to sabotage and begins to sink. As luck would have it the NUMA research ship is close enough to aid in the rescue of the passengers, but Kelly's father is killed. She manages to save his briefcase and the baddies are after her.
Marine explorer extraordinaire, Dirk Pitt, is hired to survey the wreck and what he finds is straight out of Jules Verne. The ship was powered by energy not produced by oil. Kelly and Dirk are in the crosshairs of a power-hungry oil tycoon determined to control the energy sources of the entire world and thinks nothing to killing and destroying anything in his way, including Kelly and Dirk.
Kelly Egan and her father are on the maiden voyage of a cruise ship which is powered by revolutionary technology invented by her father when the ship suffers catastrophic failures due to sabotage and begins to sink. As luck would have it the NUMA research ship is close enough to aid in the rescue of the passengers, but Kelly's father is killed. She manages to save his briefcase and the baddies are after her.
Marine explorer extraordinaire, Dirk Pitt, is hired to survey the wreck and what he finds is straight out of Jules Verne. The ship was powered by energy not produced by oil. Kelly and Dirk are in the crosshairs of a power-hungry oil tycoon determined to control the energy sources of the entire world and thinks nothing to killing and destroying anything in his way, including Kelly and Dirk.
December 8, 2009
I really don't understand how everyone drools over Cussler so much. Dirk Pitt is an asshole, and the entire thing just seems like one big Cussler Love fest. He's far too into himself for my tastes... I mean... Writing yourself into your own novels? Come on.
Try a James Rollins book. Much better action, more research into the technical and historical aspects, and more interesting characters.
Try a James Rollins book. Much better action, more research into the technical and historical aspects, and more interesting characters.
April 5, 2021
Me súper encantó, y no me esperaba ese final para nada 😱
March 8, 2024
Clive Cussler is always enjoyable.
April 5, 2010
This is one of the best organized of the clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series, that reaches across centuries to create a fiction that is incredibly beleiveable.
The book pulls on history, old fiction, old mysteries, science, science ficition and adventure to create an unforgetable novel that leaves you asking how much of this could be true. In an Alfred Hitchcockish manner, Mr Cussler, weaves himself, his automobiles, his beloved sea craft, and his penchant to be an adventurer into his novel as he assists Dirk Pitt to get free from being stranded to get back on course to save the United States, nay, the World from a complicated plot to corner the Oil Market.
The villian, a Mr Zale, has incredible resources, including limitless money, his own death squad, a fleet of deadly ships and a good number of Government Officials, Senators and Congressmen in his Armada.
For Pitt to stop him and salvage the great inventions that will assist humanity which Zale is destroying, Pitt must use all the Navy and Scientific resources he can gather, including those discovered in the fiction and secrets of Jules Verne as well in the history and/or myths of the Vikings in America.
You'll fly through the pages of this book and won't put it down until every little mystery is resolved,
The book pulls on history, old fiction, old mysteries, science, science ficition and adventure to create an unforgetable novel that leaves you asking how much of this could be true. In an Alfred Hitchcockish manner, Mr Cussler, weaves himself, his automobiles, his beloved sea craft, and his penchant to be an adventurer into his novel as he assists Dirk Pitt to get free from being stranded to get back on course to save the United States, nay, the World from a complicated plot to corner the Oil Market.
The villian, a Mr Zale, has incredible resources, including limitless money, his own death squad, a fleet of deadly ships and a good number of Government Officials, Senators and Congressmen in his Armada.
For Pitt to stop him and salvage the great inventions that will assist humanity which Zale is destroying, Pitt must use all the Navy and Scientific resources he can gather, including those discovered in the fiction and secrets of Jules Verne as well in the history and/or myths of the Vikings in America.
