Raise the Titanic

Knowing what really happened to the Titanic didn't ruin this book for me in the least. I found it exciting, filled with spies, intrigue and non-stop action. It was very, very hard to put down. The end is magnificent, truly Dirk Pitt at his finest. If you love Cussler don't skip over this one!

'Raise the Titanic' is the best of the Dirk Pitt books. Not that I'm slamming the rest of them, but this one has it all: mystery, adventure, espionage, with a dash of romance for seasoning. At the height of the Cold War, America lives under the threat of nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. A brilliant American scientist has designed a defensive shield that can make the U.S. invulnerable to nuclear attack. To make it operational, he needs large quantities of a rare mineral. Unfortunately, the only stockpile large enough went down with the Titanic. To recover it, Dirk Pitt must bring the famously ill-fated ocean liner back to the surface. He must raise the Titanic. Needless to say, the Soviets aren't crazy about the idea. They'll do anything to stop him, including send the Titanic back to her watery grave. The story should feel dated, now that the Cold War has ended and the Titanic really has been discovered. It doesn't, at least not to me. 'Raise the Titanic' is still a good old fashioned page-turner. Speaking of which, it's about time for me to dust off my old copy and read it again... Jeff Edwards, Author of "Torpedo: A Surface Warfare Thriller"

I love Clive Cussler's works, and this is certainly one that will be one of my favorites. And though I still consider "Cyclops" one os his best, this is certainly up there on quality. It has that wonderful action adventure sense to it that only a true novel can give. And although it starts kind of slow at the beggining, it certainly picks up - and in the end, the excitment of the climax makes up for the slow start. I loved how Cussler had those wonderful descriptions about the Titanic, even though he was writing these in the mid-seventies. I also loved the wonderful pace to it. It also had a different perceiption than usually Clive Cussler, especially on Dirk Pitt. He's not the rugged, dashing hero-type. He's much more down-to-earth and sophisticated. Overall, though, it's a wonderful book, and I will consider it one of my favorites. I would certainly recommend it to not only Cussler fans, but all readers of action and suspense.

While many of Cussler's recent Dirk Pitt novels have become self-indulgent, preachy, and outrageous to the point of being silly, this one is definitely a clasic. I found this novel to be fast-paced with plenty of plot twists, while remaining a fun and easy read.

This was also my first Clive Cussler book. I have read all ofhis previous and subsequent books but this one still stands out as thebest.(It was also the first time in my life that I experienced the dread of all readers...starting a book and realizing at 4:30 in the morning that you have to go to work the next day, but you have only 3 chapters left to go!!) The situations that his hero, Dirk Pitt and the other regulars, Rudy, Admiral Sandecker et al. experience is always intriguing. Even though you know that they will somehow survive, it is thrilling none-the-less. We all know that the fascination people have with disasters is contagious(witness the gawkers at an automobile accident), the thought of bringing the recipient of one of the world's worst disasters back to the surface is a fascinating proposal. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially anyone who is looking for a new favorite author or a hero to put most to shame. Kerry Hutsler Denver, CO