Atlantis Found

Dirk Pitt #15

by Clive Cussler

How does an author maintain a successful career for more than a quarter century? By making each book better than the one before. Dubbed the grandmaster of adventure fiction by fans and critics alike, Clive Cussler continues to produce action-packed thrillers unlike anyone writing today. Rightly, he is the benchmark by which other genre novels are measured; to say that he's done it again with his latest blockbuster, Atlantis Found, would be a gross understatement. Whether raising the Titanic or foiling the schemes of countless villains, Dirk Pitt, Cussler's hero of 15 previous bestsellers, has become a legend to millions of readers. And who but Pitt could go after the greatest legend of them all -- Atlantis. As in his previous books, Cussler's Atlantis Found has a plot that's impossible to top, action that is bloody and frequent, and stakes as high as they can be. The cliched "roller coaster" analogy that we reviewers often tag a thriller just doesn't do this novel justice since Cussler's latest accelerates the whole way through.

With his typical sardonic wit and the aid of his NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) coworkers, Dirk Pitt faces the biggest challenge of his life. It starts for Pitt during an exploratory dive in an abandoned Colorado mine that turns into the daring rescue of archeologist Patricia O'Connell -- daring not only because the mine is about to collapse, but also because there are killers in the subterranean passages who will stop at nothing to ensure that O'Connell's discovery of some ancient runes is not made public. From this white-knuckle episode the story evolves into the twin search to understand the writing's message and uncover the identity of the killers.

In order to learn the meaning of the ancient writing, Pitt must first duel with an antique submarine in frigid southern waters, discover the secret behind a massive landlocked shipyard in the Argentine fjords, and travel to a tiny island between Africa and Australia where another piece of the puzzle has lain hidden for 10,000 years. Only when he learns the truth behind these mysteries does Pitt discover that the answers may also be the death knell of civilzation. If that's not enough to keep your eyes glued to the pages, there's also a powerful industrialist with neo-Nazi ties whose machinations aim to make him and his family rulers of a truly new World Order. Hurtling toward a literal earth-shattering climax on the Antartic coast, it again becomes clear that the fate of billions rests on Pitt's shoulders. And the final twist? Well, it's something I've rarely seen in a thriller; it will leave long-time fans of Dirk Pitt gasping.

As in any great epic, Pitt's new quest involves a number of labors, both physical and mental, where each answer reveals more questions. With a seamless blend of discovery and adventure, this is where Cussler shines -- catapulting readers from scene to scene. His imaginative set pieces are among the best in fiction. If you want globetrotting action with a heavy dose of humor, then Atlantis Found is Cussler -- and Pitt -- at their very best.

And now my excruciating wait to see how Cussler's going to top this begins.

--Jack Du Brul

Genres: Fiction, Adventure, Thriller, Action, Mystery, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

532 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 26, 1999

About the author

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 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.

Reviews

[Belinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,25 sterren - met dank aan Gerrie - 🦋🦋🦋
Quote uit het boek : “Verdorie Pitt, dat had ik willen doen. “” Helaas ouwe dat heb ik al gedaan. Samen met dit oude trouwe bessie, hahaha.” 🌹🌹🌹
Dirk Pitt en zijn team worden op zee aangevallen door een vaartuig dat al in de tweede Wereldoorlog zou zijn verdwenen nadat ze op het nippertje in grotten met een geheim aan explosies zijn ontsnapt. Dirk Pitt zou Dirk Pitt niet zijn als hij niet zou proberen te achterhalen wie er achter zitten en doet zijn uiterste best het Vierde rijk tegen te houden die wereld wil laten vergaan. 🦋🦋🦋
Heerlijk op avontuur met Dirk en zijn vriend Al. Spannend met hier en daar twist en turns die je wel verwacht maar niet aan ziet komen. Voor mij is Clive Cussler de meester van dit genre. 🌹🌹🌹

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ad hoc Solo series read over 23/24
As I said 9 years ago, it’s a fun book to read, and they are well written in terms of action and storyline. As someone else said if you only read Dirk Pitt novels, you’d soon be bored, but interspersed with other genres, they are escapist fun, and really worth the read.
This book sees Dirk and Al battling evil doers planning world domination through eco terrorism.