You'll fly through the pages of this book and won't put it down until every little mystery is resolved,
August 17, 2014
Dirk Pitt, man...he's ruggedly handsome, mild-mannered, smart, clever, witty, selfless, and so many other things. He saves the day about FIVE TIMES in this book alone. He lives in a hangar by himself and collects antique airplanes and cars...cool. He's dashing and charming all of these other things. Oh, and he's got women all over his balls, too. All I really figured out in this novel was how awesome and good at everything Dirk Pitt was. I listened to this book on audio tape and it was a pretty awesome experience, because the reader (can't remember his name) was hilarious. The reader had ten different voices for all of the characters.
So, in conclusion, this book was more of an entertaining read than a substantial one. Also: I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ALL THAT GREAT, PITT. YOUR PANTY-DROPPING SMILE AND MANNER HAVE NO EFFECT ON ME.
So, in conclusion, this book was more of an entertaining read than a substantial one. Also: I DON'T THINK YOU'RE ALL THAT GREAT, PITT. YOUR PANTY-DROPPING SMILE AND MANNER HAVE NO EFFECT ON ME.
December 31, 2011
It doesn't make much sense why this book references Viking lore. (Then again, there's not much in this book that does make sense.) There's a scene in the beginning concerning an early Viking settlement in pre-Columbiann America, and then the rest of the book goes on about an evil billionaire (is there any other kind?) wanting to have power over the country. At the end, Dirk Pitt finds out where the Viking settlement was hiding in a cave. Otherwise, Vikings and Valhalla have absolutely nothing to do with the plot. Silly, silly stuff. And don't even get me started on Clive Cussler writing himself into his own book.
September 27, 2023
Higher rating impossible because of the ending.
August 24, 2014
Typical Pitt novel. Fun adventures. Maybe a little too much at times but a fun easy read.
September 5, 2018
Sarebbe dovuta essere l'ultima avventura di Dirk Pitt, che si ricollega a Vortice. E invece c'è un bel colpo di scena finale, anzi doppio direi. ;)
November 10, 2021
Time for another Clive Cussler Wednesday!
There's a cruise ship with a revolutionary new type of engine. A crew member finds there's a fire in the ballroom. None of the firefighting measures work. The lifeboats burn up before they can be used. The captain dies, and the First Mate freezes. Luckily, Dirk Pitt is within hailing distance.
Somebody sabotaged the ship.
After some adventures, the first cruise ship submarine launches with a similar engine. Pitt has to stop the sabotage.
A lot of tension generated, with some larger than life heroics. Also notable as the first appearance of Pitt's children.
There's a cruise ship with a revolutionary new type of engine. A crew member finds there's a fire in the ballroom. None of the firefighting measures work. The lifeboats burn up before they can be used. The captain dies, and the First Mate freezes. Luckily, Dirk Pitt is within hailing distance.
Somebody sabotaged the ship.
After some adventures, the first cruise ship submarine launches with a similar engine. Pitt has to stop the sabotage.
A lot of tension generated, with some larger than life heroics. Also notable as the first appearance of Pitt's children.
August 25, 2021
I don't follow Clive Cussler's series and I didn't notice any problems from reading this volume without reading the previous ones. The story was reasonably self-contained.
This was a ridiculous book, no argument here. But there is bad ridiculous and good ridiculous and this book was the latter. It had the (intended, I think) feel of a Roger Moore-era Bond film. How can one not love a situation that when marines, SEALS, cost guard and jet fighters fail, you call on oceanographers to save the day? Dirk Pitt is absurdly over-the-top, but it adds to his appeal. The bad guy is actually quite clever and is thwarted mainly by (un)happy coincidences. His plot is ridiculous, but hey - Roger Moore Bond film.
I know that Cussler's stories usually have some connection to historical mysteries, but in this case I think he wanted to bite too much - the past stories have basically no relation to the main plot and the book would be better without them. In general, the author tries to cram too much into this book.
All in all, while I won't go looking for more Cussler's novels, if I get one, I'll gladly read it.
