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Dirk Pitt® #18

Black Wind

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In the waning days of World War II, the Japanese tried a last desperate measure. Kept secret from all but a few select officials, two submarines were sent to the West Coast of the United States, their cargo a revolutionary new strain of biological virus, their mission to unleash hell.

Neither sub made it to the designated target.But that does not mean they were lost.

Someone knows about the subs and what they carried, knows too where they might be, and has an extraordinary plan in mind for the prize inside—a plan that could reshape America, and the world, as we know it. All that stands in the way are three people: a marine biologist named Summer, a marine engineer named Dirk . . . and their father, Dirk Pitt, the new head of NUMA.

Pitt has faced devastating enemies before, has even teamed up with his children to track them down. But never before has he encountered such pure evil—until now.

653 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2004

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About the author

Clive Cussler

643 books8,516 followers
Cussler 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.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 544 reviews
Profile Image for Matt.
748 reviews
April 25, 2021
A long-range plan by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea conquer the South is spearheaded by a businessman with a deadly plan to strike the United States with a pandemic of a hybrid strain of smallpox, but Dirk Pitt Jr. appears on the scene. Black Wind is the eighteen novel of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt series the first featuring the young Pitt in the lead as well as the first with Cussler’s son Dirk as his co-author.

In December 1944, the commanding officer of the Japanese submarine I-403 is given orders to launch a mysterious attack on the United States, a mission involving Japan’s notorious biological warfare group, Unit 731. The I-403 reaches the U.S. northwest coast but is sunk before the mission can be carried out. Over 62 years later, a team of CDC researchers, including field epidemiologist Sarah Matson, are unexpectedly infected by a deadly and mystery illness in the Aleutian Islands; they are rescued by Dirk Pitt Jr. (hereinafter Pitt Jr.), who is nearby on a NUMA research vessel. Pitt Jr, with friend and coworker Jack Dahlgren, return to the site to investigate, but their helicopter is downed by gunfire from a mysterious trawler. They survive, eventually determining that the illness resulted from a toxic compound of cyanide and smallpox. In Japan, the U.S. ambassador is golfing with his British counterpart when he is assassinated by a sniper named Tongju. Tongju later assassinates the ambassador’s deputy and a semiconductor executive, leaving clues that appear to identify him as a member of a Japanese terrorist group. Investigating the toxin, Pitt Jr. consults marine-history researcher St. Julien Perlmutter, who finds records of the I-403. Pitt Jr. and Dahlgren find and dive on the sunken I-403, but its mysterious ordnance has been removed. Meanwhile, in the Philippines, Dirk Pitt senior (hereinafter referred to simply as Dirk) and his friend and colleague Al Giordino are also discovering forgotten Japanese ordnance that is poisoning marine life. In Incheon, South Korea, Dae-jong Kang, a multi-millionaire industrialist, is secretly a North Korean sleeper agent who has been using corruption to press for rapid reunification of the divided peninsula under the DPRK's rule. Kang reviews his plans with his assistant; they include framing a U.S. serviceman for the murder of a South Korean girl to foment unrest, while Tongju retrieves more of the World War II toxin from a second sunken submarine. Learning of the interference of Pitt Jr., Kang sends assassins to eliminate him, but they fail through ruin a classic car Pitt Jr. had just purchased. NUMA researcher Hiram Yeager has discovered that the toxic ordnance was also carried by a Japanese submarine lost in the South China Sea. Pitt Jr. joins his sister Summer aboard a NUMA salvage vessel that locates the wreck, but Tongju and his commando team seize the vessel. After taking the recovered toxin and kidnapping Pitt Jr and Summer, the North Koreans sabotage the salvage ship and leave the imprisoned crew to drown, but actions by the Pitt siblings before leaving enables everyone to escape. Pitt Jr. and Summer are taken to Kang’s yacht, where the multimillionaire taunts them with a general threat of infecting the U.S. with the hybrid toxin, then leaves them to drown. They escape and make their way back to the United States. Unaware of the exact nature of Kang’s plan, the NUMA team coordinates with government agencies to search for cargo vessels that might be carrying the toxin. However, the real plan goes forward as Tongju and his commando team pirate Sea Launch, a seaborne rocket-launching platform, preparing to fire a toxin-laden warhead at a G8 summit meeting in Los Angeles. When Dirk and Giordino spot the launch platform from a blimp, a deadly countdown is already underway. However, Dirk manages to infiltrate and alter the launch, resulting in the rocket crashing harmlessly into the sea. In the final showdown, Pitt Jr. and a team of Navy SEALs infiltrate Kang's base as he prepares his final getaway aboard his luxury yacht. However, after a showdown on the bridge, Pitt Jr. sends Kang and his yacht to a fiery crash.

