Black Wind (Dirk Pitt Adventures) [Mass Market Paperback]

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback
• Publisher: Berkley (2006)
• ASIN: B001K9K40G
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,093,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clive Cussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt(R), 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 is 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 have 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 September, 1998, NUMA - which turns over all artifacts to state and Federal authorities, or donates them to museums and universities - launched its own web site for those wishing more information about maritime history or wishing to make donations to the organization.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler is also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He has been 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, Black Wind, Treasure of Kahn and Arctic Drift (the last three with his son, Dirk Cussler) as well as The Chase; the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt (R) Revealed; the NUMA(R) Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death, Lost City, Polar Shift, The Navigator and Medusa (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch, Skeleton Coast, Plague Ship and Corsair (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler lives in Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Clive and Dirk write Dirk and Dirk, August 9, 2006

By 

James Yodrick "Go, dude, go!" (Northwest United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Wind: A Dirk Pitt Novel (Dirk Pitt Adventure) (Hardcover)

Clive, the senior Cussler, and Dirk, the junior Cussler, have written a rip-rollicking tale about Dirk the Elder, Dirk the Younger, and Summer the Daughter. It's Manly Man Reading when Father and Son write about Fathers and Sons.

Even though I'm being funny, this is a fun, enjoyable book. Cussler Sr. wrote the first part of the book, and Cussler Jr. picked up where he left off and finished the book. The two authors meld seamlessly. There are no jarring exchanges where you can tell that one or the other is writing.

Like most of Cussler's books, dark deeds from the past well up to infiltrate the present. Here, the three folks from NUMA (Dirk, Dirk, and Summer) must foil a bio-plot that has its roots in WWII. It's a little slight, which is why it doesn't get a higher star rating, but at least it's fun.

Even though this is the latest in a long series of NUMA books, each one stands alone. You can pick up any one of them and not be lost. "Black Wind" is no exception.

Jim Yodrick

55 of 64 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exhilarating NUMA oceanic adventure thriller, October 31, 2004

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Black Wind: A Dirk Pitt Novel (Dirk Pitt Adventure) (Hardcover)

In December 1944, Captain Miyoshi Horinouchi, staff operations officer of the Japanese Imperial Navy Sixth Fleet, informs Lieutenant Commander Ogawa of Submarine I-403 of a change of assignment. Instead of patrolling the Philippines, he is to "escort' a special guest from the Kure Naval Base in Japan to the "enemy's doorsteps". The civilian Dr. Jisaichi Tanaka of the Army Medical College has found a devastating biological agent that will bring the Americans to their knees begging for peace. If he fails on this mission, Japan will inevitably lose the war as the Battle of the Pacific is all but over since the recent fleet devastation at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. However neither this sub nor a companion ever made it to its intended target.

In 2007 a South Korean knows where the subs sank and has plans for uniting his country by distracting the Americans with the launching of the deadly biological cargo on Los Angeles. Only Dirk Pitt Sr. and his adult children Jr. and Summer along with his crew from the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) stand in the way of success.

This is typical Clive Cussler fare starting with a historical naval moment expanded into an exhilarating base for a strong contemporary watery thriller in which the action is everything. Dirk is aging gracefully (my knees hurt just reading about his adventures), but the torch as with the authors seem to be moving on one knot at a time to the next generation. BLACK WIND is an exciting tale that is like all the NUMA novels worth an oceanic adventure trek that takes enthralled readers merrily to the Pitts.

Harriet Klausner

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I guess the rip-snorting tales have passed on...., January 27, 2005

By 

R W Warren "robert27545" (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Wind: A Dirk Pitt Novel (Dirk Pitt Adventure) (Hardcover)

Ever since I read my first Clive Cussler novel while on an oil rig in the North Sea (sometime about 1978 or 1977 or so), I've been a Cussler enthusiast. I've only read the Cussler novels, not the commercialized versions with co-authors. They never seemed to have that spice that makes a Cussler novel whatever it is.

There is not another author for whom I would consistently shell out the cost of a hardback, then take the following day off from work just to read his novel. I've always thought Cussler that good.

His writing has never been, well, elegant. His prose has never been challenging or even slightly mind-bending. His grammar is at times thwarted or convoluted....but....

It's his stories. They have always captivated me. He has always told rip-snorting, exciting yarns.

Imagine my sadness when I bought this latest book at the San Francisco Airport bookstore (paying a premium, I might add, just because it is Mr. Cussler's name on the book) and took it with me on a business trip.

Not even the boredom of a hotel room could entice me to finish it. The novel had all the formula (Mr. Cussler, you've always used the old "formula writing") but none of the storytelling, yarn-stretching, fat-chewing, whopper-telling, enigma-engrossing whatever-it-is-that-makes-Clive-the-best sauce. It was gone. Left in it's place was dry turkey leftover from Thanksgiving, and that was months ago....

It was like returning to a favorite restaurant and discovering that they had lost the recipes that had made the place so compelling to begin with. A most depressing experience.

If Mr. Cussler or his son read these reviews, I hope they take note of this: First, Mr. Cussler, whatever your talent was, it was great. Perhaps you no longer want to practice your art, so you should simply stop. No matter what, these sorts of skills (innate abilities?) cannot be passed on. Stop while your are ahead. For Dirk, I suggest that you do what you feel compelled to do, but whatever you choose, don't choose to ride on Daddy's coat-tails.

The secret Cussler sauce was missing from this novel. Completely. But the others, in their time and space, are absolute magic.

I cannot remember which book Mr. Cussler wrote in the preface/dedication regarding the "Alhambra" (a bar, a place, what?):

Gone, but not forgotten.

I say the same now for Mr. Cussler's books. They are gone, but not forgotten. A tip of the hat to you Mr. Clive. You were the best.