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Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN num: 9780399155291
ISBN number: 0399155295
Label: Putnam Adult
Manufacturer: Putnam Adult
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 528
Printing Date: November 25, 2008
Publishing house: Putnam Adult
Age index: Young Adult
Sale Popularity Level: 606
Studio: Putnam Adult
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
As with all Clive Cussler’s dazzling Dirk Pitt novels, critics said Treasure of Khan “amazes, informs and entertains” (Publishing houses Weekly), “the action zipping along until a final powerhouse showdown” (Entertainment Weekly). “What’s not to like?” proclaimed the Los Angeles Times—and hundreds of thousands of readers agreed.
In his new novel, however—the twentieth Dirk Pitt adventure— Cussler may have topped even himself.
A potential breakthrough discovery to reverse global warming . . . a series of unexplained sudden deaths in British Columbia . . . a rash of international incidents between the United States and one of its closest allies that threatens to erupt into an actual shooting war . . . NUMA director Dirk Pitt and his children, Dirk. Jr. and Summer, have reason to believe there’s a connection here somewhere, but they also know they have very little time to find it before events escalate out of control. Their only real clue might just be a mysterious silvery mineral traced to a long-ago expedition in search of the fabled Northwest Passage. But no one survived from that doomed mission, captain and crew perished to a man—and if Pitt and his colleague Al Giordino aren’t careful, the very same fate may await them.
Filled with the breathtaking suspense and audacious imagination that have become his hallmarks, this is a tour de force— further proof that when it comes to adventure writing, nobody beats Clive Cussler.
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Rated by buyers 
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This is a very god read. love how the characters from other books return for some of the action, especially Lauren.
would recommend this to a friend.
Rated by buyers -
As with all of Clive Cussler's books, this one is full of adventure and preposterous escapes from impossible situations. I really like how he weaves cars from his personal collection into the stories. Unfortunately, they all end up damaged to the point that they need to head back to the restoration shop. The good news is that they are always fixed, as opposed to sent off to the junk yard.
The villains are always evil and always get their just dues in the end. This one is no different. I did, however, find this one particularly more evil than those in previous books. I found myself really hating this guy and hoping that he would get sent off to his Maker before he did much more mayhem.
Now that Dirk Pitt is married, his sucess in his amorous adventures have been curtailed. Cussler never got too juicy with the details of Dirk's activites, but they sure got a guy to feel an amount of envy for his successes.
I find his books to be both exciting, yet unbelievable. National and world security are hanging on the balance of this attempts to thrwart the devices of the villain. No different here. Dirk has the direct line to the White House, which is interesting and a bit far fetched.
Great book. I liken the Dirk Pitt novels to an American James Bond. You'll like this one.
Rated by buyers -
I purchased this book for my sister, she lives in Florida, and she loves Clive Cussler books. This was the perfect gift for her and in amazon fashion, it arrived in perfect condition, and she was thrilled.
Rated by buyers 
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The book dragged in places.
Perhaps the Pitt kids should get there own books as they didn't really add anything to the whole plot... just saying.
The global hysteria drove me crazy. There are reports out yesterday that arctic ice is back up to 1979 levels (the arbitrary year that satellite photos were very first available, and coincidentally the "biggest ice year", well until 2008).
Rated by buyers 
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I honestly have no defense for why I read Cussler novels. Once I think there was an admiration for Dirk Pitt, the primary swash-buckler. And there used to be believable humour and a true camaraderie. There have been a couple of good ones (3-4 stars, maybe), such as "Inca Gold" and "Sahara." The rest, like "Arctic Drift," are mediocre to awful. This one is basically a trash dime novel, way too long, way too boring, and way too -- well, way too!
Like the main recurring characters (Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino), Clive Cussler seems to be aging in skill and finesse, and son Dirk Cussler apparently cannot resuscitate the old man's touch. But, it's not as bad as the truly horrible Cussler-Kemprecos disaster, "Lost City."
5 Major problems. 1) The dialogue: sappy, inane, absurd and fundamentally silly. Cut out 80% of it, stick to the better-written narrative and this novel would definitely cut through the ice blockade of 1 and 2 star ratings. The dialogue single handedly kills reader interest in what might otherwise be an interesting tale. I skipped much of the dialogue just to stay awake.
2) The storyline threads: too many, too convoluted, and too superficial. We are forced to jump with the characters all over the North American map and follow perhaps 10 major story lines, populated by somewhere around 30 characters.
3) Happenstance events: too coincidental, too cute and too unbelievable, even for a Cussler story. Everyone gets kidnapped, shot at, imprisoned, blown up, nearly frozen to death or placed in one of many hopeless (and predictable) dilemmas one after the other -- only to have the cavalry come charging in to the rescue at the last moment every single time. Thus, it is not the skill, brainpower, competence and problem-solving abilities of the primary almost-perpetually-doomed characters that solve their life-threatening situations, but chance and the sudden appearance of saviors!
4) The ending: shocking, unethical, criminal and immoral conduct by a primary character. Trevor, Summer Pitt's love interest, becomes a monster at the end, committing a heinous crime. Not acceptable! Sure, the target is a villain and deserves his fate, but .............. shouldn't even novels like this stand on the side of the law and the courts to administer justice and punishment to bad guys? Shame on the Cusslers for penning this despicable "hero's ending" without as much as a "sorry, but he has a character flaw" apology!
5) Bad guy stick figures: too predictable, too one-dimensional, too cookie-cutter. The bad guys to a man (no women bad persons here), are stereotypic and formulaic, as if taken from a high school writing class. Surely the Cusslers can draw more complex and believable evil-doers? Or -- maybe not?
The primary topic of the book, though scientifically unsubstantiated (look up Chemical Element 44, RU, in Wikipedia), is timely but much politicized. Of course, the good guys and good gals survive, and the story ends happily --- sadly, with the solution to global warming well in hand and the 2 young lovers (Summer and character-flaw Trevor) silhouetted against the Canadian setting sun. YUK!
Finally, but truly important -- maps! Maps, good ones, accurate and specific, are absolutely essential to staying with a geography-driven story like this one. I am always puzzled as to why these overly wealthy authors fail to provide those of us who put gas in their antique cars with great maps and other similar timely references. Good maps should be sprinkled throughout the book.
Gentle suggestion to readers: Rather then the Cusslers try anything written by Alan Furst, Arturo Perez-Reverte, Steven Saylor, Robert Harris, Dan Brown, Ian Fleming, Robert Ludlum, or Ken Follett (to name just a few). You'll get far more bang for the buck!
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