This was a ridiculous book, no argument here. But there is bad ridiculous and good ridiculous and this book was the latter. It had the (intended, I think) feel of a Roger Moore-era Bond film. How can one not love a situation that when marines, SEALS, cost guard and jet fighters fail, you call on oceanographers to save the day? Dirk Pitt is absurdly over-the-top, but it adds to his appeal. The bad guy is actually quite clever and is thwarted mainly by (un)happy coincidences. His plot is ridiculous, but hey - Roger Moore Bond film.
I know that Cussler's stories usually have some connection to historical mysteries, but in this case I think he wanted to bite too much - the past stories have basically no relation to the main plot and the book would be better without them. In general, the author tries to cram too much into this book.
All in all, while I won't go looking for more Cussler's novels, if I get one, I'll gladly read it.
September 27, 2010
Rather enjoyed this one, although Mr Cussler turns up again in a cameo. There are some rather good adventurous happenenings in this book, followed by some rather eye popping clunks and wobbles where science fiction is rather over egged. Fun and funny - probably for the wrong reasons.
May 23, 2014
Not my favourite Dirk Pitt novel but it moves from 4 stars to 5 because of the ending. I love those two characters can't wait to read more. The only way these novels could improve in my books is increasing the amount of content with congresswoman Loren smith.
September 15, 2008
Fun, but silly.
August 30, 2013
I'm a sucker for Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt adventures.
January 26, 2016
Another good book in the Dirk Pitt series. Nice adventure stories. This was the first book I read about this action/adventure character and was very impressed. Recommended
April 3, 2024
This Cussler had some exciting action sequences and a formidable enemy, although I thought the plot was a bit lacking. Interesting ending, didn’t see that coming.
March 17, 2023
The Dirk Pitt novels are admittedly a guilty pleasure of mine. Think something along the lines of the cheesy 80s action movies with Schwarzenegger or Stallone; these are somewhat like that, though a tad bit more sophisticated and often rife with historical facts.
This one is really not much different from the others that I've read, and I've noticed that they are all a bit formulaic by now.
Dirk Pitt, our larger than life hero of a protagonist, and his sidekick Al Giordino always find themselves standing at death's door but of course, manage to escape and defeat the supervillain intent on taking over the world.
These also remind me a little bit of classic pulp fiction novels. Consider this the modern day pulp series!
Lots of action, flawless heroes, ridiculous plots and over-the-top narcissistic villains...
But it's entertaining. And this one does surprisingly have some emotional impact to it near the end which I was not expecting. Cussler is not the most talented writer ever and his stories are often filled with plot conveniences, but I actually enjoyed the sort of bittersweet note this one ended on.
Like the rest of the Dirk Pitt novels I've read, a solid 3⭐
This one is really not much different from the others that I've read, and I've noticed that they are all a bit formulaic by now.
Dirk Pitt, our larger than life hero of a protagonist, and his sidekick Al Giordino always find themselves standing at death's door but of course, manage to escape and defeat the supervillain intent on taking over the world.
These also remind me a little bit of classic pulp fiction novels. Consider this the modern day pulp series!
Lots of action, flawless heroes, ridiculous plots and over-the-top narcissistic villains...
But it's entertaining. And this one does surprisingly have some emotional impact to it near the end which I was not expecting. Cussler is not the most talented writer ever and his stories are often filled with plot conveniences, but I actually enjoyed the sort of bittersweet note this one ended on.
Like the rest of the Dirk Pitt novels I've read, a solid 3⭐
August 15, 2022
4,5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover
Recrncie volgt later.
Geleend van de bibliotheek. Heb boekverslag/recensie nog niet teruggevonden.
Recrncie volgt later.
Geleend van de bibliotheek. Heb boekverslag/recensie nog niet teruggevonden.
March 29, 2025
Πρώτο βιβλίο από τον Clive Cussler. Μου άρεσε πολύ ο τρόπος γραφής του. Ταχύς ρυθμός, δράση και αγωνία σχεδόν σε κάθε κεφάλαιο. Δεμένη ιστορία με προσοχή στις λεπτομέρειες.
5/5
5/5
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