As this is the first book that featured the younger Pitt as the main character, his character was more rounded out than his previous appearance. Unfortunately, he is too much of a chip off the ol’ block from his father, in fact its hard to see any differences between the two from physical appearance to their interests (classic cars as shown in this novel) and even getting himself onto a SEAL mission. It could be said that there are a variety of ways that a younger character could be seen as their parent’s kid, being exactly alike is the cheap way out. The overall plot of the book is one of the better ones of the series and an improvement over some of the previous outings, save for a few glaring head scratch moments that don’t ruin things but diminish the quality enough. The evil mastermind (Kang) and his top henchman (Tongju) are among the best in the series as well as head and shoulders over any since probably Inca Gold. If there is one glaring thing in the book, it’s that Summer Pitt sometimes feels like an add on though she’s given enough agency to be more than a damsel-in-distress due to some genes from her father, I guess.

Black Wind is a return to the better quality of books in the Dirk Pitt series, whether it’s focusing the series on a younger protagonist or that fact that Clive Cussler was joined by his son Dirk in writing the book can be argued. While not perfect and nor the best in the series, this is a very fun and engaging read.
6,200 reviews80 followers
September 20, 2017
Time for another Clive Cussler Wednesday!

During World War 2, a Japanese submarine off the west coast of the US is sunk. It contains some kind of germ warfare. Now years later, some group wants to use it for their own ends. The Dirks Pitt and company have to save us all again!

Pretty exciting. Most of the book focuses on Dirk Jr., but Dirk and Summer get their time in the sun.
Profile Image for fleurette.
1,534 reviews161 followers
July 2, 2022
Standard story in this Clive Cussler series, so you know what to expect. Although I guess it's not one of those books that I will remember.

The plot is, as always, very fast-paced, a lot is going on and there are many twists and turns. The characters come out alive of various troubles, and the world as we know it is saved from a threatening catastrophe thanks to Pitt's (both junior and senior) resourcefulness. Although maybe this time not so much the world is saved, but the United States (and Korea and Japan, by the way). For those sensitive to this topic in these times, I warn you that in this book there is a theme of a global pandemic that could lead to the death of millions of people.

I had read other books by this author before, so I knew what to expect and I know these characters. I even met Summer and Dirk Junior in one of the books. But I don't read the books in this series one by one, and I don't think it is necessary. You don't need to know previous books to enjoy this one. Although it is much easier to find out who is who, and as it happens in such long series, there are really a lot of characters here.

I still wish Summer had a much bigger role in these stories. Her character is terribly inconsistent for me. On the one hand, she is very clever and can cope with many difficult situations, and on the other hand, if only a man accompanies her in her troubles, Summer suddenly becomes a helpless woman who must be saved. I wish she was the woman who is more equal to the men in these books.

The final description of the events that lead to the capture of the villain is a bit absurd. Young Dirk is able to do what the entire Seals squad cannot, and saves the day. Okay, in this book he actually does a lot of incredible things, but I just found that a total exaggeration.

