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Dirk Pitt #17
Trojan Odyssey
Long hailed as the grand master of adventure fiction, Clive Cussler has continued to astound with the intricate plotting and astonishing set pieces of his novels. Now, with a surprising twist, he gives us his most audacious work yet.
In the final pages of Valhalla Rising, Dirk Pitt discovered, to his shock, that he had two grown children he had never known-twenty-three-year-old fraternal twins born to a woman he thought had died in an underwater earthquake. Both have inherited his love of the sea: the girl, Summer, is a marine biologist; the boy, himself named Dirk, is a marine engineer. And now they are about to help their father in the adventure of a lifetime.
There is a brown tide infesting the ocean off the shore of Nicaragua. The twins are working in a NUMA(r) underwater enclosure, trying to determine its origin, when two startling things happen: Summer discovers an artifact, something strange and beautiful and ancient; and the worst storm in years boils up out of the sky, heading straight not only for them but also for a luxurious floating resort hotel square in its path.
The peril for everybody concerned is incalculable, and, desperately, Pitt, Al Giordino, and the rest of the NUMA(r) crew rush to the rescue, but what they find in the storm's wake makes the furies of nature pale in comparison. For there is an all-too-human evil at work in that part of the world, and the brown tide is only a by-product of its plan. Soon, its work will be complete-and the world will be a very different place.
Though if Summer's discovery is to be believed, the world is already a very different place...
In the final pages of Valhalla Rising, Dirk Pitt discovered, to his shock, that he had two grown children he had never known-twenty-three-year-old fraternal twins born to a woman he thought had died in an underwater earthquake. Both have inherited his love of the sea: the girl, Summer, is a marine biologist; the boy, himself named Dirk, is a marine engineer. And now they are about to help their father in the adventure of a lifetime.
There is a brown tide infesting the ocean off the shore of Nicaragua. The twins are working in a NUMA(r) underwater enclosure, trying to determine its origin, when two startling things happen: Summer discovers an artifact, something strange and beautiful and ancient; and the worst storm in years boils up out of the sky, heading straight not only for them but also for a luxurious floating resort hotel square in its path.
The peril for everybody concerned is incalculable, and, desperately, Pitt, Al Giordino, and the rest of the NUMA(r) crew rush to the rescue, but what they find in the storm's wake makes the furies of nature pale in comparison. For there is an all-too-human evil at work in that part of the world, and the brown tide is only a by-product of its plan. Soon, its work will be complete-and the world will be a very different place.
Though if Summer's discovery is to be believed, the world is already a very different place...
463 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 24, 2003
About the author
Clive Cussler
509 books8,116 followersCussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 513 reviews
March 19, 2017
This is the first Cussler I have read. Initially I was a bit skeptical although the reviews were good. The book cover also did not impress me (believe it or not), so it sat on my shelf for a couple of years when I decided to finally dust it and start reading. It was not a bad book at all.
The background of the book is why and how the Trojan war was fought by Greeks (or Celts if the story in the book is to be believed) and its modern day adaptation by a conglomerate to control the world's precious resources along with the help of the Chinese. government's help in Nicaragua. The plot is foiled by Dirk Pitt and his grown-up children. Although the author weaves an intricate story with an in-depth analysis of the Iron and Bronze Age and the life and times of the Celtics who were supposed to be highly skilled artisans, after a point of time, it failed to enthuse me and hold my interest due to the complex jargons and the language used. But still I would like to go for another Cussler as it was a somewhat interesting read. Maybe the next one would be better.
The background of the book is why and how the Trojan war was fought by Greeks (or Celts if the story in the book is to be believed) and its modern day adaptation by a conglomerate to control the world's precious resources along with the help of the Chinese. government's help in Nicaragua. The plot is foiled by Dirk Pitt and his grown-up children. Although the author weaves an intricate story with an in-depth analysis of the Iron and Bronze Age and the life and times of the Celtics who were supposed to be highly skilled artisans, after a point of time, it failed to enthuse me and hold my interest due to the complex jargons and the language used. But still I would like to go for another Cussler as it was a somewhat interesting read. Maybe the next one would be better.
March 5, 2021
You know reading a Clive Cussler book for me is hard to put down. I was up until past midnight to finish this one. Even though I 'almost' figured this out, the ending was a real 'wow moment' for me. Clive Cussler himself shows up (as he always does) in the last few paragraphs of this book... at a wedding. I won't say whose.
The author wove a conspiracy theory thread about the Trojan War and Homer's Odyssey into this. He writes it so well, that I honestly don't know if this is the current thinking of archeologists today or not.
It had all the usual characters: Giordino, Gunn, Sandecker, St Julien Perlmuter, his twins, Yaeger and Max. This was #17 of 25 in the Dirk Pitt series.
A barn burner of an action/adventure novel that even if you are only a casual fan of the Cussler Dirk Pitt series you won't want to miss.
The author wove a conspiracy theory thread about the Trojan War and Homer's Odyssey into this. He writes it so well, that I honestly don't know if this is the current thinking of archeologists today or not.
It had all the usual characters: Giordino, Gunn, Sandecker, St Julien Perlmuter, his twins, Yaeger and Max. This was #17 of 25 in the Dirk Pitt series.
A barn burner of an action/adventure novel that even if you are only a casual fan of the Cussler Dirk Pitt series you won't want to miss.
April 6, 2019
While this was a good story parts of it are questionable. I mean really...the hurricane about tears apart a hurricane plane but a helicopter can fly through it and drop 'em off on a boat in the storm so they can "save the day"? And one of the druid male victims...starts out saying he was a rich publisher and the next thing it says is he was rich from mining...huh????
