Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler

Marine explorer Dirk Pitt faces off against an elite army from an era gone-by in order to uncover the secrets of an ancient civilization in this #1 New York Times-bestselling series. A group of anthropologists uncover strange inscriptions on the wall of a Colorado mine just as an explosion traps them deep within the earth. But their work won't stay buried long. Dirk Pitt is on hand during the blast and quick to initiate a rescue operation. He is then tapped to lead a research crew on behalf of the U.S. National Underwater and Marine Agency to further study these uncanny artifacts. And that's when his ship is set upon and nearly sunk by an impossibility--a vessel that should have died 56 years before. Clearly, another group knows about the relics of this long-forgotten but highly-advanced seafaring culture. And they'll stop at nothing to keep the rest of the world in the dark. Editorial Reviews How does an author maintain a successful career for more than a quarter century? By making each book better than the one before. Dubbed the grandmaster of adventure fiction by fans and critics alike, Clive Cussler continues to produce action-packed thrillers unlike anyone writing today. Rightly, he is the benchmark by which other genre novels are measured; to say that he's done it again with his latest blockbuster, Atlantis Found, would be a gross understatement. Whether raising the Titanic or foiling the schemes of countless villains, Dirk Pitt, Cussler's hero of 15 previous bestsellers, has become a legend to millions of readers. And who but Pitt could go after the greatest legend of them all -- Atlantis. As in his previous books, Cussler's Atlantis Found has a plot that's impossible to top, action that is bloody and frequent, and stakes as high as they can be. The cliched roller coaster analogy that we reviewers often tag a thriller just doesn't do this novel justice since Cussler's latest accelerates the whole way through. With his typical sardonic wit and the aid of his NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency) coworkers, Dirk Pitt faces the biggest challenge of his life. It starts for Pitt during an exploratory dive in an abandoned Colorado mine that turns into the daring rescue of archeologist Patricia O'Connell -- daring not only because the mine is about to collapse, but also because there are killers in the subterranean passages who will stop at nothing to ensure that O'Connell's discovery of some ancient runes is not made public. From this white-knuckle episode the story evolves into the twin search to understand the writing's message and uncover the identity of the killers. In order to learn the meaning of the ancient writing, Pitt must first duel with an antique submarine in frigid southern waters, discover the secret behind a massive landlocked shipyard in the Argentine fjords, and travel to a tiny island between Africa and Australia where another piece of the puzzle has lain hidden for 10,000 years. Only when he learns the truth behind these mysteries does Pitt discover that the answers may also be the death knell of civilzation. If that's not enough to keep your eyes glued to the pages, there's also a powerful industrialist with neo-Nazi ties whose machinations aim to make him and his family rulers of a truly new World Order. Hurtling toward a literal earth-shattering climax on the Antartic coast, it again becomes clear that the fate of billions rests on Pitt's shoulders. And the final twist? Well, it's something I've rarely seen in a thriller; it will leave long-time fans of Dirk Pitt gasping. As in any great epic, Pitt's new quest involves a number of labors, both physical and mental, where each answer reveals more questions. With a seamless blend of discovery and adventure, this is where Cussler shines -- catapulting readers from scene to scene. His imaginative set pieces are among the best in fiction. If you want globetrotting action with a heavy dose of humor, then Atlantis Found is Cussler -- and Pitt -- at their very best. And now my excruciating wait to see how Cussler's going to top this begins. --Jack Du Brul - bn.com Review Dirk Pitt, Cussler's larger-than-life hero, butts heads with an army of elite killers seeking to destroy the world in another wickedly engrossing yet predictably scripted tale of bravery against all odds. As the story begins, artifacts from a previously undiscovered civilization, ancient but highly advanced, are popping up all over the globe. Pitt himself is on site in a Colorado mine when archeologists come across strange carvings and mysterious inscriptions. But then an explosion traps the party below ground, and a band of black-suited terrorists arrive at the scene with guns blazing. Though Pitt saves the day, the incident points toward a wider network of evil schemes. Working for the National Underwater & Marine Agency, Pitt finally identifies the terrorists as members of the Fourth Empire, an organization headed by the diabolical Wolf family, a secret clan of genetically engineered people who worship the Nazi Third Reich. But it's only after Pitt and his able sidekick, Al Giordino, battle old German U-boats, dodge surface-to-air missiles and narrowly escape death on a remote island off Australia that they find out what the Fourth Empire is up to. The neo-Nazis aim to prevent the world from discovering the artifacts of this previously unknown seafaring culture because they tell of a catastrophic event that wiped out civilization 9000 years ago and reveal when the next cataclysm will hit. The Wolfs plan to accelerate the date through their own scheme to destroy Earth, meanwhile sheltering themselves and their thousands of followers on enormous, disaster-proof ships. Pitt knows his assignment: save the world--a tall order, but one he's filled many times before. Cussler's 15th Pitt adventure (after Flood Tide) is a rampaging story of history, technology and heroism, written with Cussler's typical make-no-apologies enthusiasm. For muscle-flexing, flag-waving, belief-suspending fare, he has no equal. Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information. - Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly A highly advanced civilization is destroyed by a comet . An ancient British ship is found frozen in Antarctica . A Nazi submarine prowls beneath the seas . If all of this sounds a bit fantastic, it's just another sign of a Cussler novel featuring his Bond-ish hero, Dirk Pitt, who has previously raised the Titanic and found the body of Abraham Lincoln in the middle of the Sahara Desert; saving the world is all in a day's work. Following the discovery of a strange obsidian skull that seems to have geographic markings on it that represent Earth's continents in strange locations, Pitt and his companions find themselves tracking down the strangest mystery in history: Was Atlantis real or a fable? The answer is hinted at in the title, but even with the discovery of the secret to the ancient civilization, Pitt's travails are just beginning. He must locate and destroy a family that traces its roots back to the dark days of Hitler and who have known for years that the world is about to come to an end, based on predictions by the highly advanced civilization. Will Dirk and the rest of the NUMA crew be able to prevent this disaster? Michael Prichard has read Pitt books before and gives them the right mix of incredulity, humor, and suspense. Cussler knows how to tell a compelling tale, and his work is always in demand. This will be a highly popular title for all public libraries.--Joseph L. Carlson, Lompac P.L., CA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information. - Library Journal YA-Once again, Cussler sends his superhero Dirk Pitt into the thickest of plots, against the odds and against human and natural forces that most mere mortals would never survive. Ancient archaeological sites are found containing relics of the advanced civilization identified as Atlantis, including a completely baffling written language. When finally deciphered, the inscriptions contain a prediction of the world's end in the next few months. At the same time, in South America, the Wolf family and its enterprises are assembling a massive clandestine operation. And, on Antarctica, a seemingly innocent scientific- research site proves to be a diabolical setup for destroying the known world. However, Dirk Pitt and his friend and partner, Al Giordino, destroy the dastardly plan. Offering one action-packed scene after another, Cussler guarantees to keep the pages turning at a rapid rate. There are plenty of technologically advanced gadgets and machines, along with secretive movements to add a thriller quality to the plot. Cussler writes himself into the story as a minor player in the mayhem, poking fun at his own writing. This book provides plenty of adventure, as well as top-rate entertainment.-Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.| - School Library Journal