Overall a fairly typical book in this series.
Profile Image for Kat Powell.
24 reviews1 follower
May 14, 2013
You know what you're getting with a Clive Cussler novel. The format's all a bit 'cut and paste' - whoever is introduced in the first section will die and leave behind some dastardly way of destroying the world, then NUMA will stumble across it and almost avert disaster but the baddies will win round one and then all the same cat and mouse will happen again but this time NUMA will save the world in the nick of time. Still usually the series is a good escapist read but this one was just... dull! Far, far too long and drawn out, with long (dull) breaks in the action. When there was action, although as unbelievable as ever, it lacked the humour and character development to pull it through. One of my main irritations with this book is that Cussler has written himself in as a character. Usually this is done a bit tongue-in-cheek and he's a hapless bus driver or something, but this time he actually had a proper hero part and it was just *cringe* This book will deter me from reading any of the others (especially if they're Dirk Jr and Summer based) for a long time!
Profile Image for Mihai.
Author 2 books56 followers
June 29, 2017
Dacă Goodreads mi-ar cere să recenzez Vântul negru într-un singur cuvânt, acela ar fi „americănesc”. Prizez stilul lui Clive Cussler care parcă scrie un scenariu de film. Personajele sunt superficiale, în sensul că viața lor se desfășoară doar la suprafață, fără laturi ascunse, la fel și acțiunea, antrenantă și cu efecte speciale ca la Hollywood. Intriga pare bazată pe titlurile alarmiste din presa americană a deceniilor trecute, care anunța atacuri ale neo-naziștilor cu gaz sarin și alte asemenea grozăvii. Acum, când timpul pentru lectură este pentru mine un lux, nu aș duce la capăt o carte care nu mă atrage, iar pe aceasta chiar am citit-o cu interes până la ultima pagină. Probabil că mi-ar fi plăcut și mai mult dacă aș fi citit cartea la vârsta adolescenței, când citeam Sven Hassel, însă chiar și așa a fost o lectură care a meritat timpul investit cu citirea ei.
Profile Image for Travis Bow.
Author 5 books19 followers
February 9, 2016
Cheesy beyond all reasoning. If you like seeing super-classic evil dudes with nefarious plots waging war against chivalrous, daring, uber-lucky, hyper-intelligent (when they aren't putting themselves in danger for absolutely no reason), lady-killer heroes who can do everything James Bond can without any of the training (even make corny puns, like "I was the one who was shaken and stirred" after escaping a wrecked submarine and considering the appeal of a cocktail)... if you like all that AND if you like seeing the author work all his hobbies into the book (and even himself: yes, there is a debonair, laid-back-yet-brave-and-compassionate sea-faring Clive Cussler that comes to the rescue mid-book), then Black Wind is for you. If you like realism or being surprised once in a while, maybe not.
Profile Image for Corey.
525 reviews124 followers
May 11, 2019
It's been so long since I've read a Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt adventure, and I've read many mixed reviews on the ones Cussler has written with his son Dirk Cussler, so I was a little hesitant reading Black Wind, but I didn't come back disappointed, so I'm happy to say You've still got it Clive!!

In the 1940's, during the days of World War II, a Japanese-class Submarine carrying a deadly bio-virus, is approaching the United States, planning to unleash the virus on the unsuspecting US. They successfully reach the US Northwest Coast, but are stopped by the Navy before they can carry out their attack, and the Sub is sunk along with the virus, not seen again for many years to come.

In the present day, NUMA, (National Underwater and Marine Agency) now led by Dirk Pitt, is investigating an unknown illness that is infecting millions across the globe, along with his children Dirk Pitt Jr. and Summer. As they grow closer to what they're dealing with, they realize they're up against more than they've bargained for, a deadly virus lost at sea for many years, and a ruthless Japanese terrorist group who themselves are searching for the sunken wreckage. Pitt and his children must find the deadly virus before they do, or they will use it on the United States starting World War III!

Nothing new for Clive, just another fun-packed action-adventure!! And once again Clive Cussler himself makes a cameo, as he has in many of his other books!
Profile Image for Matt.
1,027 reviews
September 10, 2018
A fun- but long- adventure story, written in true Clive Cussler fashion. North Korea, biological weapons and space rockets highlight this novel. In it you'll see Dirk Pitt- both Sr and Jr, Autumn, Big Al Giordini and an assortment of really bad guys who end up getting their just rewards... in a fiery Hell! Like all Cussler novels it has a truly satisfying ending.
Profile Image for Christian D.  D..
Author 1 book34 followers
June 22, 2018
More entertaining the second time around

I enjoyed "Black Wind" more on this go-around than I did the first time I read it (circa 2005), partially because the plot line seems more timely than ever now with North Korea being such a major news item,
but there are still some technical gaffes (explained below) and the lack of edginess so prevalent in the classic Cussler novels of the 1970s and 80s that prevent me from giving the novel a full 5 stars.

p. 8: the Bungo Strait--shades of "Run Silent, Run Deep!"

Lookup: Seiran floatplane

--p. 11: "Naval authority on submarines was notably relaxed, even in the Japanese Navy." Time-Life Books' "War Under the Pacific" noted the same thing.

