Plague Ship (Oregon Files) (Hardcover)

by Clive Cussler (Author), Jack Du Brul (Author)
Key Phrases: magic shop, rocket torpedo, boat garage, Golden Dawn, Golden Sky, Eric Stone (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
In the dependably entertaining if less than top-notch fifth Oregon Files thriller from bestseller Cussler and Du Brul (after Skeleton Crew), Capt. Juan Cabrillo, who heads the Corporation, a covert military company for hire, and the multifaceted crew of the Oregon, a high-tech ship disguised to look like a tramp steamer, take on a group known as the Responsivists. The Responsivists publicly espouse a program of global population control, but are secretly planning a devastating attack on the human race utilizing a virulent virus found aboard an ancient ship that may be Noah's Ark. The authors are up to their usual high standards when in fighting mode, though the chief villain, the doctor who heads the Responsivists, falls short of Juan's billing as the single-most-evil human being I have ever met. Readers may wish that next time out the bad guys put up more of a struggle. (June)
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Product Description
Unabridged CDs • 13 CDs, 16 hours

An exhilarating new adventure in the New York Times– bestselling Oregon Files series. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 528 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Adult; First Edition edition (June 3, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399154973
• ISBN-13: 978-0399154973
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #100,966 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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• This is item 5 in The Oregon Files Series.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oregon files back to their best, July 5, 2008

By	Conrad Jones (Author,Liverpool) - See all my reviews

Once again the Cussler novels mix comic book type fiction with real life hitech military scenarios so well. In the dependably entertaining if less than top-notch fifth Oregon Files thriller from bestseller Cussler and Du Brul (after Skeleton Crew), Capt. Juan Cabrillo, who heads the Corporation, a covert military company for hire, and the multifaceted crew of the Oregon, a high-tech ship disguised to look like a tramp steamer, take on a group known as the Responsivists. The Responsivists publicly espouse a program of global population control, but are secretly planning a devastating attack on the human race utilizing a virulent virus found aboard an ancient ship that may be Noah's Ark. The authors are up to their usual high standards when in fighting mode, though the chief villain, the doctor who heads the Responsivists, falls short of Juan's billing as the single-most-evil human being I have ever met. As a thriller writer myself I struggle to find books I really enjoy, but Cussler books are always good fun. Readers may wish that next time out the bad guys put up more of a struggle

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cussler's star rises again!, July 8, 2008

By	Paul Weiss (Dundas, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The Corporation is a mercenary private enterprise for hire by any government agency that can afford its fees. Juan Cabrillo, the Chairman, runs his black ops from a ship called "The Oregon". Disguised as an overused, out of date, non-descript mercantile vessel that's destined for the scrap yard, the Oregon is actually a state of the art war vessel packed with high-tech intelligence gathering equipment, powerful weaponry and a fully muscled set of magnetohydrodynamic engines that, pushed to flank speed, will give virtually any ship on the high seas a run for its money. If you've read any Clive Cussler novels at all, it won't be a surprise to hear that Cabrillo is right over the top - an entirely unbelievable lead character (think Mr Phelps from Mission Impossible on steroids) leading an equally unbelievable crew with uncanny intelligence and virtually superhuman strength and endurance. The missions they accept in Cussler's Oregon Files series are typically of the "save the world from domination by a nefarious lunatic" variety.

When I reviewed "Golden Buddha", the first in the Oregon Files series, I gave it a grudging single star and swore that I would likely never read another Cussler novel again. Frankly, it was just awful! I abstained for two years but, perhaps it was my past fondness for Cussler's earliest novels that made me relent and pick up "Plague Ship" for another try at Cussler's work.

OK, OK ... nice job, Mr Cussler! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This time out, Cabrillo and his team of merry men (and women) are pitted against a cult-like organization called The Responsivists who believe in stern birth control measures and a rigid, disciplined reduction in the world birth rate. In marked contrast to its public pacifist exterior, however, the Responsivist leaders are not willing to sit back and simply wring their hands over the world's burgeoning population problem. They intend to do something about it by releasing a virus that will make the Ebola and Marburg viruses look like a case of weekend sniffles. Bio-terrorism is a frightening, timely topic and this time out, Cussler did his fans proud with a well-written high speed thriller that is easily the equal of his earliest Dirk Pitt novels!

And, I confess I particularly enjoy a thriller that is spotted with info-dump sidebars of a technical nature that enhance the thriller without distracting from the pacing of the plot. There was lots of these goodies to enjoy along the way - the physics of ELF (Extremely Long Frequency) radio transmission and reception; the translation of cuneiform and the possible origins of mythological flood stories; the philosophies of cults and de-programming; left over high tech weaponry from the US-Soviet Cold War era; and the use of north-south satellite orbits for space based weaponry as opposed to geosynchronous orbits for weather or communication satellites!

Highly recommended.

Paul Weiss

21 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun summer read!, June 5, 2008

By	Josh - See all my reviews

Shhhhh....don't tell anybody but Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels have been a guilty pleasure of mine for years. Not high literature but I can't help myself. In recent years Cusslers branching out and combined efforts have watered down the product some, but I still find his efforts with Du Brul very entertaining (I sense that Mr. Du Brul is the primary author here). Anyway, Plague Ship is light summer entertainment for the beach.