Customer Reviews

Sahara (Windsor Selections)

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(33)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(13)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

In '96, needing something new to read, I borrowed 'Sahara' from my roommate. I've been an avid fan of Clive Cussler ever since. The plot and sub-plots in this, and his other novels, are mind-blowing and really imaginative. I highly recommend reading this or ANY of his other books.

I was even more intrigued to find out that Clive Cussler lives much the same life as his trademark character. His real-life NUMA organization actually DOES seek and find lost shipwrecks, planes, etc. You can read about those in his non-fiction books, 'The Sea Hunters' volumes I & II. If you're an adventurer of any sort, especially a diver, you'll love those books as much as the novels.

Sahara written by Clive Cussler is the eleventh in a series of Dirk Pitt adventure-fiction books and this one is a very compelling story that really grips the reader, making an engaging story till the end.

Clive Cussler works some amazing threads in this book, like an iron-clad Confederate named "Texas" in 1865 as it fights through a Federal blockade and then vanishes in the Atlantic. Next, in 1931 an Australian aviatrix Kitty Mannock vanishes mysteriously in the middle of the Sahara while making an attemp to fly from London to Capetown.

These mysteries are only the start, as Cussler works his magic of mysery further, it is 1995 as the hero Dirk Pitt is called to find a Pharaoh's funeral barge buried in the bottom of the Nile. Now, we find our hero on an African adventure like none ever experienced before. An adventure that takes Dirk Pit and company on a hunt for a mysterious disease, and the source of unprecedented pollution as they investigate through Africa.

Of course, there has to be a villian, or this wouldn't be a Dirk Pitt save-the-world adventure, as we find out this time it's a French billionare named Yves Massarde and of course, the local African connection is General Zateb Kazim the brutal despot... corrupt to the core and makes life hell on Earth for the West African nation of Mali and the world as pollution is leaking and is threatening to extinguish all sea life... and man as well.

Clive Cussler has set-up this Dirk Pitt adventure very well as you are captivated in this action-adventure and you are pulling for Pitt to make the connections and solve this engrossing story. Pitt takes a trip up the Niger River and is met with resistance, but with resplendent resolutness Pitt takes on the villany, but is captured.

Now, the story gets to a fever pitch, as Cussler weaves this story making twists and turns in the plot, never forgetting about action and excitement. As Pitt escapes and treks across the Sahara, Cussler's set-up makes for a tale like none other.

You will not be disappointed reading this book... this is a classic Dirk Pitt trashes the bad guys and he always gets the girl adventure.

This is Clive Cussler, his books are far fetched, incredible and over the top. But they are also a lot of fun, if you adjust your expectations a little bit. They are adventure romps where the good guys (Mr Dirk Pitt in this case) can take anything and solve any riddle (and always get the girl in the process)
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Reading this will not increase your IQ or expand your literary horizons, but it will provide a few hours of entertainment.

Most of Cussler books are similar, so if you must read one, Sahara is one of the best.

I was standing in the airport, having just found out that my plane had been delayed (again), so I was searching for a new book to read. My eyes landed on "Sahara", and, remembering that this was one of the latest action movies to hit the big screen, I decided to give it a shot. (I hadn't seen the movie, although I do intend to once it comes out on DVD...) I've also never read any Clive Cussler books before, so I had no clue who "Dirk Pitt" was.

Let me start by saying that this book was definitely a "good read". If you're into action books where everything has been researched to death (not saying that Mr. Cussler doesn't do research!) and things are just about as "real-life plausible" as you can get, then don't read this book. Many events that take place here stem from rumors/legends/myth, which I think makes it even more fun to read. It makes you use your imagination a bit (which is always good for me), but there' a good blend of fact with fiction. Of course there is the usual formula of hero + sidekick + heroine + impending global disaster + arch-villian(s) that all action books seem to require, but they're there in good balance. The heroine in the story falls for Dirk (like in so many action books), but it's not like women are throwing themselves at him on every page, so that was fine with me. Sure, Dirk & Co. seem to be able to get out of most scrapes in fairly decent shape. Sure, they seem to bounce back from near-death experiencees with remarkable speed. Sure, they manage to save the world and even unravel some of the biggest mysteries of the modern world. But, you know what? If I want to read something that is full of technical jargon, boring politics, or completely uninteresting characters, then I suggest you hunt elsewhere. "Sahara" was a fun read that I couldn't put down!

What's sillier and even more fun than the action-adventure movie "Sahara?" The original Clive Cussler novel, of course.
The plot is over-the-top adventure as Cussler's perrenial alter ego, Dirk Pitt battles evil polluters and saves the world; this time from a toxic waste facility in--the Sahara Desert, duh!

Cussler has his usual themes including improbably preserved classic cars and subtle alterations of history. Meanwhile, his fictitious National Underwater and Marine Agency is out there watching the ecology and keeping an eye peeled for buried treasure.