So, even back then and in non-U.S. countries, sub crews got better chow than the rest of the Navy, eh?

--p. 17: Lookup Farragut-class destroyer USS Theodore Knight

--p. 29: Lookup Steller's sea lions.

Lookup "Laissez le bons temps rouler?" = "Leave well enough alone?"

--p. 38: "'We've notified the Coast Guard *and* the Department of Homeland Security" [emphasis added] Um, the Coast Guard IS a part of DHS.

--p. 41: Basil named for the sea serpent from "Shock Wave?"

--p. 45: Um, although the AK-74 rifle may have full-auto capability, it's not technically considered a "machine gun."

Lucky for Jack Dahlgren that the round didn't tumble upon impact!

--p. 48: "'Well,' Dirk said, tearing a steaming leg off the big crustacean, 'we could use some lemon and butter.'" Heh heh, glad to see that the NUMA peeps, their love for the sea and the environment in general notwithstanding, are not vegetarians!

--p. 54: "'It just makes sense for everyone involved to ease trade restrictions. Our own steel tariffs may still get in the way of an agreement.'" Wow, what coincidental timing (reading this passage and quoting it on 26 April 2018).

"'It’s a damn mystery how they can think that way, given the past aggressiveness of the North.'" Again, how timely.

--p. 69: "'I think a dinosaur crapped in my mouth during the night,' Dahlgren said
with a belch." Haha, appetising anal-ogy!

--p. 89: "Shining his light on one set of valves, he made out BARASUTO TANKU in white lettering, which he presumed operated the ballast tanks." Um, would it be in actual "lettering" per se, or Japanese (Kanji) script? Or does Dirk actually know how to read Kanji?

--p. 91: "Type 95 torpedoes, large and deadly fish that were both more reliable and more explosive than the American counterpart during the war." Hmmm, really? I'll have to look that one up....


--p. 97: "An ex–Marine Corps MP, Finch still sported a crew cut and spoke with the blunt voice of a basic training drill sergeant." Ahem, the Corps calls 'em "drill instructors (DIs)," not "drill sergeants."

--p. 99: "'there has been no real radical Islamic presence visible in Japan.'" Hell, there's very little Islamic presence in Japan, moderate OR radical.

p. 101: "The twenty-three-year-old master sergeant was an avionics specialist at the air base," AHEM, no way would a mere 23 year-old be a Master Sergeant in ANY branch of the U.S. military in this day & age! Promotions to that level of seniority just don't happen that fast nowadays, not even battlefield promotions (especially not within the senior NCO ranks)!

--p. 110: "William Beebe, Sylvia Earle, and Don Walsh." Some historically iconic oceanographic names there!

--p. 116: "'Just like the Titanic,' he marveled." Hmmm, an allusion by Al to his (and Dirk's) "Raise the Titanic!" adventure?

--p. 125: "communist entrepreneur" a deliberately ironic oxymoron on the authors' part, I presume? Wow, Dae-jong Kang is the ultimate Cadillac communist!

p. 148: Referring to an Ingram Mac-10 as a "burp gun?" Um, no, that nickname belongs to the M3 submachine gun AKA the "grease gun."

--p: 188: "The aristocratic club was appropriately housed on the hundredth floor of the world’s tallest building, the recently completed International Business Center Tower located in western Seoul." Really, taller than the Burj Khalifa?

--p. 205: "Starfish," an homage to the "Raise the Titanic" film adaptation (even though Clive hated it)??

p. 259: Pararescue Jumpers (PJs), HOOYAH!


--p. 338: G8 meeting, how timely!

--p. 347: Ahem, in the Air Force, "First Sergeant" is a job title like "Commander," not an actual rank.

--p. 348: Air Force generally doesn't use the acronym/abbreviation "S.O." for Special Operations teams. They use "STT" for "Special Tactics Teams" instead.

--p. 358: Ahem, the Navy doesn't use the term "Special Forces" for its SEALs/UDT types. Special Warfare or SpecWar, but not "Special Forces."

--p. 389: Ahem, it's not the "Customs Department," it's the Bureau of Customs & Border Protection (CBP) within the Department of Homeland Security.

--p. 510: Ahem, a SEAL is a SAILOR, not a "soldier!"

