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NUMA Files #7
The Navigator
Years ago, an ancient Phoenician statue known as the Navigator was stolen from the Baghdad Museum, and there are men who would do anything to get their hands on it. Their first victim is a crooked antiquities dealer, murdered in cold blood. Their second very nearly is a UN investigator who, were it not for the timely assistance of Austin and Zavala, would now be at the bottom of a watery grave.
What's so special about this statue? Austin wonders. The search for answers will take the NUMA team on an astonishing odyssey through time and space, one that encompasses no less than the lost treasures of King Solomon, a mysterious packet of documents personally encoded by Thomas Jefferson, and a top secret scientific project that could change the world forever.
And that's before the surprises really begin . . .
Rich with all the hair-raising action and endless invention that have become Cussler's hallmarks, The Navigator is Clive's best yet.
437 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2007
659 people are currently reading
3280 people want to read
About the author
Clive Cussler
625 books8,474 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 391 reviews
July 9, 2012
This story begins in 900 BC, as a Thracian and Phoenician ship collide, with devastating consequences. Many years later, in 1809, Thomas Jefferson has assembled cherished word lists of the Unkechaug people, valuable vellum documents which he entrusts to an old friend - Meriwether Lewis. He has no idea that “The Cultivation of Artichokes” document will seal Lewis’ doom. Lewis is apparently murdered for the priceless find and a dreadful conspiracy is begun, a conspiracy that remains hidden until the present day.
Carina Mechadi is furious when the treasures of Baghdad are looted by a group of vandals. Priceless works of art are spirited away, leaving Carina wondering whether they will ever again see the light of day. In a series of imaginative twists and turns, Carina manages to take possession of part of the looted treasure, transporting them aboard the container ship Ocean Adventure. A group of mercenaries boards the vessel and only some evasive maneuvers and quick thinking saves the ship from colliding with an oil rig.
Although fellow collector, Baltazar, helps Carina at first, his real plans for her are black and twisted. Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are forced to use the full extent of their powers to keep Carina safe while they track down the roots of the ultimate treasure. As the loop of danger tightens around their vulnerable throats, the intensity of the search for the lost treasure of King Solomon increases. Riddled with exciting plot twists and turns, this book will keep you riveted to the pages and thirsting for more.
Carina Mechadi is furious when the treasures of Baghdad are looted by a group of vandals. Priceless works of art are spirited away, leaving Carina wondering whether they will ever again see the light of day. In a series of imaginative twists and turns, Carina manages to take possession of part of the looted treasure, transporting them aboard the container ship Ocean Adventure. A group of mercenaries boards the vessel and only some evasive maneuvers and quick thinking saves the ship from colliding with an oil rig.
Although fellow collector, Baltazar, helps Carina at first, his real plans for her are black and twisted. Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala are forced to use the full extent of their powers to keep Carina safe while they track down the roots of the ultimate treasure. As the loop of danger tightens around their vulnerable throats, the intensity of the search for the lost treasure of King Solomon increases. Riddled with exciting plot twists and turns, this book will keep you riveted to the pages and thirsting for more.
June 21, 2018
Another good, fast read by Cussler. Included King Solomon's mine, the Ten Commandments and Thomas Jefferson. Figure that one out.
January 13, 2024
Cussler's a Pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact theory buff. Or at least, as an American writer, he uses the angle to facilitate the international setting of his novels when global disaster is not the ploy du jour.
If Treasure was Dirk PItt's best take, then "the Navigator" is Austen's. The Phoenician connection is deftly linked to both the antagonist & the Austen Girl. The Unstoppable Killer is fleshed out a bit, but too much in the cut of "Doughboy" from Lost City.
If Treasure was Dirk PItt's best take, then "the Navigator" is Austen's. The Phoenician connection is deftly linked to both the antagonist & the Austen Girl. The Unstoppable Killer is fleshed out a bit, but too much in the cut of "Doughboy" from Lost City.
