THE CHASE [Unknown Binding]

CLIVE CUSSLER (Author)

Product Details

• Unknown Binding
• Publisher: PENGUIN Audio (2007)
• ASIN: B002T5OT9W
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (189 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,722,469 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

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Snakes On A Train, January 12, 2008

By 

Linda Bulger (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Chase (An Isaac Bell Adventure) (Hardcover)

I've always been a fan of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt and NUMA Files adventures, and THE CHASE is the same kind of story. There's a larger-than-life hero who faces impossible challenges and is viciously injured but gets right up. There are fast cars, a discreet liaison with a beautiful woman, loyal associates, and big transportation (in this case trains rather than boats). Oh, and a sociopathic villain.

All that's to the good. Of course we also have writing from the Hardy Boys school of literature and fantastic plot elements. That's no surprise and if you're a fan, you just read around it. Here's an example of an overloaded sentence from the beginning of Chapter 15:

"Cromwell's chauffeur drove the 1906 Rolls-Royce Brougham, made by the London coach maker Barker, with its six-cylinder, thirty-horsepower engine, from the garage to the front of the palatial Nob Hill mansion Cromwell had designed himself and constructed from white marble blocks cut and hauled by railroad from a quarry in Colorado."

Hmmm ... anyone got a red pencil?

The hero is one Isaac Bell, an independently wealthy private detective. The villain is a bank robber-murderer known as "the Butcher Bandit." Bell, through hot detective work and breathtaking good luck, gets on the trail of the Bandit by page 168 (of 404). The rest of the book -- the better half -- involves a lot of fast driving, a locomotive race, some shooting and robbing, and the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Oh, and of course a satisfactory ending.

THE CHASE does have a structural device that kicks it up a notch. While the story takes place in 1906, the book opens and closes with a 1950 underwater salvage operation in a large Montana lake. This is reminiscent of James Cameron's 1997 movie TITANIC, and was a very nice touch.

Cussler's at his best with the action scenes, and THE CHASE has some epic action. The train scenes really are playing to his strength. The story is according to formula but the formula works: familiar and therefore safe style, combined with wild action. This is a very satisfactory offering from Cussler and if you like this kind of book, you'll probably enjoy it as much as I did.

Linda Bulger, 2008

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "BUTCHER BANDIT", November 18, 2007

By 

Fred Ratterree "sea dog" (Wilmington, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Chase (An Isaac Bell Adventure) (Hardcover)

Only Clive Cussler could go from writing about NUMA and their exploits and turn out such a book as good as this. There is no Dirk or other players that you are familar with, but an outstanding new one with the name of Issac Bell. Hopefully Cussler will continue with his exploits in future books also. A well written book and one that keeps you from putting the book down except for bathroom breaks. Well done again. When is the next one??

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cussler has done it again! Terrific Read!, November 11, 2007

By 

Chuck Catalano "cusslerfan6519" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Chase (An Isaac Bell Adventure) (Hardcover)

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical since this was not another Dirk Pitt adventure which is what most know Clive Cussler for. Many times an author attempts to branch out and delivers something that is mediocre at best. That is not the case with The Chase!

This story had me captivated from the first page and I couldn't put it down until it was finished. It is one of the fastest reads that I have experienced with a Cussler novel.

There is a great story line with plenty of action and suspense. I would strongly recommend this story to anyone who enjoys a stimulating read with great characters and suspenseful story. The primary character Isaac Bell is a real man with sharp intelligence, cunning intuition, athletic ability and tenacious spirit.

With out giving away too much about that book I will end with my thumbs up. I recommend to anyone who likes a great story written by a fantastic author. You won't be disappointed.