--p. 513: A SIG-Sauer P226 holds a 15-round magazine, not 13, and moreover, it's supposed to go to slide-lock when out ammo, therefore no "firing pin beat down on an empty chamber."







Profile Image for Cindy (BKind2Books).
1,839 reviews40 followers
March 21, 2024
3.5 stars, rounded to 4

I've been reading these books since the 70s and always enjoyed them. I lost track of where I was in the series and just hadn't worked it out until recently.

This one is more the story of Dirk Pitt JR (and to a lesser degree his twin sister Summer) although Dirk does make a few appearances in the novel. What hasn't changed is the format. Something from the past - in this case, a WWII era Japanese submarine - is involved with something - in this case biological warfare - that rears its head in the present day. There's plenty of twists and turns as well as close calls and daring rescues. You know that it will all work out in the end, but there's always a thrill or two along the way. I'll be continuing this series.
Profile Image for Belinda Vlasbaard.
3,363 reviews101 followers
August 15, 2022
4,5 sterren- Nederlandse hardcover

Geleend van de bibliotheek.
Tijdens de laatste dagen van de Tweede Wereldoorlog probeert Japan de Verenigde Staten nog een wanhopige slag toe te brengen - een kamikazeactie, uitgevoerd door twee onderzeeërs die naar de westkust worden gestuurd, met aan boord een revolutionair, nieuw biologisch virus.

Geen van beide onderzeeboten bereikt het beoogde doelwit. Maar dat betekent niet dat ze verloren zijn gegaan.

Iemand is op de hoogte van de onderzeeërs en heft het plan de wereld zoals we die kennen onherkenbaar te veranderen.

Nog nooit stond Dirk Pitt oog in oog met zo'n kwaadaardige tegenstander. Nu ja, dat is niet helemaal waar want de slechterikken zijn altijd echt slecht!

De pagina's vlogen weer voorbij. Met Steve Berry echt wel een van mijn favoriete auteurs.

Aanrader!
Profile Image for Jay Schutt.
313 reviews135 followers
June 24, 2017
Another fun read from Cussler with the usual cast of characters and all the action and adventure you expect.
Profile Image for Belinda.
1,331 reviews232 followers
September 19, 2017
Dit boek begint aan het einde van de tweede wereld oorlog met een gerichte aanval van Japan op Amerika. Een laatste poging om de strijd bij hun vaderland Japan weg te houden. Helaas voor Japan wordt de onderzeeër met een dodelijke lading tot zinken gebracht voor de kust van Vancouver. Alleen de dodelijke lading is nog aan boord en sluimert en wacht....
Via research komen ze er achter dat er een tweede onderweg was naar de Oostkust van Amerika die ergens in de Zuid Chinese zee ten onder was gegaan. Bij onderzoek aan boord van deze onderzeeër vinden ze in eerste instantie niets totdat ze denken aan de drijvers van de vliegtuigjes....
Vele geschiedkundige feiten worden verweven in het verhaal. Als een spiegel en uitleg voor wat er op dat moment in de wereld gebeurd en misschien ook wel nu...
Bijvoorbeeld: Bij de oude Asteken stond het bekend als de "Grote Melaasheid". De vreselijke plaag die dood en verderf zaaide na de aankomst van Hernando Cortéz en zijn troepen in 1518.
Wat ik wel jammer is dat de geschiedkundige feiten zo nu en dan de vaart uit het verhaal halen.

Enkele fragmenten uit het boek:

- kennelijk zijn de zeeleeuwen op het mooie Yunanska nog niet besmet.-
- "Er is iets in de lucht".-
- Dirk bekeek de boot aandachtig, hij zag dat er geen vlaggen aan de mast wapperden waaruit de nationaliteit opgemaakt kon worden.-
- Hoewel de helikopter weg zwenkte, trof een kogelregen het toestel.-
- "Verder heb ik nauwelijks iets gevonden over incidenten in Alaska."
- Makaze, De beste vertaling die ik kan bedenken is "Zwarte Wind".-
- Hij was blij dat het schip op het rif was vergaan, zodat de vernietigende wapens nooit gebruikt werden in de strijd.-
- Kang Enterprices. Zelfs zijn naaste medewerkers wisten niet dat Kang al meer dan 25 jaar een stille spion was voor Noord Korea.-
- Twee gedachten kwamen telkens even naar voren, zou hij tot de dertig procent behoren die in leven bleef?-

50 reviews3 followers
September 12, 2018
I read a lot of Clive Cussler books many years back and remembered thoroughly enjoying them so decided to pick one up again.