Ad Hoc solo series read 2015 , unfinished
Will it win the Booker Prize, No ! However is it enjoyable, well written, easy reading and fun, Yes !
All Dirk Pitt novels are similar in some respects, some more believable and/or well written than others, this is undoubtedly one of the best.
Yes the book has taken me 20days to read but I have been exceptionally busy and believe me the book is one you will have trouble putting down as you won't want to wait to see what happens to Dirk and Al next.

[Jim · Rating 1 out of 5]

WTF happened to Cussler? Did he go senile & lose his touch or has he always been this crappy a writer? I LIKED "Sarhara", but "Atlantis Found" just SUCKS. After plodding through this book on audio for days, I started to listen today & his hero uses a string to tie 3 rifles together. Then he ties the string to the triggers, runs out of a cave filled with smoke & fire, makes a head shot & then shoots down a helicopter. There is a limit to my suspension of belief & this was just way beyond ridiculous.

The book is completely inane, not just the basic plot, but all the little things that make up a decent story. Characters constantly have conversations to explain what is going on about things that should have been decided long before the action started. For instance, as Pitt is getting ready to scuba dive into a wreck, he & Cox have a conversation about how he should take another diver with him. This is not what you talk about as the man is getting into the water. Such details are discussed well before you even get to the water.

The characters are all one dimensional. The good guys are so good they can judge how hard to hit a man in the back of the head to get within a pound of a killing blow - seriously, Cussler writes that at one point. The bad guys are so bad that they're always right on the spot, no matter how secretly or fast our heroes move, but they're inept enough to plant a bomb on a plane that blows up after the heroes have landed , but just before they get back into the plane. Why not during the 3 hour flight out? A while later, the heroes are outnumbered 7 to 2, armed with just rocks, while the bad guys have automatic weapons, pistols, body armor, radio headsets & a helicopter with a machine gun & missiles. The bad guys manage to lose. Yuck.

Oh, & no one uses a pistol or any other piece of equipment. No they use a 'model xyz limited edition by So&So company'. Please! If the hero just whacks someone over the head with a pistol, what difference does the model number, laser sight or caliber make? A rock could have been swapped in with absolutely no problem. I think it's supposed to sound cool, but it just sounds like extraneous crap.

I could go on, but I've wasted enough time on this book. I spent 500 minutes listening to it, trying hard to forgive the inanities, & I can't deal with another 700 minutes, so I quit. Cussler owes me 500 minutes of my life back.

[Tim Pendry · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Holiday reading. Pure nonsense but this really is five star nonsense - an adventure with world-destroying comets, Nazis in Antarctica, ancient civilisations with messages to be deciphered, battles on the ice - what is not to love about it.

But, seriously, Cussler is not only a page-turner (something dramatic and usually unexpected happens in every short chapter) but his notionally cardboard characters are actually likeable or (in the case of the bad guys) interesting if not truly believable.

For a died-in-the-wool anarcho-cynic who thinks Washington is the dark centre of imperialist crime, it is quite an achievement to get me rooting for Dirk Pitt and his sidekick Giordano as they fight under the ground, on tropical islands, at home and on the ice for the survival of humanity.

If this really was American conduct overseas, I think I would join up. Sadly it is a fantasy - but I hope the big-wigs in Washington realise what a soft power asset they have in the man, far more useful in the struggle for hearts and minds than funding a bunch of European intellectuals.

I really do recommend this book as a fun read for a holiday or long train journeys or flights. The man keeps his writing simple but clean and he never ever patronises his audience. He clearly enjoys life and wants us to enjoy it too. That strikes me as a pretty decent attitude to have.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a long book!

While this one took me a while to finish, partly because I've had less time to read as of late, I still had a blast with it. A convoluted plot, plenty of action, likable heroes...this was an old-school style page-turner.

Unfortunately, some profanity and occasional crude remarks were thrown into the mix. That may bother some discerning readers; for those who don't mind it, though, this is worth reading.