February 25, 2015
Dirk Pitt and the gang remain one of my favorite guilty pleasures, even though I've fallen a few books behind in the series. The plots are far-fetched, the plot holes are sometimes gaping, and the dialogue is often stilted. (Someone in this day and age referring to something as "heavenly"? Or a 24-year-old woman saying "I shall"?) But there is always some interesting science and speculative fiction behind the main plot, and this one is no exception. This time around, the historical question centers on whether the modern-day Turkey location is the true site of the ancient city of Troy, along with some interesting discussion of the ramifications of an alternative theory that gets presented as part of the narrative. And another thing that this one has, given that it's the 17th outing in the series, is some serious character development. In the last outing, Pitt met a couple of people whose existence had been unknown to him. This time around, there are more changes taking place in his life and the lives of some of those closest to him, as well. So that's all good. But honestly, the bad guy(s) in this one are silly, and their motivation is even sillier. And lastly, the whole thing reads as if it had originally been two (or more) separate stories that were cobbled together into one narrative. Not only because some of the transitions are awkward, but because, on more than one occasion, the reader is told the same thing that he has already been told earlier in the book. Several characters, for example, reappear later in the story and are introduced as if they were new characters. Pitt's home and its environs (an aircraft hangar filled with vintage automobiles and interesting knick-knacks) is a setting twice, and each time gets a similar introduction. Weird. It just seemed as if I was reading two (or more) separate and partial stories tied into one complete novel with some particularly bad editing, or else there were two writers writing different parts of the thing.
March 6, 2010
This potboiler is the sort of bad writing that comes of too much, or too easy success that leads one to think he or she can just knock out a book over a weekend or two and a bottle of Scotch. Just in the first part, there is a hurricane barreling towards the Caribbean heading "due east." This is repeated several times. Hurricanes do not and cannot barrel due east. Especially from Africa. Hello? Then there is the scene in which intrepid hero Dirk Pitt arrives to rescue a battered floating hotel in the eye of the worst hurricane ever. This hurricane, with winds of supposedly 225 mph, has just torn apart a dozen ships and a Coast Guard hurrican hunter airplane. No matter. Pitt arrives by helicopter, no problem. Is that cool or what?
August 17, 2024
I wasn't as in love with this one as the first 16 books, but I understand why.
May 29, 2012
A friend loaned me this book to read. I hadn’t read any other Cussler books, and this is the 17th book in the series, so perhaps I would have rated it higher if I had a better understanding of the main characters.
The book begins with a new theory of the Trojan War - that it actually involved the Celts. This was the first 31 pages of the book, and I had a hard time getting through this. I wanted to get on with the book, so more or less skimming through this introduction, I finally did get to the actual story.
As I said earlier, I hadn’t read any of Cussler’s other books, and the main character, Dirk Pitt, surprised me at how James Bondish he was. He was pretty much a cross between Bond and Jacques Cousteau. He would, without thought to his own safety or the dangers involved and sometimes without even a plan of action, dive into any dangerous situation – but it always seemed to turn out all right. I also found it confusing that his son was also named Dirk, so we have Dirk and Dirk in the same book.
As far as the storyline, it seemed to be several loosely connected stories. There was a floating hotel and a hurricane, which seemed to destroy everything in its path - yet Pitt (the elder) seemed to easily fly in and save the day. Cussler convinced me through most of the book that it was researched well, with the exception that it mentioned several times that hurricanes travel east rather than west. The story seemed to have some interesting speculative science in it. Trojan Odyssey seemed rather long. I actually read another book when I was somewhere in the middle of Trojan Odyssey, then returned to it, and I’m a one-book-at-a-time person.
The author had a cameo appearance at the end of the book, and I wondered if this was a trademark of his other books. Guess I’ll have to read another Cussler book to find out. If you can suspend disbelief, it's an enjoyable book. I flip-flopped between 3 and 4 stars, but went with 4 simply because I hadn’t read the 16 other Dirk Pitt books.
The book begins with a new theory of the Trojan War - that it actually involved the Celts. This was the first 31 pages of the book, and I had a hard time getting through this. I wanted to get on with the book, so more or less skimming through this introduction, I finally did get to the actual story.
As I said earlier, I hadn’t read any of Cussler’s other books, and the main character, Dirk Pitt, surprised me at how James Bondish he was. He was pretty much a cross between Bond and Jacques Cousteau. He would, without thought to his own safety or the dangers involved and sometimes without even a plan of action, dive into any dangerous situation – but it always seemed to turn out all right. I also found it confusing that his son was also named Dirk, so we have Dirk and Dirk in the same book.
As far as the storyline, it seemed to be several loosely connected stories. There was a floating hotel and a hurricane, which seemed to destroy everything in its path - yet Pitt (the elder) seemed to easily fly in and save the day. Cussler convinced me through most of the book that it was researched well, with the exception that it mentioned several times that hurricanes travel east rather than west. The story seemed to have some interesting speculative science in it. Trojan Odyssey seemed rather long. I actually read another book when I was somewhere in the middle of Trojan Odyssey, then returned to it, and I’m a one-book-at-a-time person.
The author had a cameo appearance at the end of the book, and I wondered if this was a trademark of his other books. Guess I’ll have to read another Cussler book to find out. If you can suspend disbelief, it's an enjoyable book. I flip-flopped between 3 and 4 stars, but went with 4 simply because I hadn’t read the 16 other Dirk Pitt books.
