The Mediterranean Caper

The book was okay. I didn't like the main character so I had a hard time getting through the book.

This is the first of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt novels. This was my second book by Cussler having discovered him by reading Dragon first. AS soon as I realized there were books before Dragon I ran to the bookstore and for the first three and The Mediterranean Caper bring first I devoured it. I was hooked (officially!). It was great to find Dirk Pitt as he was first introduced to the world. A swashbuckling character part James Bond part Indiana Jones (long before there was an Indiana Jones). This is a great start toa long and wonderful life of a character. I will concede that some of the actions of Dirk are a bit over the top. He is a true womanizer , but you also have to remember when the book was originally written. That is what "manly spies" did... yeah i know its no excuse but people this is not great literature, its escapist reading. For those of you that are just now discovering Cussler you are lucky... you don't have to wait 6 months to a year for the next novel you have many to read (also the character does grow and mature...)

I first started reading Cussler when I found Pacific Vortex at my condo complex's library. I became addicted. Dirk Pitt novels are all top-notch adventure stories with political suspense, romance, and high-speed car chases thrown in. This is the 2nd book in the series, though it was the first one printed, and is an exciting, riveting adventure tale. I don't want to spoil a lot, but the plot is excellent, and as always, as twisty as the roads Pitt drives his sports cars on. It all starts when Dirk Pitt, the main hero, and Al Giordano find an antique WWII Bomber plane attacking a United States Base. With the help of a beautiful secret agent, Pitt is thrown into a wild action-packed tale of danger and villanous criminals. As with many Pitt books, the political entanglements can sometimes slow the action, but I still highly recommend this story, and the rest of the series. Enjoy the read.

I will keep this review short. I have read all of Cussler's works over the past dozen years or so. I read The Mediterranean Caper perhaps ten years ago. To this day I still believe that it was my favorite of the Dirk Pitt stories. If you are a new fan of Cussler - pull this older book out. It is a classic.

In Australia this was titled Mayday!!. This is the book that got me hooked on Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino. From the opening scene of Dirk engaging in battle with a WW1 aircraft to the final battle in an underground cavern it kept me enthralled enough to re read the book (at last count) ten times. I found the villans in this book about the best of all Cussler books. As is always the case the geography, scientific and mechanical information to be spot on. I found out that Al is missing a finger on his right hand and that Dirk was a gentler man in previous years. Mayday captured my imagination. (This book is still readily available in Australia)