(It's ironic that this book involves a major disaster happening in 2001; we all know what happened on a certain day that year.)

[fleurette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book by Clive Cussler and, my oh my, I don’t think I have ever read something like this. I meant I read some thrillers with unrealistic plots but this story… well, this one is a genre of its own!

I’ve started this book as a beach read and then continued on the plane. And let me say that this is a good read for travel. The plot may be unbelievable but it’s easy to follow. You don’t have to be really focused all the time, it’s just a fun, easy read.

Also, you have to admire the imagination of the author who is able to create such a bizarre story and connect seemingly incompatible things like the Atlantis theories, the Fourth Reich and global conspiracy. And all of that set in Antarctica. And surprisingly these all things make a more or less consistent story. Totally improbable but still consistent.

And there is something in Dirk Pitt that makes him a likeable character, even though he has huge potential to be a total jerk. Somehow it works and you end up liking him after all.

This book is more like watching an action movie than reading a book. But anyway, I believe I will read another book from Cussler one day, just to discover his next fanciful conspiracy plot.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dangers from the ancient past and the 20th Centuries come together to bring humanity on the verge of doomsday. Atlantis Found is the fifteenth book of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series that finds Dirk and his friends and associates at NUMA stumbling upon a 60-year old plan inspired by hatred and an ancient catastrophe just months from challenging the world.

In 7120 BC, a comet hit North America, abruptly ending an advanced civilization. In AD 1858, a whaling vessel discovers a 1770s merchant ship frozen in Antarctic ice; included on this ship is a polished obsidian skull. In the present (2001), a group of U.S. scientists discover a mysterious underground chamber in a Colorado mine, including a polished obsidian skull. They are attacked with a deliberate avalanche and cave-in resulting in the mine flooding, but Dirk Pitt arrives from diving in another mine as part of an emergency rescue though the group is almost killed again by the saboteurs. Pitt obtains the Antarctic skull from a descendant of the whaling ship’s captain along with a copy of the merchant’s logbook. The information amassed and analyzed by NUMA leads Pitt to Antarctica to look for the merchant ship in the ice while Al Giordino and Rudi Gunn head to a remote island where the merchant ship found the skull. Both expeditions succeed—Giordino and Gunn finding a chamber and well-preserved mummies—only for each to be attacked by the same group that attacked the scientists in Colorado as Pitt’s group narrowly escapes being destroyed by a German U-boat missing since 1945 while Al and Rudi take out a commando team. Diving into the U-boat, Pitt finds a female officer and brings her to the surface. Upon Pitt’s return to Washington D.C., he stumbles upon a report from Admiral Sandecker’s office and is able to apprehend the woman who appears to be identical to the sub officer Pitt recovered, but is later genetically proven to be a cousin though modified and mostly inbred though known as members of the Nazi escapee Wolf family that owns the Argentinean corporation, Destiny Enterprises a legal front for the Fourth Empire Holdings from Nazi Germany. After examining the skulls, inscriptions from them and the chambers which they work to translate, and various artifacts that show a different geographical look to the Earth the NUMA results are startling. The chambers turn out to be the work of a civilization calling themselves the Amenes, a nation of seafarers and wise men who discovered and traded with most of the world. The comet from the beginning of the book caused a worldwide disaster that wiped out most of their civilization. It also had a twin, which returned to space. The few Amenes that survived built the chambers to pass on information of the twin comets return and the catastrophe. This information is given to an observatory to be checked but it turns out to be incorrect but the Wolfs appear to either be planning it or took inspiration from the catastrophe to bring about a re-creating of civilization in the Nazi image. Pitt and Giordino infiltrate a Destiny Enterprises facility that harbors four superships not only to scout but rescue one of the scientists from Colorado. They then meet Destiny CEO Karl Wolf who implies that the disaster will happen in days, which makes NUMA and the military scramble to figure out how when they realize that Destiny has a sea mining facility in Antarctica next to the Ross Ice Shelf that uses nanotechnology. Computer projections show that if the Shelf breaks off it will unbalance the planet—as the comet did—wiping out nearly all of humanity that is unprepared. The U.S. military task force of special forces from all branches attack the facility, but it’s Pitt and Giordino’s unplanned intervention that is able to turn the tide in battle resulting in the holding off of doomsday and the deaths of Karl and his relatives.