August 10, 2008
Can you give anything lower than a one-star rating? I have never read Cussler before but wanted a quick, light summer read. With its one-dimensional, stock characters and forced dialog The Navigator is quite possibly one of the worst books I have read.
December 6, 2023
This is standard fare for Clive Cussler...but that isn't a bad thing. With plenty of action and twists, this one will keep the pages turning.
June 24, 2024
4.5 Stars for The Navigator: NUMA Files, Book 7 (audiobook) by Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos read by Scott Brick.
There’s a lot of action packed into this story. It starts out with a statue stolen from the Baghdad museum and an attempt to find King Solomon’s lost treasure. Then a document that Thomas Jefferson wrote needs to be decoded. And all of this may change the world forever.
There’s a lot of action packed into this story. It starts out with a statue stolen from the Baghdad museum and an attempt to find King Solomon’s lost treasure. Then a document that Thomas Jefferson wrote needs to be decoded. And all of this may change the world forever.
August 21, 2008
I love Clive Cussler books, they're wild, adventurous, a little history mixed with fiction and just fun! I was excited about this one, because I heard it talked about my stomping grounds on the Chesapeake Bay and Havre de Grace. It didn't disappoint. If you are looking for a fun adventure this is the book for you. Just keep in mind, sometimes you laugh and think to yourself, seriously? Good stuff.
January 17, 2010
maybe i've read too many of cussler books lately, but god this book was astoundingly boring
the protagonists- what is it about kurt austin and his pale hair that makes him so boring? he collects dueling pistols. wow. how very, very interesting. and what about zavala? a Mexican-American who turns classic cars into submarines - boring? how could it be? and yet it is. and the Trouts- don't these people have any flaws? at all?
the antagonists - a megalomaniac looking for Solomon's mines in America who enjoys jousting as a hobby... and yet he is oh-so-amazingly boring - a killer with a baby face... what a twist! he has a baby face but he is a cold-blooded killer!!!!! wow!!!!
the plot
all booooooring!!!!!
Okay, maybe I'm being unfair. But sometimes one reads a book, and even as they realize they are not liking it, they press on unwilling to admit they've gotten half-way through just to give up. But then, at the end, you're just angry at the book for wasting your time. It's not worth it. It's just not worth it.
I enjoy some of Cussler's books. They are always ridiculous, but they are usually fun to read. Usually they are not INCREDIBLY BORING.
the protagonists- what is it about kurt austin and his pale hair that makes him so boring? he collects dueling pistols. wow. how very, very interesting. and what about zavala? a Mexican-American who turns classic cars into submarines - boring? how could it be? and yet it is. and the Trouts- don't these people have any flaws? at all?
the antagonists - a megalomaniac looking for Solomon's mines in America who enjoys jousting as a hobby... and yet he is oh-so-amazingly boring - a killer with a baby face... what a twist! he has a baby face but he is a cold-blooded killer!!!!! wow!!!!
the plot
all booooooring!!!!!
Okay, maybe I'm being unfair. But sometimes one reads a book, and even as they realize they are not liking it, they press on unwilling to admit they've gotten half-way through just to give up. But then, at the end, you're just angry at the book for wasting your time. It's not worth it. It's just not worth it.
I enjoy some of Cussler's books. They are always ridiculous, but they are usually fun to read. Usually they are not INCREDIBLY BORING.
August 14, 2025
This book, part of the NUMA series, was written while Clive Cussler was still getting authors credit, with a ghost writer other than Graham Brown, who later took over the books completely. It showed. Cussler tended toward over the top prose, particularly when describing characters. The book was decent, though the plot meandered, with lots of historical detail, not all of it completely necessary, in my view. That said, it included Thomas Jefferson, which is a plus for me. After much buildup, the climax was somewhat underwhelming.
March 8, 2020
The Navigator refers to a large life size statue of a sailor. On this statue is a map. This statue used to sit in the basement of the Baghdad musem for many years. Until the US army occupied the country in 2003. Since then, a lot of irreplaceable art has been stolen from the Baghdad museum and sold on the illegal arts market.
