Any Clive Cussler Fans Out there?

[OZCUBAN]

Hi All

Picked up my latest Clive Cussler novel today and it got me thinking are there any fans out there in forum land.

FYI Clive Cussler or CC, I have seen those initials before somewhere.. the XFiles music

Cheers

Oz

[SmokinLightning]

My dad got me hooked on CC many years ago.

Long live Dirk Pitt!

[OZCUBAN]

DITO... OREGAN FILES SERIES GOOD ALSO

[buster]

I read the Dirk Pitt books. While they are unbelievably improbable, w/ Dirk seeming to save the world many times over every few chapters, I'm able to suspend reality and just sit back and enjoy the books. Good airplane, beach, vacation reading when you don't want something heavy. Maybe it's Cussler's writing that allows me to enjoy them. Or maybe I just want to be Dirk, drinking good tequila, getting the bad guys, getting the girls, and smoking the bosses cigars. Hmmm, sounds kind of like Smithy and Ken... at least the smoking the bosses cigars part.

Rick

[SmokinLightning]

Definately light-hearted but enjoyable reading.

I do love the fact that the fantastic cars in the books are really owned by the author. I would love to see that collection.

KC

[Wiley]

Please don't butcher OREGON!

And yes, I love his books! Sitting on the deck in summer with a CC and a CC!

[Shelby07]

Definately light-hearted but enjoyable reading.

I do love the fact that the fantastic cars in the books are really owned by the author. I would love to see that collection.

KC

His museum is about 20 minutes away from me and I have been through it. Absolutely fantastic cars! He sometimes sends his head mechanic out to local shows and events with one of his cars. I've had the pleasure of speaking with him (the mechanic, not Cussler) on a few occasions. He maintains Cussler's cars impeccably. Here's a couple of shots of a Cord he had at a car show in Golden last year.

The other thing about Cussler is that some of what he writes is based on actual experience. Here's an excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Cussler

Life imitating art

As an underwater explorer, Cussler has discovered more than sixty shipwreck sites[12] and has written non-fiction books about his findings. He is also the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), a non-profit organization with the same name as the fictional government agency that employs Dirk Pitt. Cussler owns a large collection of classic cars,[12] several of which (driven by Pitt) appear in his novels.

Cussler's web site claims that NUMA discovered, among other shipwrecks, the Confederate submarine Hunley. This claim is disputed by underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence who first reported finding it in 1970[13] and there is a collection of evidence supporting Spence on www.ShipWrecks.com. However, both claims appear to have elements of truth. Spence described finding the partially exposed wreck of the Hunley in 1970, but claimed it had been reburied by shifting sands before he returned to photograph it. Spence claims he relocated it with a magnetometer at various times in the 1970s but it was always buried and without the proper permits was unable to do any excavation on the site. The first expedition to dig into the site and bring back videographic evidence was the 1994/1995 SCIAA/NUMA H.L. Hunley expedition, directed by underwater archaeologist Dr. Mark M. Newell. That was largely financed by Cussler, thus his claim to have discovered it. Based on sworn statements by Dr. Newell, that expedition relied, at least to some extent, on Spence's maps of his earlier work. The dive team that took the video was led by diver Ralph Wilbanks who is on NUMA's Board of Directors.

In what started as a joke in the novel Dragon that Cussler expected his editor to remove, he now often writes himself into his books; at first as simple cameos, but later as something of a deus ex machina, providing the novel's protagonists with an essential bit of assistance or information.

A regular name in Cussler novels was Leigh Hunt. Seventeen books have had a character named Hunt appear in the opening prologues, usually dying. In the introduction to "Arctic Drift," Cussler says there was a real Leigh Hunt who died in 2007 and the novel is dedicated to him.

Important finds by Cussler's N.U.M.A. include

The Carpathia. The ship famed for being the first to come to the aid of Titanic survivors.

The Mary Celeste. The famed ghost ship that was found abandoned with cargo intact.

The Manassas. The first ironclad of the civil war, formerly the icebreaker Enoch Train.

[OZCUBAN]

Hi all

Great Post Shelby would love to see that museum.

We are all in agreement that in it is lighthearted entertainment (no pulitzer prize here) But having said that no one would expect that.

Good escapism, but he always seems to pick relevant topics

Would smithy be Al Giordino if so would that make El Prez Admiral Sandecker (But in reality more like Dirk )

Ken would have to be St Julian Perlmutter

For any one thats interested here is a link to a good website and forum

Cheers

Oz Cuban

[hoyopr]

Been a fan for many years, the style of incorporating history into the adventure was new for me when I read his first few and have enjoyed many since.

[Mr. Japan]

Clive > Dirk Pitt is on my book shelf! Together with All Grisham's book too.

[Moglman]

I've read most of his books, and even though it's close as Mark (Shelby07) indicates, have yet to visit the car museum.

[SmokinLightning]

He has a couple books (the Sea Hunters I believe) describing his shipwreck hunting trips. Interesting reading.

He's actually made a couple signifigant finds.

[Colt45]

Okay, you guys have twisted my arm

Do his books need to be read in order, or can I start anywhere?

As an aside, any Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe) fans? I've read twenty five or so of thoses.

[Wiley]

For those of you who like Clive, check out "The Chase". Doesn't involve his serial characters, but a damned fine read!

[OZCUBAN]

Okay, you guys have twisted my arm

Do his books need to be read in order, or can I start anywhere?

As an aside, any Rex Stout (Nero Wolfe) fans? I've read twenty five or so of thoses.

Hi Colt

I guess it does not make a real difference whether they are read in order or not, but some plots do wash over, as in they talk about previous adventures.

But in having said that most authors do get better as they go along, and i would say Cussler is no different,to be honest i did not start at number 1 and it has not affected my enjoyment over the years

Happy reading (you will not regret it i hope)

Cheers

Steve

Oz Cuban