Unlike Flood Tide, the whole treasure story arc and main story arc were intertwined throughout the book allowing both to be settled in the final pages instead at two different points. Yet, it felt that Cussler was mixing and matching previous plot elements from earlier installments in creating this particular book with a family running a underground criminal empire with tentacles in governments around the world (Treasure and Inca Gold) being the most prominent. One of the biggest narrative miscues was the sole reliance of a special forces assault in Antarctica to stop the Wolf’s designs when an airstrike against the four superships should have been done as well—regardless of the risk to women and children due to the fact that Wolf wanted to kill 7 billion people that included women and children—thus forcing the Wolfs into a zero-sum game. Dirk was a little less superhuman in this book unlike the previous installment and while interested in the main female lead this book, got stunned in the end when she suddenly hooked up with Al out of nowhere but somewhat forced Dirk to consider once against marriage to his on-and-off girlfriend Loren Smith. The inclusion of the comet strike and the catastrophic tectonic plate shifts as the result are among the first “fringe” theories that Cussler would include in his book, although the comet/asteroid strike theory in Canada during the last Ice Age now does have more evidence backing it up in reality it had the opposite affect of prolonging the Ice Age instead of ending it like in the book while the global tectonic plate shift as a result of the comet and or the Ross Ice Shelf unbalancing the Earth are too farfetched for even some daring geologists to accept.

Atlantis Found is a good book narratively that has some unfortunately underwhelming supporting features that downgrades its quality. While one of the better books of the series, some of the choices Clive Cussler are a bit worrying for future installments.

[saw · Rating 2 out of 5]

For some reasons, Dirk Pitt is better than James Bond for me.

[Harry Whitewolf · Rating 1 out of 5]

The only book I can remember reading that I gave up on after only ten pages.

[Nicoletta Furnari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tutto inizia con due comete apparentemente gemelle, antiche quanto i pianeti del Sistema Solare e, per cause fortuite, nel 7120 a.C. una di esse andò a scagliarsi sulla Terra, nella zona del Canada, provocando sconvolgimenti indicibili, cataclismi che annientarono una miriade di civiltà già sulla soglia dell'età dell'oro, seppellendo sotto nuovi mari i loro resti, testimonianze di una cultura assai progredita, e facendo regredire i rari superstiti all'era neolitica, lasciando come unico retaggio misteriosi megaliti e dolmen. A questa cometa si deve la nascita di numerosi miti e leggende, tra cui quello del diluvio universale ma, soprattutto, quello legato al continente perduto e alla civiltà di Atlantide.
Da questa intrigante premessa, Clive Cussler ci trasporta in Antartide nel 1858, dove la baleniera Paloverde rimane incagliata per mesi e il capitano e sua moglie faranno una strepitosa scoperta che resterà segreta finché, nel 2001, Dirk Pitt e lo staff della NUMA si troveranno ad investigare su un caso misterioso direttamente collegato ad essa.
Come si evince dal titolo di questo romanzo, "ATLANTIDE", l'avventura tra i ghiacci del settimo continente, prevede la scoperta della mitica civiltà degli antichi Amenes, in un mix adrenalinico di nozioni, l'attesa dell'Apocalisse con il ritorno della seconda cometa, teorie complottiste risalenti al Terzo Reich (che affondano le radici nella banchisa di Ross) e molta suspense, insomma, tutti gli ingredienti tipici dello stile di Cussler. Interessante ed avvincente come sempre, anche se non del tutto immediato nelle spiegazioni scientifiche ed astronomiche e, sicuramente, strabiliante per le dotazioni tecnologiche (quasi fantascientifiche) e strabordante di azioni rocambolesche ed esagerate al limite dell'impossibile.
Non trascurabile, infine, l'ironia della presenza dello stesso "Papà Cussler" all'interno del romanzo.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yay, it's my first Dirk Pitt book! I wish Nancy Drew had the budget that this guy has. Huge ships, fancy antique cars, an army of evil, ridiculously wealthy Nazis...