May 26, 2021
As usual for this author, this book was a blast.
March 21, 2021
A diabolical plot to change the climate of the Northern Hemisphere is intertwined with an historically significant discovery with one man finding himself in the middle of it. Trojan Odyssey is the seventeenth book in Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series which sees the titular hero, his best friend, and his two grown children take on a multinational corporation in the Caribbean and Central America.
The book opens with a fictional historical overview of Homer's Odyssey as told by Odysseus, who withhold details. In the present day, Dirk Pitt, his son Dirk Pitt, Jr., his daughter Summer Pitt, and friend Al Giordino are involved in the search for the source of a brownish contamination around the waters of the Caribbean. While searching off the coast of the Dominican Republic, the Pitt twins find bronze Celtic items leading to the finding of a burial of an important druidess resulting in NUMA concluding that Iman Wilkes’ theory of the Trojan War occurring in England and Odysseus’ journey occurring in the Atlantic is correct. Meanwhile Dirk and Al search around the coast, rivers, and lakes of Nicaragua leading to them finding out about a diabolical plot by the multinational corporation Odyssey and China to divert the Gulf Steam through four tunnels to the Pacific and freeze North America and Europe while selling them newly created fuel cells at massive profits. Dirk and Al foil the plot then rescue the twins when Odyssey’s leadership captures them and attempt to sacrifice them in a neo-druidic ritual, afterwards they decide they are too old to continue saving the world. Al plans to transfer to another NUMA department or quit depending on Admiral Sandecker’s response, however Sandecker tells Dirk he will be nominated for Vice President and has set things in motion to make Dirk the new Director of NUMA. Finally, Dirk and Congresswoman Loren Smith get married.
Utilizing the theory presented in Iman Jacob Wilkens’ Where Troy Once Stood, Cussler creates two mysteries that intertwine but are relatively independent from one another. Dividing the ancient and the modern mysteries between the Pitt twins and the team of Dirk and Al brought a better narrative flow as well as allowing Cussler to develop the newly introduced twins that will carry the series going forward. While the Gulf Stream diversion plot is unique, it was easy for it to be foiled given that one of the interconnected tunnels runs right next to a volcano that is set off by a bomb. Odyssey’s leader mysterious lead who happens to be the druidic high priestess who disguises herself as a overweight man was pretty underwhelming. Cussler attempted to put back the retcon genie he unleashed in the previous installment, but unfortunately created another when he resurrected Loren’s father for the wedding. Through there really is not an antagonist and Cussler focused on developing the Pitt twins, this book read a whole lot better than the previous installment though again not up to the quality he achieved a few books ago.
Trojan Odyssey is the last book of the Dirk Pitt series that Clive Cussler solely by himself, while not his best work it is an improvement over the previous installment. It will be interesting to see if Dirk Cussler will help the overall quality of the series going forward.
The book opens with a fictional historical overview of Homer's Odyssey as told by Odysseus, who withhold details. In the present day, Dirk Pitt, his son Dirk Pitt, Jr., his daughter Summer Pitt, and friend Al Giordino are involved in the search for the source of a brownish contamination around the waters of the Caribbean. While searching off the coast of the Dominican Republic, the Pitt twins find bronze Celtic items leading to the finding of a burial of an important druidess resulting in NUMA concluding that Iman Wilkes’ theory of the Trojan War occurring in England and Odysseus’ journey occurring in the Atlantic is correct. Meanwhile Dirk and Al search around the coast, rivers, and lakes of Nicaragua leading to them finding out about a diabolical plot by the multinational corporation Odyssey and China to divert the Gulf Steam through four tunnels to the Pacific and freeze North America and Europe while selling them newly created fuel cells at massive profits. Dirk and Al foil the plot then rescue the twins when Odyssey’s leadership captures them and attempt to sacrifice them in a neo-druidic ritual, afterwards they decide they are too old to continue saving the world. Al plans to transfer to another NUMA department or quit depending on Admiral Sandecker’s response, however Sandecker tells Dirk he will be nominated for Vice President and has set things in motion to make Dirk the new Director of NUMA. Finally, Dirk and Congresswoman Loren Smith get married.
Utilizing the theory presented in Iman Jacob Wilkens’ Where Troy Once Stood, Cussler creates two mysteries that intertwine but are relatively independent from one another. Dividing the ancient and the modern mysteries between the Pitt twins and the team of Dirk and Al brought a better narrative flow as well as allowing Cussler to develop the newly introduced twins that will carry the series going forward. While the Gulf Stream diversion plot is unique, it was easy for it to be foiled given that one of the interconnected tunnels runs right next to a volcano that is set off by a bomb. Odyssey’s leader mysterious lead who happens to be the druidic high priestess who disguises herself as a overweight man was pretty underwhelming. Cussler attempted to put back the retcon genie he unleashed in the previous installment, but unfortunately created another when he resurrected Loren’s father for the wedding. Through there really is not an antagonist and Cussler focused on developing the Pitt twins, this book read a whole lot better than the previous installment though again not up to the quality he achieved a few books ago.
Trojan Odyssey is the last book of the Dirk Pitt series that Clive Cussler solely by himself, while not his best work it is an improvement over the previous installment. It will be interesting to see if Dirk Cussler will help the overall quality of the series going forward.