One of the statues stolen is the Navigator. It was dated to Phoenician times (about 1000 BCE). The Phoenicians were a great trading and seafaring people. Their home land was the coastal area we know as the Levant - which covers Palestine and Lebanon. The Phoenicians were known to have traded all over the Mediterranean, and possble along the Atlantic coast of North Africa and Southern Europe as well.
When Carina Mechadi (a former journalist and now an art detective) is given the opportunity and the money to find the Navigator, she tracks it down using all her contacts in the Middle east - especially in Iraq. When she finds it, she gets it packed up and placed on a container ship. Carina then purchases a passenger ticket on the same container ship in order to stay close to the statue, and travels with the statue back to USA. The statue is to be the centre piece of a museum display and tour.
En route to USA, the container ship is attacked by pirates, who attempt to steal the statue. By chance Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala (From NUMA) are on board an ice patrol ship in the vicinity catching icebergs and towing them to a safe place, so that they do not hit the oil rigs and platforms dotting the North Atlantic.
When the container ship captain does not answer the radio, Kurt and Joe head to the ship to find out what is happening, and to steer it away from the oilrig directly in its path. Which is where they meet Carina.
This novel has plenty of action. Kurt, Joe and Carina work together to find out who wants the statue so badly, and why. They also travel to Turkey where they locate a second statue.
Together they find gold mines, maps, scrolls, a ship that should not be where it is found and a startling letter from Thomas Jefferson (the 3rd president of the USA) which reveals that if the scrolls are released to the world, their contents could cause unrest and possibly war in the Middle East. Carina also finds out a stunning secret about her ancestry.
This is one of my favourite Kurt Austin Novels. Mostly because of the Art history. I love Art History!!
One of the statues stolen is the Navigator. It was dated to Phoenician times (about 1000 BCE). The Phoenicians were a great trading and seafaring people. Their home land was the coastal area we know as the Levant - which covers Palestine and Lebanon. The Phoenicians were known to have traded all over the Mediterranean, and possble along the Atlantic coast of North Africa and Southern Europe as well.
When Carina Mechadi (a former journalist and now an art detective) is given the opportunity and the money to find the Navigator, she tracks it down using all her contacts in the Middle east - especially in Iraq. When she finds it, she gets it packed up and placed on a container ship. Carina then purchases a passenger ticket on the same container ship in order to stay close to the statue, and travels with the statue back to USA. The statue is to be the centre piece of a museum display and tour.
En route to USA, the container ship is attacked by pirates, who attempt to steal the statue. By chance Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala (From NUMA) are on board an ice patrol ship in the vicinity catching icebergs and towing them to a safe place, so that they do not hit the oil rigs and platforms dotting the North Atlantic.
When the container ship captain does not answer the radio, Kurt and Joe head to the ship to find out what is happening, and to steer it away from the oilrig directly in its path. Which is where they meet Carina.
This novel has plenty of action. Kurt, Joe and Carina work together to find out who wants the statue so badly, and why. They also travel to Turkey where they locate a second statue.
Together they find gold mines, maps, scrolls, a ship that should not be where it is found and a startling letter from Thomas Jefferson (the 3rd president of the USA) which reveals that if the scrolls are released to the world, their contents could cause unrest and possibly war in the Middle East. Carina also finds out a stunning secret about her ancestry.
This is one of my favourite Kurt Austin Novels. Mostly because of the Art history. I love Art History!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2015
Maybe books like this should come with a warning? Matt's review just about sums up how I felt after reading this !
February 22, 2019
Typical Cussler - impossible physical feats, really bad guys.
Great read!!!
Great read!!!
July 31, 2017
Een oké actie verhaal. De auteur doet veel onderzoek voor zijn boeken, maar soms zijn er teveel details en dat komt de leesbaarheid niet altijd ten goede.
April 7, 2023
This numa book has really interesting takes on some of the quirks in history.
December 20, 2024
it is a fast paced captivating book. It kept me interested and Austin is a great character.
