Customer Reviews

The Einstein Papers

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Clive Cussler has done it again...a masterpiece of fiction. I'm not refering to the Einstein Papers, or even the disappointing Atlantis Found, but rather to the review of this novel that adorns the front cover. I know it's fiction because the book is so godawful, his statement cannot be interpretted as factual.--- As a writer who aspires to be published in this genre, I can only hope to someday become Mr. Cussler's friend so that anything I write will be fasttracked into print without having to endure the tedious editorial process. It's pretty clear that no one actually read this one before it went to print. If you need more clarification, read any of the 2 star or less reviews...they're all right on the money.

If you want to learn something about Einstein: Forget this book. If you want to catch some ideas of his field theory: Leave it on the shelf. If you have any experience in contemporary physics: Be aware that this book will appear to you completely silly.

If you are interested in reading a speedy thriller on intelligence agencies, with "good guys" and "bad guys", you are right. Enjoy the book and do not care about the nonsense of Einstein and his work and especially the completely unnecesserily stupid ending stumbling together some fashionable technical phrases. It is well written, gripping and entertaining - of course if you accept that there is another guy with the capabilities of James Bond (It's probably no coincidence that both are No. 7 in their agencies...).

The book is tailored around the possibility that Einstein might have achieved the "Unified Field Theory" - and in the book it is clear that an abstract physical theory is immediately applicable for the production of deadly weapons. Therefore, Einstein hides his theory. The Chinese government (bad guys, not very political correct!) makes - 45 years later - attempts to recover the formula in order to become the most powerful nation in the world. So Special Agent Taft has to save the world. And he does a good job.

You can really enjoy the story over a wide share of the book, but the end is really rediculous. Not only that two young physicists (an American and a Chinese, here we are politically correct again) are capable of applying the hereforeto unknown formula immediately and without further R&D, it can be used for ... (you might read it for yourself) ... taking just a few ingredients which are available basically in every household. The only fancy thing is a cyclotron which they use to "produce electricity"... - Mr Dirgo: A cyclotron is a particle accelerator, not a generator!

All in all: +Fun +Plot -supernatural hero -physics: 3 stars

Mr. Dirgo has a done a reasonable job of creating a mildly interesting adventure yarn. The plot - the search for a key Einstein formula is clever - but the book often stumbles to a rather unbelievable ending and never quite hits the mark. The comparisons to Cussler are inevitable and perhaps that has tainted this review but this book serves to highlight that writing like Cussler is actually much much harder than it looks. But all is not Dirk . . I mean dark - it was a quick read and overall it was enjoyable. I might take a chance with his next book

The "Einstein Papers" was quite a surprise. I picked this book figuring that it would be totally about Einstein and his contributions to the world of physics. What I got instead was a book steeped in Einstein's theories but mixed pleasantly with suspense, espionage and mystery. I could not put it down. I hightly recommend this book to all.

The author needs remedial courses in physics and in the scientific process. What could have been an excellent story turns out to be a predictable and technically laughable story. This book is best left on the store shelf.

I really wanted to like this book; the plot sounded interesting, and it started off okay, but the more I read it, the worse it got. The plot became highly predictable, the writing is atrocious, and the ending punchless. Mr. Dirgo is obviously a Clive Cussler wannabe, but has neither the imagination or story-telling ability (not to mention basic grasp of the English language) to even be mentioned in the same breath as Cussler. To make it to the plodding end of this book requires a lot of patience and a high tolerance for baseless dialogue.

I found The Einstein Papers to be a decent book; it just didn't focus in the direction I was hoping it would. The book is about a lost theory of Einstein's, the Unified Field Theory, and how it can be used for good and for evil. I was hoping the book would focus on all the ins and outs of the theory itself, and unravel the tale from the standpoint of the scientists figuring out the theory. But the author instead chose to simply copy the style and general story formula of his apparent mentor, Clive Cussler, attacking the story instead from the various trials and tribulations of the spies and NSA guys charged with acquiring and then retrieving the papers.

Had I known going in that Dirgo is in with Clive Cussler, this probably wouldn't have surprised me, and in fact I might have like the book more knowing the probable angle of attack the author would take towards telling the story. Instead I found myself wanting for more depth, more science. The book will keep you going, and it will certainly sell millions of copies, probably even spawn a movie, but it won't be that much of a mental challenge for anyone I wouldn't think.

The first 300 pages of this book (hardback edition) were pretty good. Lots of action, well paced, and of course, the classic Cussler formula. Just take a historical figure (Einstein), add some fiction (discovery of the unified field theory), change Dirk Pitt into John Taft, change Al Giordino into Larry Martinez, change Admiral Sandecker into General Benson, and you've got it. I started to lose it in the last 50 pages, when the unified field theory manifested itself into something beyond this universe. I would have called this a 4 star book, but my sense of duty to the true laws of physics forced me to downgrade the over-the-top ending. Too much of the action in the end was also unbelievable from the standpoint that you couldn't possibly organize that many humans to conduct that much action so quickly. For example, I recall in real life that it takes months to deploy Army divisions across the globe (remember the Desert Shield build-up?). In this book, it seems to happen in a couple of days with minimal effort. The best part of this book was the opening escape sequence. Nice try Clive, err, Craig Dirgo.

Given Mr. Dirgo's many ties to Clive Cussler, from working in Cussler's real-life NUMA to co-authoring two books with him, it struck me as slightly amusing that a positive one-line quote from Cussler himself was printed on the cover of this book. It was as if to pretend that Cussler was objective and nowhere near this project. Reading "The Einstein Papers", however, one gets a sense of just how much influence Cussler had on Mr. Dirgo's first solo effort.

As with the best of Cussler's novels, Dirgo has written a story that is easily readable and that speeds right along from page one. Also, like Cussler, Dirgo has created the lead character John Taft, a creation straight out of the Dirk Pitt mold (notice he even calls himself Pitt during one chase scene!).

All comparisons aside - that could take up much room and time - "The Einstein Papers" does have it unique points that makes it enjoyable, starting with a thoroughly credible Chinese strategy to reclaim Taiwan and throwing the U.S. off-track in the process. The science revolving around Einstein and the Unified Field Theory is also intriguing and plays well in tandem with the China angle. Dirgo, except for a few occasions, writes the science with a strong degree of credibility. The Taft character, unlike Dirk Pitt, does seem mortal at times and doesn't quite get into the impossible-to-believe challenges (even though the harmony between the intelligence agencies of this country DO remain too "superhuman" for real life). Also, his action sequences are, by and large, as well-written as other authors in this genre.

Two major critiques must be noted. First, some of the key action and plot development writing seems too compressed. It seemed to me he could have spent less time with some of the peripheral sequences and expanded the key ones. This is glaringly evident in the conclusion, which is the second critique of the book. The climax of the whole novel occurs in the last 20-30 pages, and it seems to be very rushed. Also, the explanation of Einstein's theory and its application in the battle on the Taiwan Straits seemed to be underdeveloped.

All in all, as with his mentor's books, Dirgo's first solo effort relies on some suspension of reality. The rushed conclusion does prevent me from rating it the full five stars. However, it is a solid first effort, and well worth the time to read, especially if you are a Cussler fan.

As I said, it was a really good book for about seven-eighths of it, but lost it at the ending. I really enjoyed the book, but the ending was very sketchy.

It is about a lost formula of Einstein's that can be used to form a nuclear weapon. China wants it to take over Taiwan, and it is up to the U.S. to stop them. They assign John Taft, and his partner to get it. This is the plot and it is a good one, and would definitely be a five-star book if the ending wasn't up to par with the rest of the book.