I mean, the Nazis are NOT on the side of our hero, Mary Sue, (cough cough,) ahem, Pitt! Dirk Pitt. Hey, has anyone ever mentioned that the hero's name in this book series is Dirk Pitt???

And honestly, Pitt is not the Mary Sue. The author gives his own name to a character, nicknamed "Dad" Cussler, who is living in the Antarctic and just so happens to be refurbishing a giant 60 year old war machine that might come in handy when Dirk and his friend Al need to save the world from total destruction. But it's NO BIG DEAL or anything. And in real life, the author of the book Cussler founded a NUMA company that explores shipwrecks and donates the findings to museums.

And in this particular book, we see a lady scientist, named Pat O'Connell, who deciphers ancient texts and gets kidnapped by the Nazis, and therefore must be rescued by Dirk and Al. I need to question the editor's allowance to give a female supporting character a name that's too similar to our hero.

"Blah blah blah," said Pitt.
"Blah blah blah?" replied Pat.

Pitt. Pat. Pitt. Pat.

At one point, during a probable typo, we see Pitt doing a curtsy and a smile, which I'm thinking was probably meant for Pat to do, since there is a lot of sexist nonsense in this book, and in the series as a whole, I'm certain.

I was amused by the loving details that are spread onto every description of a car, or gun, or piece of technology. Author also likes to thoroughly describe what characters are wearing, be it khakis, or scuba gear, or large coats. . . He seems to really think it's special when women wear the color "Taupe." And he thinks it's super-snazzy when a set of identical quintuplet women, adult women, choose to wear matching ball gowns that look identical except for color. He's under the impression that all the other women in the room are supposed to "envy" these walking dolls. In reality, it's a freak show. And it's a little horrifying. It is 100 percent a super villain move to churn out dozens of perfect humans who conduct themselves like clones.

Nonetheless, I guess it was nice to stop by and take a trip through this powerful, wealthy, "Man's world" here. It feels safe to roll my eyes at the bad jokes, and at the inept bad guys who say things like "You clowns are going nowhere!" It was grand to take a trip around the world, and outwit death multiple times.

But yeah, I wish Nancy Drew could have been here.

[Ann Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book! I was kept on the edge of my seat until the last page was turned - and I mean the very last. Marvelously written, great character development, and set in largely a forbidden climate. Most intriguing.

[Dimitri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cussler and Pitt have settled down in a routine, but between Nazis and larger than life archeology, the context is to die for.

[Samie Foster · Rating 1 out of 5]

Atlantis Found By Clive Cussler Overall Rating: Only Meant For A Audience Who Like Things That Go Boom