April 26, 2011
I’m the kind of guy who buys reprints of pulp fiction. I’m delighted that Charles Ardai’s Hard Case Crime series reprints gritty novels from that era and I even buy reprints of Doc Savage, Justice, Inc., The Shadow, and The Spider when I see them. I have often lamented the fact that there isn’t anything comparable in the modern fiction scene, but when I read Trojan Odyssey, I realized that there is pulp adventure being produced today. Pulp adventure is merely under the guise of the scientific exploration novel in the works of Clive Cussler.
This was a disappointing discovery to me because I love pulp adventure and Trojan Odyssey left me as hollow as the last Bond movie (produced during the writer’s strike and with a screenplay that demonstrated why writers are needed). There was plenty of action and there was lots of interesting speculation, but it didn’t all hang together. I used to think that Cussler was the civilian’s Tom Clancy, more interested in scientific discovery than military application. Now, I see him as a very clever author who must be laughing down his sleeve at his readers.
Trojan Odyssey isn’t really one story. Yes, it begins with the “Mystery of the Brown Sludge” (sounds like a Franklin W. Dixon novel, doesn’t it? Can Frank and Joe be far behind? Indeed, they aren’t far behind, merely disguised as Dirk and Summer—sibling offspring of the great Dirk Pitt even as Frank and Joe are offspring of the famous detective) and that thread runs through the book, but there is a trilogy of other storylines that don’t quite reach their full potential. We have the floating hotel and the hurricane story. Its conclusion is, in my not-so-valuable opinion, a Pitt-iful deus ex machina wherein our “hero” comes directly out of the sky to handle the emergency procedures and effect a most improbable rescue using resources that the readers have already been told are not suitable. We have the eponymous story of the revisionist Odyssey. Cussler is most enamored with the Iman Wilkens theory that the so-called “Trojan War” was fought by Celts near Cambridge, England and that the so-called “Odyssey” launched from Cadiz, Spain. Instead of adequately dealing with the arguments for relocating the legends, Cussler’s characters rely on the old academic gambit of claiming evidence without unveiling evidence. For example, we are told that the geographical locations in the “Odyssey” don’t match geographical locations in the Mediterranean, but we are not given a list of specific evidence. I suppose this is okay in a fictional novel, but it grated on my history-professor nerves. I know the Wilkens theory has much to commend it, but I was sick to my stomach that it was force-fed to me as a reader.
The third storyline was the secret base in Nicaragua. In classic fashion, we have the base in the volcano (well, under it), the pirate legend (and super advanced technology supporting it) to frighten away those who wander too close, and the massive plot to destroy the world. We then make that larger than life by having an ultimate villain known only as “Specter,” reminding us of the SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion (S.P.E.C.T.R.E.) directed by Stavros in the James Bond novels. In Trojan Odyssey, “Specter” controls a vast organization with distinctive corporate colors, immense political reach, and massive corporate capital and “Specter” is willing to invest that capital in such a way as to kill millions in order to make trillions. Of course, Cussler has a great sense of humor, so there are times when the minions controlled by “Specter” remind one more of raw T.H.R.U.S.H. (Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity) recruits in a bad episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. than of serious threats to the free (and not-so-free) world. I’m particularly thinking of the uniforms coded for gender and the image of Al Giordano discovering that he was dressed in the female uniform. I could so easily picture Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in those roles as Dirk Pitt tells Giordano to stuff something in his uniform to look more feminine.
The cataclysm that Pitt was trying to foil was fascinating, but I found myself so distracted by the phony Trojan scenario, the divine rescue of the floating hotel, and the Bond-like (or U.N.C.L.E.-like) scenes in Central America that it was hard to savor the crisis. I really had trouble suspending my disbelief.
However, there were a few minor bits in the book that appealed to me personally. In one scene, Cussler introduces an obese man in a white suit named Percy Rathbone. I instantly enjoyed the conversation with Rathbone (certainly a play off the late Basil Rathbone (best-known as Sherlock Holmes and as Guy of Gisbourne) and perhaps, humorous character actor Percy Herbert best-known for his roles in Bridge on the River Kwai, Guns of Navarone, and The Green Buddha) because his description and his speech pattern were clearly based on Sidney Greenstreet in many of the famous Humphrey Bogart films like The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. Indeed he did, indeed he very much did sound like Greenstreet’s characters in those films. And, call me inconsistent, but I do enjoy the cameos where Cussler puts himself in the books (in this case, visiting Pitt’s “hangar” base) and I relived the “taste memory” of the only time I’ve dined at L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, Virginia. I could imagine the facility in my mind and how incredible the meal was. I didn’t have the calve brain or tongue that Pitt’s group had, but I remember having veal medallions and asparagus in a lemon wine sauce along with escargot and pate’. I also enjoyed Cussler’s reference to the delightful couple who owned and ran the place at the time. It probably won’t mean much to the average reader but it was fascinating on a personal level to me.
Finally, I commend Cussler on the name of the female villain in the book. Epona (Celtic goddess name) Eliade (last name of a great scholar in comparative religion) makes a nice touch. Such efforts in name selection (Percy Rathbone and Epona Eliade) make me want to check out some of the other names that I might have missed. But in spite of all the light, deft touches that made me smile, the overall feeling of the book was that it was disjointed, overblown (a pretty bad pun when part of the book involves a massive hurricane), and incredible (in the worst sense of making even me give up my suspension of disbelief).
This was a disappointing discovery to me because I love pulp adventure and Trojan Odyssey left me as hollow as the last Bond movie (produced during the writer’s strike and with a screenplay that demonstrated why writers are needed). There was plenty of action and there was lots of interesting speculation, but it didn’t all hang together. I used to think that Cussler was the civilian’s Tom Clancy, more interested in scientific discovery than military application. Now, I see him as a very clever author who must be laughing down his sleeve at his readers.