I don't know if my tastes have changed or these books were always so predictable, but Black Wind was eye rollingly bad. The outcome was apparent from page 1 and all the characters are infallible super heroes. Bleh.
Profile Image for Sara.
737 reviews
September 29, 2022
Wow what a rush! This book has a slow methodical build playing on people’s worst fears. The story has an even more realistic edge being read after the COVID pandemic. The narrow escapes and dogged determination of our heroes make for an exciting end.
Profile Image for Joe Garvin.
39 reviews1 follower
January 18, 2023
This was the first Dirk Jr book I read. It was fun getting to know Dirk and his sister as they go about on there mission to save America from an attack. I enjoyed the witty sarcastic better between Dirk and his sister. I liked how Dirk and Al joined in and helped save the day. The good thing about reading a book from the Dirk series is you know what you are getting a fun enjoyable action story where the good guys win. If you are looking for something other then that then this is not the book for you. I found the book fun and enjoyable to read.
Profile Image for Fredrick Danysh.
6,844 reviews195 followers
June 26, 2017
A North Korean agent has become a billionaire in South Korean. When he learns of biological weapons aboard two Japanese World War II submarines, he plans to attack America blaming Japan and reunite Korea under the North's rule. Hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake.
927 reviews3 followers
May 20, 2018
Predictable - near death at every corner but a box cutter and bowling ball took out a tank and a nuclear bomb.
Profile Image for Saket Vaibhav.
18 reviews
February 13, 2025
Didn't think I'd enjoy this one this much .....guess I'm gonna end up reading more of Clive Cussler ....
Profile Image for Charles.
390 reviews
October 29, 2021
The director of NUMA Dirk Pitt, along with his son and daughter and the team at NUMA have to save the world from an evil plot devised by a North Korean company, Kang Enterprises. The goal of Kang is to unite the North and South Koreas and his tactics involve using biological weapon from the past. At the end of WW2, the Japanese devised, then lost, this weapon. Will the team from NUMA save the day and live to talk about it? Another exciting installment of the NUMA series.
615 reviews41 followers
July 13, 2025
I turn to Dirk Pitt for that fun adventurous read, Indiana Jones on the high seas. It may have been the audio format, but this one wasn’t as smooth and engaging as so many other Cussler books in this series. The action is center stage, like always, but the narrative seemed to go on and on and the thread connecting everything together didn’t pull me along. The story dragged a bit which is usually never an issue with these books. I’ll still go to the next one, I can always count on a good effort.
Profile Image for Megan.
1,147 reviews6 followers
August 14, 2015
Another Dirk Pitt adventure but this one was a little different in that Dirk Pitt Jr is the main character. Dirk Pitt Sr is almost a secondary character, which is a fine way of aging him and allowing him to pass on his adventuring legacy to his son and daughter. There was a little bit of confusion with both the Dirks in the book, mainly knowing which one was which when they were both together. For the most part, "Dirk" is referring to junior Pitt and "Pitt" refers to the senior Pitt. I also liked that Giordino made an appearance in this book as well, since he is my favorite character and I thought he wouldn't really be in the books anymore. Summer Pitt is also a somewhat major character although she doesn't do much. I was hoping that Dirk Pitt Sr having a daughter would be a great reason to have a tough, badass female character as part of the series, but it doesn't seem to be the case with Summer. I don't know if that is because Cussler doesn't know how to write for a strong, stand-out female character or if he just doesn't think women can kick as much as as the men in his books. In any case, at least there is a female character that isn't just another flat and boring politician or bad guy. Dahlgren, Dirk Pitt Jr's friend is almost an exact copy of Giordino, which is good in some parts, since Giordino is my favorite character and bad in others mainly that he is just a copy of another character. This seems to say to me that Cussler has a hard time coming up with unique characters and is content just making copies of characters that he already has and giving them different names.
The action and excitement in this book is about the same as the other books, nonstop and very unrealistic. It certainly makes for a very entertaining read, but if you want reality I would go ahead and skip the whole series. The Pitts, Giordino and Dahlgren have so many close calls as to be ridiculous. They almost always escape but not without the excitement of possibly dying. Which, of course, you know they won't die. This is definitely not for everyone, it is basically and action movie on paper. The bad guys are stereotypically bad, the good guys are very good and always have some trick up their sleeve that allows them to win. Almost all of the Dirk Pitt books follow the same pattern and it can almost be said that if you have read one of them, you have read them all. However, this is what I like about these books, they are just a fun, exciting, if predictable ride that allows you to escape from the monotony of everyday life.
In this particular book, Korea is looking to get unified but without the United States interfering. So they come up with a nefarious plot to release a deadly virus to distract the US while a Korean bad guy tries to unite and take over his country. There are car chases, deep sea dives, SEAL team missions, gun fights and lots of intrigue and mystery. Overall 4 out of 5 stars. One of the more exciting Dirk Pitt books from the series so far.
Profile Image for Britt Lovelady.
436 reviews17 followers
March 4, 2009
I’m not exactly sure why, but this was my favorite Dirk Pitt novel, probably because the main character was actually his son, Dirk Jr. Dirk isn’t as cocky as his father and just seemed to get on my nerves less. Plus this was the most recent of Cussler’s books that I have read, and actually took place in the year 2007, which made it easier to relate to, since it isn’t 30 years old. The premise was that this evil Korean guy wanted to unite North and South Korea again (and implement his communist dictator ways) but he knew that the U.S. would never allow it, so decides to send a missile to Los Angeles that will unleash a hybrid smallpox virus that will infect and kill millions of people. The U.S. would be so devastated by the vast number of deaths that it wouldn’t concern itself with what is going on in Korea. The Cussler men figure this out and come close to being killed but eventually save the day and Dirk gets to go on a date with one of the women he saves. Well, some things never change. I give it a B-.
Profile Image for Jenn.
76 reviews
March 15, 2011
This book was TERRIBLE!!!!!!