July 23, 2022
Try as I might, I just couldn't get into this one. I found the characters flat and unmemorable, the pace so slow it hurt, and the action lacking after reading 250+ pages and hoping it would pick up.
November 6, 2016
Als ik een halve ster kon geven, zou dit anderhalve ster hebben gekregen, omdat ik nog twijfel of een deel misschien lag aan de voorlezer.
Sorry, Clive, maar dit boek was zonde van mijn tijd. Misschien heb ik de laatste tijd te veel Cussler's gelezen (of eigenlijk geluisterd), maar andere delen uit de NUMA serie of uit Dossier Oregon waren veel beter.
De hoofdrol-spelers lijken (haast) geen fouten te hebben. En de tegenspelers? Een megalomane maniak die de mijnen van Salomo in Amerika zoekt, en toch tijd heeft voor zijn hobby, het steekspel. En dan is daar de moordenaar met zijn baby-gezicht. GAAP!!
En dan het (top geheime) vliegtuig dat eventjes van de Amerikaanse overheid wordt geleend om Kurt zo van Amerika naar Cyprus te vliegen om zijn vriendin te redden.
Ik ben doorgegaan met dit (audio)boek omdat ik niet graag opgeef en de hoop had dat het misschien nog wel beter zou worden, maar helaas. Wat is er gebeurt met Dirk Pitt bij de NUMA? Dat waren tenminste betere verhalen. Mis nog steeds de clue rond de beelden van de 'Navigator'. En wat is er gebeurt met de kunst-collectie die uit het Iraakse museum waren gestolen?
Sorry, Clive, maar dit boek was zonde van mijn tijd. Misschien heb ik de laatste tijd te veel Cussler's gelezen (of eigenlijk geluisterd), maar andere delen uit de NUMA serie of uit Dossier Oregon waren veel beter.
De hoofdrol-spelers lijken (haast) geen fouten te hebben. En de tegenspelers? Een megalomane maniak die de mijnen van Salomo in Amerika zoekt, en toch tijd heeft voor zijn hobby, het steekspel. En dan is daar de moordenaar met zijn baby-gezicht. GAAP!!
En dan het (top geheime) vliegtuig dat eventjes van de Amerikaanse overheid wordt geleend om Kurt zo van Amerika naar Cyprus te vliegen om zijn vriendin te redden.
Ik ben doorgegaan met dit (audio)boek omdat ik niet graag opgeef en de hoop had dat het misschien nog wel beter zou worden, maar helaas. Wat is er gebeurt met Dirk Pitt bij de NUMA? Dat waren tenminste betere verhalen. Mis nog steeds de clue rond de beelden van de 'Navigator'. En wat is er gebeurt met de kunst-collectie die uit het Iraakse museum waren gestolen?
October 25, 2022
I was disappointed with this book and I think the thing that surprised me the most was how disappointed I was with it. I finished it hoping it would get better and it never did. It has some good moments in it, some fun moments, but it was so boring and slow and depressing and . . . it felt like a giant rip-off of his much better, "classic" story Treasure. The character development is meh, the pacing and the plot are stupid-meh, and I almost found myself wishing I had never wasted the time I spent reading it.
It's not exactly like Treasure and the stakes do not involve the equivalent of the lost library of Alexandria, Egypt, but it still felt like a rehashing of Treasure to me. Speaking of which, I am surprised some of the characters who should be in the know in this book do not reference the scrolls and other documented artifacts that mention Sheba and Solomon's lost gold mine(s) that are indirectly mentioned in Treasure. In any case, these are some other reasons why I felt this story was a rehashing of Treasure:
I swear, it sometimes feels like the man has run out of ideas and just rehashes his "old" Dirk Pitt stories and just inserts Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala in their places. This book is "different" enough to stand on its own, but it still feels like an updated retelling of Treasure "for the modern era" (such as having the villain be practically omnipresent and nearly omnipotent throughout the story until it is necessary for the villain and his henchmen to start screwing up to allow the heroes to succeed) (I will blame the "updated modernization" of the story on his co-author, hahahah! In the end, I was really disappointed with the book. However, as disappointed as I was with the book, it did still hold my interest enough for me to finish it, so there is that. I may never read it again, but at least I can say I read it one time.