Trojan Odyssey isn’t really one story. Yes, it begins with the “Mystery of the Brown Sludge” (sounds like a Franklin W. Dixon novel, doesn’t it? Can Frank and Joe be far behind? Indeed, they aren’t far behind, merely disguised as Dirk and Summer—sibling offspring of the great Dirk Pitt even as Frank and Joe are offspring of the famous detective) and that thread runs through the book, but there is a trilogy of other storylines that don’t quite reach their full potential. We have the floating hotel and the hurricane story. Its conclusion is, in my not-so-valuable opinion, a Pitt-iful deus ex machina wherein our “hero” comes directly out of the sky to handle the emergency procedures and effect a most improbable rescue using resources that the readers have already been told are not suitable. We have the eponymous story of the revisionist Odyssey. Cussler is most enamored with the Iman Wilkens theory that the so-called “Trojan War” was fought by Celts near Cambridge, England and that the so-called “Odyssey” launched from Cadiz, Spain. Instead of adequately dealing with the arguments for relocating the legends, Cussler’s characters rely on the old academic gambit of claiming evidence without unveiling evidence. For example, we are told that the geographical locations in the “Odyssey” don’t match geographical locations in the Mediterranean, but we are not given a list of specific evidence. I suppose this is okay in a fictional novel, but it grated on my history-professor nerves. I know the Wilkens theory has much to commend it, but I was sick to my stomach that it was force-fed to me as a reader.
The third storyline was the secret base in Nicaragua. In classic fashion, we have the base in the volcano (well, under it), the pirate legend (and super advanced technology supporting it) to frighten away those who wander too close, and the massive plot to destroy the world. We then make that larger than life by having an ultimate villain known only as “Specter,” reminding us of the SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion (S.P.E.C.T.R.E.) directed by Stavros in the James Bond novels. In Trojan Odyssey, “Specter” controls a vast organization with distinctive corporate colors, immense political reach, and massive corporate capital and “Specter” is willing to invest that capital in such a way as to kill millions in order to make trillions. Of course, Cussler has a great sense of humor, so there are times when the minions controlled by “Specter” remind one more of raw T.H.R.U.S.H. (Technological Hierarchy for the Removal of Undesirables and the Subjugation of Humanity) recruits in a bad episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. than of serious threats to the free (and not-so-free) world. I’m particularly thinking of the uniforms coded for gender and the image of Al Giordano discovering that he was dressed in the female uniform. I could so easily picture Robert Vaughn and David McCallum in those roles as Dirk Pitt tells Giordano to stuff something in his uniform to look more feminine.
The cataclysm that Pitt was trying to foil was fascinating, but I found myself so distracted by the phony Trojan scenario, the divine rescue of the floating hotel, and the Bond-like (or U.N.C.L.E.-like) scenes in Central America that it was hard to savor the crisis. I really had trouble suspending my disbelief.
However, there were a few minor bits in the book that appealed to me personally. In one scene, Cussler introduces an obese man in a white suit named Percy Rathbone. I instantly enjoyed the conversation with Rathbone (certainly a play off the late Basil Rathbone (best-known as Sherlock Holmes and as Guy of Gisbourne) and perhaps, humorous character actor Percy Herbert best-known for his roles in Bridge on the River Kwai, Guns of Navarone, and The Green Buddha) because his description and his speech pattern were clearly based on Sidney Greenstreet in many of the famous Humphrey Bogart films like The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca. Indeed he did, indeed he very much did sound like Greenstreet’s characters in those films. And, call me inconsistent, but I do enjoy the cameos where Cussler puts himself in the books (in this case, visiting Pitt’s “hangar” base) and I relived the “taste memory” of the only time I’ve dined at L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls, Virginia. I could imagine the facility in my mind and how incredible the meal was. I didn’t have the calve brain or tongue that Pitt’s group had, but I remember having veal medallions and asparagus in a lemon wine sauce along with escargot and pate’. I also enjoyed Cussler’s reference to the delightful couple who owned and ran the place at the time. It probably won’t mean much to the average reader but it was fascinating on a personal level to me.
Finally, I commend Cussler on the name of the female villain in the book. Epona (Celtic goddess name) Eliade (last name of a great scholar in comparative religion) makes a nice touch. Such efforts in name selection (Percy Rathbone and Epona Eliade) make me want to check out some of the other names that I might have missed. But in spite of all the light, deft touches that made me smile, the overall feeling of the book was that it was disjointed, overblown (a pretty bad pun when part of the book involves a massive hurricane), and incredible (in the worst sense of making even me give up my suspension of disbelief).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2016
2/5 stars. It's hard to tell whether Clive Cussler is actively trying to destroy the Dirk Pitt franchise, or whether even before his son got his name on the cover he was already writing the books. This is the last Dirk Pitt book that claims to be written by Clive alone, but either he's lying or has forgotten how to write. And if this book was edited at all, the editor needs to sit down and have a serious word with himself/herself. Here are a few gems from the book: words used repeatedly and very close to each other, and NOT for effect ("The average hurricane takes an average of six days..."; the plane that we are told "touched down at six in the evening" twice in as many sentences); descriptive anomalies (such as a "blue" helicopter that half a page later is described as "painted yellow and red"); grammatical errors ("it was an McDonnell-Douglas") and brainless other minutiae such as telling us what Sandecker looked like despite the interaction with him being a telephone conversation, where our protagonist would have no way of knowing how the other man looked at that moment in time.