Clive Cussler. I really don’t know much about this author other than he tends to write these Indiana Jones like adventures. A friend in high school was a real book worm. (Bigger than I am, if you can believe that) said I might like him since I like Crichton and Ludlum. So she gave me three books. Vahalla rising, Sahara and Atlantis Found. I read Sahara way back when and found I didn’t like it and gave Vahalla Rising to another friend because she loves those “Dirk Pitt” novels. And Atlantis Found was lost until spring cleaning came along. When I found this book, I was like “Maybe I’ll give Clive Cussler a second chance.” All I knew, it was a Dirk Pitt novel. Sahara was one too, but seriously the book is erased from my mind for some reason. Now I felt I should have accepted that as a warning and not read it at all. But here’s the review.
The book starts out with a couple archeologists who arrive to Pandora mines, where the owner had found a secret ancient shrine. It is a circular room where ancient writings are all over the walls and great black skull is in the center of the room. In the investigation the mine entrance is collapsed and it begins flooding. But to the rescue comes a man named Dirk Pitt who seemed to amazing pop out of no where to save them all. When escaping the mine, the one neatly killed by those mysterious men who want them dead And then again after that, but Dirk always has a plan in the works. Soon after Dirk and his cliché side kick Al Giordino investigate, they find that these are the remains of the possible Atlanteans who are predicting the end of the world and the people who want to hide this information is a crazy neo Nazi family who even altered their own genetics with Hitler’s DNA. Yes. I’m not lying. This is too stupid to make up. The Atlanteans predicted that a comet is going to hit the earth to flood it, so the Nazi’s want to keep it secret and are building four great ships so certain people will survive. And they attack Pitt and Giordino as much as they can along the way. The style of the book is written at a fast place, a “let’s have fun” format that clearly isn’t trying to be realistic. It has about the same vibe as a James Bond or Indiana Jones movie. Clearly Cussler likes excitement, fast cars and pretty women because it reflects greatly here.
So let’s start with the bad. I said earlier it’s unrealistic. That is an understatement. Dirk Pitt is Mr. Perfect in this novel. Every choice he makes, plan he had, or every gun fight he’s in comes out smelling like a rose. A whole deck is gunned down and everyone is injured and he doesn’t have a scratch. There isn’t anything this man does wrong. He has all the right moves, snappy comebacks and all the women love him. I mean, this character is so unreal where I know he is invincible. So during all the action scenes, I was asking, “Why should I care whether he is going to make it or not, if I already know he’s going come out with a scratch every time?” It really sucked the excitement out. Then there was the stuff that happened which was impossible. Such as a car chase between two muscle cars in a busy city, yet amazingly during the chase there is no mention of cars on the road. So I’m assuming they all magically disappeared. Then there’s the magical robot computer that is smarter that Einstein it self. There’s shoot outs where a squad is losing against a thousand Nazi’s but when Pitt shows up, the Nazis lose. How does that work? And then toward the end, when I thought the silliness is over, they have one last impossible scene between an aircraft having a shoot out with SUVs in the busy streets Of Washing DC. Then the plot is entirely laughable. The idea that this shares the same plot as 201 is laughable. But get’s worse.



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Spoiler Alert
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Through out the book we’re under the belief that the Nazi’s were trying to kill them because they found these shrines and prophecy was true. We spend four hundred pages on these shrines and then on page four hundred one, it turns out that the Atlanteans were wrong and it really means nothing. What the hell? The story then jumps to the Nazis making a massive machine to destroy the world. So we just spent four hundred pages on the topic and to throw it out the window.
****************************************************
Spoiler Alert
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Then after every thing, the author actually inserts himself into this as a cameo. Is he actually proud of this pile of BS? I mean after four hundred pages I wanted to reach into the book and strangle the man.
And get this, Atlantis is found. But there only is one line. Seriously Dirk walls into the city and then describes the walls of the buildings. Then the author must have gone “Who cares about Atlantis? Let’s blow some stuff up. “I’m serious, it’s knee existent in this book.
The good? Yeah, there was actually one line. It stated the end. Seriously because of Mr. Perfect, I can even say that the action wasn’t good. Unless you’re a guy who likes books that resemble movies such as 2012, The Expendables and Transporter, it isn’t any good.

So overall, unless you just like things that go boom, such as explosion and gun shots and never care for any sort of script, this is for you. For the rest of uis, we can do with out.


½ smoothies out of four.

[Jay Schutt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not one of Cussler's best.

[Emily Krieger · Rating 1 out of 5]

Soooo drug out- was waiting for it to be over. This is a book for teenage boys in the 80s. The sexism went crazy in this book! Writing was weighted down by details of the mechanics of every vehicle mentioned. Sorry Clive, not a fan

[Christopher Hivner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange artifacts and writings are found in a cave in Colorado that turn out to have a connection to more artifacts found on an eighteenth century ship trapped in the ice in Antarctica. Everyone who tries to explore these finds is killed or an attempt is made on their life. It all leads back to a German family living in South America who are descendant of the Nazis and have a grand scheme to build the 4th Empire.

The pros for Atlantis Found are that it is a fast-paced action adventure that will hold your attention and keep your interest as the plot grows more and more absurd. There are also a lot of interesting historical facts and theories to help propel the story. The cons would be that its too long and sometimes gets bogged down by too much technical data about what kind of plane they are flying or weapon they are using. The biggest drawback is the awful dialogue. Mr. Cussler apparently leads an adventurous life and has a deep imagination for storytelling but he's not a great writer. None of the characters speak the way a normal person does and it just gets worse as the book progresses. Cussler also has a propensity for over-the-top metaphors.