It's not exactly like Treasure and the stakes do not involve the equivalent of the lost library of Alexandria, Egypt, but it still felt like a rehashing of Treasure to me. Speaking of which, I am surprised some of the characters who should be in the know in this book do not reference the scrolls and other documented artifacts that mention Sheba and Solomon's lost gold mine(s) that are indirectly mentioned in Treasure. In any case, these are some other reasons why I felt this story was a rehashing of Treasure:
I swear, it sometimes feels like the man has run out of ideas and just rehashes his "old" Dirk Pitt stories and just inserts Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala in their places. This book is "different" enough to stand on its own, but it still feels like an updated retelling of Treasure "for the modern era" (such as having the villain be practically omnipresent and nearly omnipotent throughout the story until it is necessary for the villain and his henchmen to start screwing up to allow the heroes to succeed) (I will blame the "updated modernization" of the story on his co-author, hahahah! In the end, I was really disappointed with the book. However, as disappointed as I was with the book, it did still hold my interest enough for me to finish it, so there is that. I may never read it again, but at least I can say I read it one time.
October 19, 2019
Clive Cussler writes adventure stories that usually involve the ocean. He will never be featured in any English Literature class that I have ever attended. Sometimes I think people expect too much!
This one is great fun! Taking some little tidbit of history and creating a great seafaring yarn is good enough for me. Kurt Austin will never replace Dirk Pitt in my mind, but like me, Pitt has gotten old. Austin is a swashbuckling NUMA man's man and romantic legend. His actions will make the men all want to be him for a few hours! That is all I ask as I sit in my easy chair and sip tea!
Cussler books are also nice because they don't really age, the technology doesn't really matter, in fact, the old cars and boats, and dueling pistols just add to the joy! So, don't try and read this while mountain biking down a knarly trail, and don't try to do your thesis on the cutting edge of seafaring science as it pertains to world peace! Just sit back and imagine...
This one is great fun! Taking some little tidbit of history and creating a great seafaring yarn is good enough for me. Kurt Austin will never replace Dirk Pitt in my mind, but like me, Pitt has gotten old. Austin is a swashbuckling NUMA man's man and romantic legend. His actions will make the men all want to be him for a few hours! That is all I ask as I sit in my easy chair and sip tea!
Cussler books are also nice because they don't really age, the technology doesn't really matter, in fact, the old cars and boats, and dueling pistols just add to the joy! So, don't try and read this while mountain biking down a knarly trail, and don't try to do your thesis on the cutting edge of seafaring science as it pertains to world peace! Just sit back and imagine...
October 23, 2012
This was one of the worst Cussler books I've read. The copy editing was horrendous. The writing was aimed at 3rd graders, with stilted sentences, unbelievable dialogue, and boring prose. The fight scenes, in particular, seemed to be a series of choppy sentences that all started with "The."
While I expect the plot to be outlandish (that's the fun of his books), this one just had too many pieces that were obviously untrue, which made it really hard to suspend disbelief. The part that bothered me most was the hash he made of the history behind the Ten Commandments.
I got the impression that Cussler and his co-writers are just trying to churn out as many books as possible while he's still around to put his name on them. Very sad.
I'm glad I only borrowed this book--I would have been upset at the waste of money if I had purchased my own copy.
While I expect the plot to be outlandish (that's the fun of his books), this one just had too many pieces that were obviously untrue, which made it really hard to suspend disbelief. The part that bothered me most was the hash he made of the history behind the Ten Commandments.
I got the impression that Cussler and his co-writers are just trying to churn out as many books as possible while he's still around to put his name on them. Very sad.
I'm glad I only borrowed this book--I would have been upset at the waste of money if I had purchased my own copy.