There is much fan service to recall previous adventures but a lot of it only serves to remind us how far this series has declined since its hey-day. Pitt spends a lot of this book feeling the most exhausted he's ever felt (despite his exertions being probably below the average for this series), and it seems to be gearing towards Pitt taking a backseat and allowing his newly discovered grown children taking centre stage instead. Something about this brother-sister combination seems beyond cheesy to me, as if before long Lassie will be putting in an appearance to inform them that Giordino is trapped down the well again.
(As a side note, I thought the annoying in-story cameos of Clive Cussler himself might be eschewed for this book, but no - he sticks himself in right at the very end for no other reason than...I don't really know. It's not clear what the reason is, other than his formula dictates that he must now appear in every story, and so must his old buddy 'Leigh Hunt').
The story itself is standard for a Pitt book, but that's alright. I personally don't read my favourite writers to be surprised (there are plenty of new writers for that); I go back to someone because I know what I'm going to get. Sadly, I don't know if I'll be coming back to give this series another chance. I may just decide to step out before t gets any worse.
P.S. The hurricane in Part 1...what was that all about? I thought it would turn out to be something that the bad guy had somehow engineered as a superweapon but no...it was hardly mentioned again. Thinking back, it seems nothing more than a 150-page pre-credit sequence in a James Bond movie that turns out to have no bearing on later events.
There is much fan service to recall previous adventures but a lot of it only serves to remind us how far this series has declined since its hey-day. Pitt spends a lot of this book feeling the most exhausted he's ever felt (despite his exertions being probably below the average for this series), and it seems to be gearing towards Pitt taking a backseat and allowing his newly discovered grown children taking centre stage instead. Something about this brother-sister combination seems beyond cheesy to me, as if before long Lassie will be putting in an appearance to inform them that Giordino is trapped down the well again.
(As a side note, I thought the annoying in-story cameos of Clive Cussler himself might be eschewed for this book, but no - he sticks himself in right at the very end for no other reason than...I don't really know. It's not clear what the reason is, other than his formula dictates that he must now appear in every story, and so must his old buddy 'Leigh Hunt').
The story itself is standard for a Pitt book, but that's alright. I personally don't read my favourite writers to be surprised (there are plenty of new writers for that); I go back to someone because I know what I'm going to get. Sadly, I don't know if I'll be coming back to give this series another chance. I may just decide to step out before t gets any worse.
P.S. The hurricane in Part 1...what was that all about? I thought it would turn out to be something that the bad guy had somehow engineered as a superweapon but no...it was hardly mentioned again. Thinking back, it seems nothing more than a 150-page pre-credit sequence in a James Bond movie that turns out to have no bearing on later events.
March 20, 2016
Typical Cussler story: easy read, implausible scenarios, entertaining, the hero always wins.
June 4, 2022
4 sterren - Nederlandse paperback
Het verhaal begint met een korte impressie van de Trojaanse oorlog in 1190 voor Christus. Om daarna snel terug te keren naar het heden om de ontwikkeling van de orkaan Lissie mee te maken in Key West in Florida. Op dat moment zijn in het Caribische gebied de tweeling Dirk jr. en Summer Pitt in Pisces aan het duiken naar artefacten. De orkaan zal hun route raken en ook het drijvende Hotel Ocean Wanderer dat, vol met gasten, in de omgeving ligt afgemeerd.
Dirk Pitt en Al Giordino krijgen van admiraal Sandecker, commandant van NUMA, opdracht de gasten van het hotel te redden. Het hotel is eigendom van de rijke en geheimzinnige Schim, die ook eigenaar is van het Odysseyconcern. Tijdens de reddingspoging zien Dirk en Al dat de zee plaatselijk sterk verontreinigd is met een smurrie die al het planten- en dierenleven doodt. Omdat ze onderweg door piraten worden bedreigd en ze daarom vermoeden dat iemand wil voorkomen dat ze nog meer ontdekken, besluit het duo toch een onderzoek te starten. Niet geheel ongevaarlijk blijkt.
Clive is een groot verteller, in al zijn boeken. Ook in boek neemt hij tijd en ruimte om zijn fans iets bij te brengen over het leven van de Kelten.
Er zitten gewoon goede dialogen tussen die dit goed "in beeld" brengen zeg maar.
Het zit ook weer vol avonturen van duo Pitt en Giordino, die weer van alles beleven. Ook Pitts nageslacht draagt daar zijn steentje aan bij.
Onverwachte twists, samen met nuttige informatie en een vleugje romantiek. Met een Dirk Pitt die uiteindelijk anders uit het avontuur komt dan hij er in is gestapt.
Het verhaal begint met een korte impressie van de Trojaanse oorlog in 1190 voor Christus. Om daarna snel terug te keren naar het heden om de ontwikkeling van de orkaan Lissie mee te maken in Key West in Florida. Op dat moment zijn in het Caribische gebied de tweeling Dirk jr. en Summer Pitt in Pisces aan het duiken naar artefacten. De orkaan zal hun route raken en ook het drijvende Hotel Ocean Wanderer dat, vol met gasten, in de omgeving ligt afgemeerd.
Dirk Pitt en Al Giordino krijgen van admiraal Sandecker, commandant van NUMA, opdracht de gasten van het hotel te redden. Het hotel is eigendom van de rijke en geheimzinnige Schim, die ook eigenaar is van het Odysseyconcern. Tijdens de reddingspoging zien Dirk en Al dat de zee plaatselijk sterk verontreinigd is met een smurrie die al het planten- en dierenleven doodt. Omdat ze onderweg door piraten worden bedreigd en ze daarom vermoeden dat iemand wil voorkomen dat ze nog meer ontdekken, besluit het duo toch een onderzoek te starten. Niet geheel ongevaarlijk blijkt.