Ok, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's be a little more coherent, eh?

Black Wind would have been a decent book if it werent for the author himself. The writing style is slow and boring. There's plenty of action but it is constantly disrupted by technical descriptions of rockets, or submarines, or biological warfare, or whatnot. It made even the most action packed scenes boring as all hell.

Now onto the characters. By all rights and laws of nature, THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE DEAD 4 TIMES OVER! AT LEAST !! Unrealistic escapes and luck, coupled with amazing intelligence, humor, looks, and skill make the characters irritating and flat. And those 'clever' little one line jokes the characters say at nearly even chapter end? Made me want to rip the pages out!

Oh and the author writing himself into the book? How arrogant and egotistical!

Oh well, done with the rant now I think. Definitely a book I will not be reading again, along with anything else by this boring, conceited author.
Profile Image for Mallory.
984 reviews
October 16, 2020
Oh dear. Maybe this is the end of me and Dirk Pitt books. I think I've outgrown them. Perhaps if the son wasn't a carbon copy of the father, things would be different, but there's nothing that distinguishes Dirk from Pitt (literally - not even a "Junior" or a nickname). It doesn't help reading about a terrorist-planned biological pandemic in the middle of a pandemic. Especially when you know everything will be fixed and rosy at the end of the book, whereas that is not even close to the case in 2020. I might give another one a shot, but it won't be for a while yet.

Side note: While looking up something else in the plot, I did learn that Clive Cussler passed away early this year. He certainly left quite a writing and exploring legacy behind.
142 reviews
September 21, 2020
What an absolute crock of s**t. Would have given no stars if it was an option. The plot line continued to get more and more ridiculous as the book went on. Relentless boring one liners throughout that were cringe worthy at best, and the added bonus of the author managing to find a place for himself within the story just in the nick of time to save the day. Won't ever read one of these books again, I'd rather s**t in my hands and clap.
Profile Image for Kirsten .
1,748 reviews292 followers
December 28, 2014
Another Clive Cussler rip-roaring adventure. Now that Dirk has kids, it's a little different. (And he even has a wife now!) Really liked the story in this one, even if I wonder why Dirk, Jr., is as capable as he is military-wise. He seems to be a lot better with weapons that I thought he would be.

At any rate, I really liked this adventure and the bio-terror aspect to it. Great fun!
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