Arctic Drift (A Dirk Pitt Novel, #20) (Dirk Pitt Novels) (Hardcover)

by Clive Cussler (Author), Dirk Cussler (Author)
Key Phrases: great cabin, ruthenium mine, sequestration facility, Polar Dawn, Prime Minister, Coast Guard (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Bestseller Cussler and son Dirk imagine the U.S. and Canada on the brink of war in their third collaborative Dirk Pitt novel (after Treasure of Khan and Black Wind). In 2011, as the price of gas hits $10 a gallon, President Garner Ward must contend with a corrupt Canadian cabal that's subverting efforts to solve America's energy problems. Pitt barely escapes serious injury when a bomb destroys a D.C. lab along with records of research into an artificial photosynthesis process that could, almost immediately, eliminate the threat of global warming. That discovery may be connected with a legendary failed 19th-century sailing expedition to the Arctic as well as a series of deaths due to the phenomena that the Native Americans of British Columbia know as the Devil's Breath. The Cusslers won't suspend many readers' disbelief, but thriller fans in search of a quick, exciting read should be satisfied. 750,000 printing; author tour. (Dec.)
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Product Description
As with all Clive Cussler’s dazzling Dirk Pitt novels, critics said Treasure of Khan “amazes, informs and entertains” (Publishers Weekly), “the action zipping along until a final powerhouse showdown” (Entertainment Weekly). “What’s not to like?” proclaimed the Los Angeles Times—and hundreds of thousands of readers agreed.

In his new novel, however—the twentieth Dirk Pitt adventure— Cussler may have topped even himself.

A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming . . . a series of unexplained sudden deaths in British Columbia . . . a rash of international incidents between the United States and one of its closest allies that threatens to erupt into an actual shooting war . . . NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk. Jr. and Summer, have reason to believe there’s a connection here somewhere, but they also know they have very little time to find it before events escalate out of control. Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived from that doomed mission, captain and crew perished to a man—and if Pitt and his colleague Al Giordino aren’t careful, the very same fate may await them.

Filled with the breathtaking suspense and audacious imagination that have become his hallmarks, this is a tour de force— further proof that when it comes to adventure writing, nobody beats Clive Cussler.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition/First Printing edition (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399155295
• ISBN-13: 978-0399155291
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.8 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,335 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 20 in The Dirk Pitt Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another winning entry for Clive & Son, November 26, 2008

By	Jeff Edwards "RadioJeff" (Twin Falls, Idaho) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

You would be hard pressed to find a bigger fan of Dirk Pitt novels than me, and while the anxious 'sit & wait' attitude until the next adventure comes out has softened somewhat with the last 4-5 novels, I gotta admit that it's tough to beat an action-drenched sea-worthy drama like the type produced by the Cussler's.

After being totally UNDER-Whelmed by the cover of 'Arctic Drift' (easily one of the worst in the entire Pitt library), I began with earnest to get back to what I love to do most: become entirely entrenched into a world where NUMA is real and saving the world is as easy as turning the next page. This time around, a completely random discovery that may very well 100% reverse Global Warming has been discovered, only to have another nasty megalomaniac--this time around from Canada--attempt to block it in order to continue to rape the environment for profit, all the while doing his best to look like his company cares about being Green more than almost anyone.

Along the way, Dirk's children, Summer & Dirk Jr. have managed to stumble upon a dangerous arm of our nasty Canadian while doing otherwise boring research half-way to Alaska on the Canadian Coast. Of course everything becomes connected in only the way that Dirk & Co. can manage to be at the right place at the right time to help. The horrible Canadian has done his best to spark what could very well be a major conflict with America, one in which an armed response seems inevitable, and right in the middle: you guessed it...Dirk Jr., Dirk Sr., Summer & Al Giordino. Along the way we discover some interesting History revolving around the efforts to discover a North Passage near the North Pole and what lengths some people will go to in order to add a few million dollars more to their already outrageously huge personal fortune.

While the debate continues to rage about the validity of mans impact on Global Warming vs. a cyclical pattern that the earth adheres to which man simply cannot influence, one thing is certain: Dirk Pitt continues to provide a slam-bang fun ride, this time through the North West Territories.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Blame CUSSLER for KINDLE!, December 1, 2008

By	Revival Student (United States) - See all my reviews

Please stop putting bad reviews of Kindle on the Arctic Drift page! If you are dissatisfied with your Kindle deal, then give the Kindle a bad review. Your Kindle issues have nothing to do with the quality of Cussler's writing.
Cussler has long been my favorite author, and I was shocked to see such a bad rating on Amazon for this book. I'm glad I took the time to read the reviews, and see that your dissatisfaction is not with Arctic Drift. (Personally, I think even 9.99 is too much to pay for an electronic book you can't read at the beach or share with a friend!) But it's well worth the $16.77 to have the latest Dirk Pitt novel in hand!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars I wanted to like this..., December 18, 2008

By	J. Tant (Under the cultural penumbra of Washington DC) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really wanted to like this latest adventure. Unfortunately, it follows the same formula as Dirk Pitt books have used since, oh, Dragon or Inca Gold. In fact, it got to the point where I was mentally ticking off the bullet points of the forumla. When a corporation was named, I knew right off it was the home of the rich and megalamaniacal bad guy. When the old guy helps Pitt out of a jam, I knew it was Cussler. When the handy character comes along, I knew it was a love interest for one of the characters.

I challenge the reader to put this alongside Raise the Titanic and see exactly what Cussler looked like in his prime.

Arctic Drift is good for a quick beach read, but unfortunately it doesn't have much staying power. Change the names around and you can have a nearly 1:1 substitution with other Pitt novels from the last ten-fifteen years.