Clive is een groot verteller, in al zijn boeken. Ook in boek neemt hij tijd en ruimte om zijn fans iets bij te brengen over het leven van de Kelten.
Er zitten gewoon goede dialogen tussen die dit goed "in beeld" brengen zeg maar.
Het zit ook weer vol avonturen van duo Pitt en Giordino, die weer van alles beleven. Ook Pitts nageslacht draagt daar zijn steentje aan bij.
Onverwachte twists, samen met nuttige informatie en een vleugje romantiek. Met een Dirk Pitt die uiteindelijk anders uit het avontuur komt dan hij er in is gestapt.
February 10, 2017
To Dirk Pitt's shock and amazement he finds out that he has two grown children that
he has never known. They are 23 year old twins born to a woman he thought had died
in an underwater earthquake. 23 year old Summer is a marine biologist and her brother
Dirk is a marine engineer and they are about to help their father. There is a brown tide
infesting the ocean off the shore of Nicaragua. The twins are there trying to find it's
origin when two things happen. Summer discovers an old artifact and the worst storm
in years boils up heading not only right for them but also for a luxurious floating hotel
that is square in it's path. The pearl for everyone is incalculable and the NUMA crew
rushes to the rescue. In the storms wake there is an all to human evil at work and the
brown tide is only a by product of it's plan. Soon it's work will be complete and the world
will be a very different place. This is book 17 in the Dirk Pitt series and it's another fine
tale from Clive Cussler. I gave it a 4.
he has never known. They are 23 year old twins born to a woman he thought had died
in an underwater earthquake. 23 year old Summer is a marine biologist and her brother
Dirk is a marine engineer and they are about to help their father. There is a brown tide
infesting the ocean off the shore of Nicaragua. The twins are there trying to find it's
origin when two things happen. Summer discovers an old artifact and the worst storm
in years boils up heading not only right for them but also for a luxurious floating hotel
that is square in it's path. The pearl for everyone is incalculable and the NUMA crew
rushes to the rescue. In the storms wake there is an all to human evil at work and the
brown tide is only a by product of it's plan. Soon it's work will be complete and the world
will be a very different place. This is book 17 in the Dirk Pitt series and it's another fine
tale from Clive Cussler. I gave it a 4.
May 15, 2022
Buen paralelismo de la historia del caballo de Troya, el viaje de Ulises y como no bien aderezado con aventuras submarinas.
March 6, 2013
I have read the Trojan Odyssey by Clive Cussler. It is a fiction and historical fiction book. The main characters of the book are, Pitt, Giordino, Dirk, Summer, Admiral Sandecker and Rudi Gunn. The book is about a big man named Specter who controls a big operation that tunnels underneath Nicaragua to the Pacific to the Atlantic. the catch is he has made a new renewable energy to power cars and are replacing batteries and oil. So when Specter opes up the tunnels the Ocean will flow through and will cause major climate and weather change every year, turning Europe and the east coast of the US into snow kingdoms year round. I would recommend this book for young teen guys like me who are into action and adventure stories.
I would recommend this book because, this book contains a lot of tense moments and fear with a touch of graphic violence. Clive goes into some great detail in the action scenes but not to graphic. Only one description he goes into graphic detail which is the last shootout. Clive details vigorously about the adventures the characters go through. He always describes the most obvious things all the way down to the dot, which is basically the things most people wont think of. I really encourage young readers to read this book, because its incredible !
I would recommend this book to young teen guys like me because I was looking for a book with action and adventure and found one. If you are one of those picky readers and only like action, or adventure, I recommend this book to you. Any young teen male would find the book interesting or some, like me, would love this book. I highly recommend teen guys to read this book because it is wonderful ! :)
I would recommend this book because, this book contains a lot of tense moments and fear with a touch of graphic violence. Clive goes into some great detail in the action scenes but not to graphic. Only one description he goes into graphic detail which is the last shootout. Clive details vigorously about the adventures the characters go through. He always describes the most obvious things all the way down to the dot, which is basically the things most people wont think of. I really encourage young readers to read this book, because its incredible !
I would recommend this book to young teen guys like me because I was looking for a book with action and adventure and found one. If you are one of those picky readers and only like action, or adventure, I recommend this book to you. Any young teen male would find the book interesting or some, like me, would love this book. I highly recommend teen guys to read this book because it is wonderful ! :)
March 16, 2009
Dirk Pitt is at it again! The catagory 5 hurricane Lizzie is tearing its way through the ocean, leaving death and destruction in it wake. A giant floating hotel is left to the mercy of the storm and the only hope for the over one thousand crew and passengers is (the as always amazing) Dirk Pitt. Dirk and his totally funny "sidekick" Al save the day and the storm leaves mysterious clues to an awe inspiring mystery including, a Celtic woman who is convinced she will take over the world and is fond of giving men a sacrifices to strange pagen gods, a large group of women who wear shimmering dresses and all have red hair, a man called Spector, who is the head of Odessy and up to his eye balls in an insain plot, Dirk's long lost children, Summer and Dirk Jr., plenty of action, adventure, and excitment. All these and more exciting ingredients make this book a thriller that you won't be able to put down even at the most nessicary times (such as when you are supposed to take a shower or eat) I really enjoyed the book. I is also a great book to get read aloud on CD at your local library and enjoy without tiring your eyes. Five Stars for Clive Cussler's Trojan Odessy!!