There are lots of great chases, quirky characters, and twists and turns. Cussler's prose never bogs down. If you like a potboiler, this may be literally closer it than any other book!

Read, enjoy, have fun! You don't have to read all the Dirk Pitt novels to enjoy just this one!

And no, this book is unrelated to the eponymous Humphrey Bogart movie!

Unbelievably wonderful! I loved every page. I was wary at first, having never read a Cussler book before and only picking up the book after viewing the trailer for the upcoming movie. But I have to say WOW - what a great read. The plot starts with several different threads, then weaves each together to form the fabric of the story, and eventually ties off each fringe event for a decorative finish. I couldn't put it down. Took me two nights and most of a rainy Sunday to finish, but only cause I HAD to put the book down (you know a kid has to eat and laundry has to get done...). I loved the incorporation of Historical figures (I'm a sucker for the Civil War era), it just made me wish that some of our past was really so fantastic. If it were, I'm certain I would have been a History major in college. I had to wait till this weekend to get another Cussler book, but as of this morning I'm only 70 pages from the end of Atlantis Found. Once I finish this one, I'm heading for Valhalla Rising or Treasure - hmmmmm - maybe BOTH!!!! OH, and can't wait till April when the movie SAHARA comes out!!!!

What a premise and terrific subplots ! OK, OK...so it is a bit far-fetched, but that is what good fiction does, it stretched the imagination to possible what-ifs and if onlys'. Lots of the usual twists and turns, but again, Cussler has given us an involved tale with characters we can visualize and a locale that always evokes possibilities. Cussler is a terrific storyteller and I like to think I have helped pay for his car collection...well, maybe a few gallons of car wax !

If you are looking for a book that makes a great beach read or one of those books to cuddle up with on a cold night, this is the book - out of his many works. Enjoy !

Only from Clive Cussler have I ever read such an amazing book, I was unable to put it down even when my eyelids were so heavy I could hardly keep them up. Cussler puts so much detail into every last explanation you don't need pictures or a movie, which comes out in April, to see what is happening. He does such an excellent job at creating so many side plots without losing you to make the story even better, and then he is able to tie them all together for the best ending to a book I have ever read. Through Pitt he is able to show the qualities we wish we all had and stride to reach: bravery, caring, and a fearless attitude. In every good novel there is a little romance and in Sahara Pitt falls for the lovely Dr. Eva Rojas. This book has lead me on a reading rampage because of how much more detail a book can offer you than a movie. So I would suggest this book to anyone looking for the best action/adventure novel.

Not sure what happened with this book but I think in all, as the title says, it was about 100 pages too long and is clearly off the mark for a Cussler novel. At the end, you get the feeling that Dirk Pitt is eventually going to save the Earth from crashing into the moon with a straw and 4 pounds of cabbage.

Not to trash Cussler too much because he has written some solidly mind-numbing escapism novels before that have made you feel the old "USA USA" chant run through your head. But this one seems to be a little further over the edge of reality than his normal work.

I read Cussler as a way to not think when I read and he usually does a good job. But this novel went on a bit too long and after a while, too many things came together for the story to unfold as it did. Yeah, I know that there is always some form of historical infringement on Dirk Pitt's adventuire. But this was way too much convergence in one place.

Ok, so that's that. But really this is a typical Cussler novel with a bit more "stuff" than usual. I'm not saying it's bad. I'm just saying it has more Cussler. Maybe he had switched from decaf that month. Maybe he had a page quota. Who knows.

Anyway, Dirk and Al are there. And of course they meet up with an impractically impossible situation. And they defeat it. It's the usual stuff for these 2 guys who always seem to find their way in and out of trouble. It's fun. It's crazy. And as usual it's entertaining in the way that Cussler speaks with these 2 guys. Dialogue is always so deadpan and self-assured.

And while I think that the historical stuff is a bit overdone, it still is pretty neat and it takes a good twist to bring it all together. Just because it's too much does not mean it doesn't work for the desired effect. Especially if you have no problem suspending disbelief. A lot.

Would I recommend this book? Yeah, I think so. But not before you read some of the other Cussler titles first. One other reviewer said that he actually laughed at some of the plot development. Well, that's pretty much basic Cussler. Some of the coincidences are crazy, but that's the author's style.

I picked this book up as airline reading over the holidays, due in large part to the fact that a movie based on it was soon to be released. I had never read a Clive Cussler novel before and must say I am a new fan of his work. This is a great action adventure novel that kept me coming back for more. The only disappointment being the lack of strong, believeable female characters. I find it hard to believe that a woman who has risen to the position of Secretary-General of the UN would so casually spill government secrets to someone in the back of a limo, even if that person was a former lover. Additionally, the only adjective to characterize Dirk Pitt's love interest is pitiful. I am sure these disappointing characters will be fleshed out in the movie version, though, and they would not deter me from recommending this book for those looking for a quick and entertaining read.