March 22, 2014
Valuable artifacts have been stolen from the Bagdad museum after the taking of Iraq in the war. Among these stolen artifacts is "The Navigator," a bronze statue that may just be the key to finding a lost religious relic, or even King Solomon's mines. Carina's job is to recover these lost artifacts, but it puts her on a very dangerous path, but she was lucky enough to have Kurt Austin be there to save her. Now the two of them are working to solve the mystery before it is too late.
The first of the Numa Files series I have read - too bad I didn't start with the first one, but it works well enough as a stand alone book, that it don't matter. I loved Kurt Autin's character, but then again, I have always been a sucker for the Dirk Pitt and Jack Ryan type :). Fun and exciting adventure read.
The first of the Numa Files series I have read - too bad I didn't start with the first one, but it works well enough as a stand alone book, that it don't matter. I loved Kurt Autin's character, but then again, I have always been a sucker for the Dirk Pitt and Jack Ryan type :). Fun and exciting adventure read.
July 18, 2017
This is the first Clive Cussler book I've read in many years. I love that this book involves an artifact that existed in the past so far back and yet the current, modern day impact it has on societies and those who want it for nefarious reasons really get tied together very well. I really kind of blew through this book and there are many ways to spoil this book but let me say this. If you like Indiana Jones and the books of Tony Hillerman, then this is definitely in your wheelhouse. Give it a read. I picked up several of these at my local Goodwill store and I can't wait to jump into the next one. Not my normal fare as far as my reading habits but this is well written and action packed!
Danny
Danny
July 26, 2014
If you want straight forward page turning action adventure story then this is the one. Although it's part of the NUMA Files series, I have not read any of the others and I didn't find it a hindrance.
The Navigator is a statue that has been stolen from the Bagdad museum and Kirt Austin and the NUMA team are on its trail. But the story begins long before this in the days of ancient Phoenicia and then moves to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of some of Thomas Jefferson's papers. How does all this relate to the statue? You had better read the book to find out!
The Navigator is a statue that has been stolen from the Bagdad museum and Kirt Austin and the NUMA team are on its trail. But the story begins long before this in the days of ancient Phoenicia and then moves to the mysterious circumstances surrounding the disappearance of some of Thomas Jefferson's papers. How does all this relate to the statue? You had better read the book to find out!
April 8, 2009
Entertaining enough, but not one of my favorite Cussler novels. I liked the plot with Jefferson, Lewis & the whole adventure bit, however the whole hero fights evil bad guy to land the hot chick was particularly tiresome in this one. Overly "manly", much in the way some romance novels can go way over the top with the feminine fluff. I will still continue to read Clive Cussler though, his stories are good action the pages turn quickly.
August 22, 2012
Clive Cussler's earlier works far exceed the current stuff with multiple authors. This was reasonably entertaining, and any need I might have had to read any more of his books for sometime. This book had more description of clothing (and appearance and sex appeal/desire) then I remember from previous books and it's not what I want from a clive cussler. Otherwise it might have gotten a 3 star review.
January 10, 2017
Another Cussler classic, full of action and history and intrigue. I especially enjoyed this story because much of it takes place around where I live! It stars the usual cast of characters Cussler readers are used to from the later NUMA files, and I like that the villain in this story isn't trying for global domination. Overall this is a good book and follows the traditional Cussler plot line, which is what makes his books worth reading!
May 11, 2009
The best thing I can say is that Cussler makes Dan Brown seem like a literary giant. It got two stars because the book wasn't actually offensive; it just wasn't much of anything. The entire time I was thinking maybe it will go somewhere, get interesting. Nope! So much for recommendations from strangers.
March 9, 2019
I like some of Cussler ' s story lines, most of them seem well researched but a bit far fetched for me. Most of the endings are predictable and the cringe worthy frat boy dialogue between some of his characters just seems cheap and unnecessary.
September 10, 2021
Part Indiana Jones, part National Treasure, part Allan Quatermain. Add in pirates, jousting, secret societies and templars, and it starts getting too muddled. Feels like ideas for six books, all crammed into one.
September 13, 2020
Had a hard time focusing on it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 391 reviews