December 13, 2015
I gotta say, if it wasn't for the ending I probably would have given this book 3 stars, but there were some big twists in the end so I decided to give it 4 stars. Trojan Odyssey introduces us to Dirk Pitt's two grown children, Summer and Dirk Pitt Jr. who's mother was Summer Moran, Pitt's love interest in his first adventure Pacific Vortex, who Pitt thought had died, I won't say anymore than that because I'll spoil it for those who haven't yet read it. They didn't seem to focus on Pitt's children as much as I had hoped, but I think as I continue to read the series, they'll start to have bigger appearances, and kind of pick up Pitt's mantle.
Not one of the best, but the ending is AWESOME!
Not one of the best, but the ending is AWESOME!
January 30, 2015
In the 17th installment of Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt NUMA series, Trojan Odyssey, Dirk and I return for another awesome and dangerous adventure. This time, Dirk met his grown twin children for the first time, Summer and Dirk, to embark on this journey. When they worked on an underwater enclosure, Summer discovered a strange and beautiful artifact and somehow unleashed a storm that was headed to them and others on the ocean. A too-human evil force was behind the brown tide, which was a by-product of his plan. It was up to them to stop it, before it was too late.
March 19, 2010
I've decided that this is my last Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt book. I'm not one to judge quickly (ok, that's a lie), but someone had to have been on drugs when reading this book and thinking it is/was printworthy. There is no suspense, no drama, no anything. In the words of Joe, "A cookie-cutter book." Oh yea, I was so damn confused about the kids, one who's name is Dirk Jr. Oh wow, do I hear more books coming? I sure as hell ain't going to be reading anymore of them, that's for sure.
December 29, 2014
The usual implausible plot told with verve and flair, with the heroes extricating themselves in a believable fashion.
My only quibble is that so far the new characters of Dirk Jr and his twin sister Summer have yet to show their father's flair for getting out of the situations they end up in. Once they start doing this, they will be as much fun as their dad Dirk Sr, and his pal Al Gordiano.
My only quibble is that so far the new characters of Dirk Jr and his twin sister Summer have yet to show their father's flair for getting out of the situations they end up in. Once they start doing this, they will be as much fun as their dad Dirk Sr, and his pal Al Gordiano.
May 18, 2019
Ahh Clive Cussler... Guilty pleasures. His plots are far-fetched, and his heroes are just a little too perfect, but his books are fun to read. This one was especially entertaining, and if you are interested in the Trojan War, it is worth a read.
September 5, 2018
Una nuova avventura di Pitt!
July 14, 2021
I read these when they first came out. Every once in a while, it is fun to read some of these again
September 30, 2021
This book investigates the ancient histories of the Celtic Druids and the Trojan War. It is also a tale of an investigation into a group of people who want to take control of the world at any cost to life or environment. Dirk Pitt and the group from NUMA struggle to save the world and each other. The story line has many surprises for Dirk, both in his work and his personal life. One of the surprises is a possible historical change to the Trojan War history. The others are more personal for Dirk! Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt keep the adventure coming throughout the book. I enjoyed it!
September 8, 2017
Dit 17e deel uit de Dirk Pitt serie is weer een typisch Cussler verhaal; makkelijk te lezen, ongeloofwaardig verhaal, grappig.
In dit verhaal maken we kennis met de twee volwassen kinderen van Dirk Pitt, kinderen waarvan hij het bestaan niet wist, tot ze voor zijn deur staan na het overlijden van hun moeder.
In dit verhaal maken we kennis met de twee volwassen kinderen van Dirk Pitt, kinderen waarvan hij het bestaan niet wist, tot ze voor zijn deur staan na het overlijden van hun moeder.
January 31, 2022
After the last Pitt book ‘Valhalla Rising’ - the absolute worst Dirk Pitt story ever written - I didn’t think I’d ever read another. But when I’m missing my father I read books that he enjoyed, so I went back for another Cussler adventure. This one was a vast improvement over Valhalla. Just a fun, easy reading action adventure that’s not ‘too’ over the top and at least mildly plausible.
July 18, 2019
ทรอย เรื่องราวการผจญภัยตามล่าหาสมบัติ ของเดิร์ก พิตต์ และคู่หูของเค้า อัล จิออร์ดิโน เรื่องนี้มีลูกชายลูกสาวฝาแฝดของเดิร์ก พิตต์ด้วย เล่มนี้เริ่มตั้งแต่การเอาตัวรอดท่ามกลางพายุเฮอริเคน การค้นหาสมบัติใต้ทะเล ยับยั้งการครองโลกขององค์กรลึกลับ อ่านสนุกตามนิยายสไตล์นี้แหละครับ
May 8, 2021
Me encantó! 🥰 y por fin después de mil años pasó lo que tenía que pasar 🤭
September 30, 2021
I’ve read most of the Dirk Pitt series and this one is arguably my favourite. Taking a little time to get going while it sets the historical scene, it is filled with action and adventure that’s less than predictable.
I’ve been waiting to see if Dirk’s marriage to Loren popped up in the books (haven’t read them in order!) and was so happy to finally read it in this one.
A great story that casts a new method to the Trojan war. Great read!!!
I’ve been waiting to see if Dirk’s marriage to Loren popped up in the books (haven’t read them in order!) and was so happy to finally read it in this one.
A great story that casts a new method to the Trojan war. Great read!!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 513 reviews