I enjoyed the book to a degree and wanted to keep reading to find out the full story, but it was a chore at times because of the poor writing.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 15th installment of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt NUMA series, Atlantis Found, Dirk and Al return in another crazy adventure to save the world. In September 1858, an Antartic whaler stumbled on an aged wreck with a frozen crew and an obsidian skull. In March 2001, a team of archeologists gazed at a strange wall of inscriptions, before they were blasted away into the Colorado River. A month later, Dirk Pitt and his crew was nearly sunk by a vessel that should've died 58 years ago. Now Dirk knew that these incidents were all connected, when he began an investigation of an ancient mystery. It was now up to him to stop a mad man to save his life and the whole world, too, before we would have our own Armageddon.

[Kiri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I admit it. I adore a good adventure -- even the cheesy, over the top, omg end-of-the-world ramifications, mary-sue/gary-stu inducing kind - as long as the plot is exciting and it is well written. Think of it as cotton candy for the mind. Never good in huge doses but a delight to enjoy. I'm always willing to take on the most recent pile of Cussler novels an old housemate passes along to me to enjoy.

In this Dirk Pitt adventure we off into another historical mystery. I don't wish to spoil any of the fun so I won't type out any of the plot. It is a good fun ride.

[Paris Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a thrilling plot! Civilizations under ice, Nazis, city sized ships and all the fantastic action found in any of Cussler's books! This was a top 5 of the series for sure.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what another roller coaster of a ride that Clive gives us with dirk pitt. The world is in danger and super close to danger, will dirk save the day? Another great story. Recommended.

[Darria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Prva pročitana knjiga autora Clive Cussler, no nije me ni najmanje oduševila.
Radnja je krenula obećavajuće, pronađen je neobični artefakt u rudnicima i na još jedan na Anktartici. Tajanstveni zapisi na zidovima spilja, nepoznate civilizacije, mumije, da bi na kraju završilo kao tipična američka priča sa specijalnim postrojbama, fanatičnom obitelji koja planira smak svijeta, a vrhunac je vožnjom aviona prometnicama prema Bijeloj kući.
Ovo je vjerojatno prva knjiga nakon čijeg čitanja razmišljam jedino o izgubljenom vremenu :(

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid adventure book from Clive Cussler. I needed a little bit of adventure and intrigue, and this fit the bill. Cussler doesn't use a lot of profane language or sex, and I appreciate that. This book was less sea adventure than I was anticipating, but I am always intrigued by Antarctica so that was a plus. I liked Dirk Pitt and Al as main characters. Again, nothing to gush about but a solid, enjoyable book.

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining enough, though all of Cussler’s books follow the same cookie cutter formula for plot.

[Barb · Rating 5 out of 5]

You have to love Clive Cussler, so unrealistic lol!!

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dirk Pitt encounters neo-Nazis who are trying to cover up evidence of an ancient civilization.

It felt like all the components were there, but the book just didn't grab me like most of the others. Maybe That's why he started getting co-writers.

[Luis · Rating 2 out of 5]

mi literatura basura favorita

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Clive Cussler's Atlantis Found certainly makes for an interesting read, if not a somewhat heavyhanded one. On one hand, you have a plot for the ages, filled with intrigue, suspense, violence and mysticism. On the other hand, the style of writing is filled with unclear terminology, unrealistic speaking styles and a plot led by a hero who's abilities are just too far overstated to even be considered plausible in any reality. Don't let this get you down though, as the excellent plot still more than makes up for a few minor issues in writing.

The book starts by describing a disasterous comet impact on Earth 9,000 years ago and the impact that it had on the life, continents, and an apparently worldwide human empire whose destruction spawned the legends of Atlantis as well as those of the Great Flood. Several thousand years later, a 19th century whaling vessel gets stuck in the ice of Antarctica and discovers a ship trapped almost a century earlier containing a treasure trove of bizarre artifacts, oddly none of which are made of valuable metals, and an incredible obsidian skull which the captain takes before the ship collapses into the ice. Finally in modern day, an archaeological expedition finds a bizarre perfect cubic room in a mountain in Colorado, when they are attacked by a mysterious group of armed men. Fortunately, they are saved by a National Underwater and Marine Agency agent named Dirk Pitt, who is able to bring them to safety and capture one of the enemy agents who had been masquerading around as one of the archaeologists. Unfortunately, the agent is found and killed shortly after while in custody. As the story progresses, the plot splits off in several directions with a group of NUMA agents searching for evidence of the ancient culture on an isolated island, some researchers trying to decipher the ancient language and threats of doom, and the eponymous hero searching for the old vessel in the arctic, and through the discovery of the cause of the demise of the ancient civilization and failed attacks on both search teams by a strike team on the island and an advanced WWII era U-Boat in the Antarctic, the agency discovers that it may be in for one hell of a fight. Eventually tracing the attacks back to a fleet of superships and a corporate empire formed after the fall of the Third Reich and led by what would appear to be the cloned Aryan offspring of Hitler, they realize the group's intentions: to ride out the apocalypse and repopulate the Earth under the rule of the Fourth Reich. This confounds NUMA as they discover that the legend of a returning comet is in fact not a threat and that the Fourth Reich plans on starting the end by using nanotechnology to sink the Ross Ice Shelf, reversing the poles and flooding the planet. Through a journey across the ice, the commandeering of Admiral Byrd's famous ice crawler, a meeting with Cussler himself, and the climactic battle for a Nazi base in an ancient city, the group of agents is able to barely save the world and doom the antagonistic Wolf family to certain death. After a final battle with what remains of the Fourth Reich which leads the groups plane through the streets of D.C., the heros finally meet with the president as well as their friends, colleagues and Pitt's romantic involvement.

This was certainly an excellent book in the fact that it had an amazing plot and even more so in the sense of a more than complete backstory of events. The writer clearly spent a large amount of time researching everything from legends and creation/disaster stories, to data of ancient cataclysms and their effects on the Earth, to occult beliefs, clandestine actions and eventual evacuation and hiding of wealth and personnel by the Third Reich. Every part of the plot is just fantastic: the extremely consise descriptions of the Amenes civilization, the Nazi ark fleet and plans to sink the Ross Ice Shelf, and even the subplot of the Wolf family being the genetically modified clones of Hitler all lead to a fantastic journey. Despite some overdone and occasionally unrealistic writing styles, this story is still fascinating and a must for anyone looking for a good action-packed, end of the world, Nazi fighting thrillride.

[Jessy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya no me sorprende amar estos libros y ahora le tengo un especial cariño a Al Giordino 🥰 y me encanta lo qué pasa con el en este libro 😱

Y papá Cussler 😂 amo sus cameos

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of the three Dirk Pitt novels I've read, this was my favorite. I would even give it 3.5 stars if I could.

That being said, it still had its share of problems (spoilers follow):

- Why were the Fourth Empire so obsessed with keeping the Amenes' civilization a secret? Since their attack had nothing to do with another comet hitting earth, as the Amenes predicted, it seems absurd that they would go about killing people that found an archaeological dig from that time. It doesn't even make that much sense why they would be interested in them in the first place, other than the obvious connection that their secret base is located in the Amenes' Antarctic ruins.

- On a related note, why were they so intent on killing Pat O'Connell at the Colorado mine, only to later kidnap her and keep her alive? Only because it suits the needs of the plot, as best as I can tell, as they could have easily kidnapped her in Colorado in the first place.

- Why must Clive Cussler insist on writing himself into his books? At best, the practice is mildly irritating, but when he is the third act's deus ex machina, it is absolutely intolerable. Not to mention that he refers to himself as "Dad", which is gag-inducing.

Unrelated and potentially uninteresting fact: This is the fourth consecutive novel I have read where Matthew McConaughey played the book's protagonist in a movie adaptation -- Mickey Haller in The Lincoln Lawyer and The Brass Verdict, Jake Brigance in A Time to Kill, and now Dirk Pitt here.