What do you think?
Rate this book
Dirk Pitt® #2
Mayday
Major Dirk Pitt picked up the frantic distress call as he cruised his lumbering amphibious plane over the islands of the Aegean. Brady Air Force base was under fire, its entire force of jets destroyed on the ground . . . by just one First World War bi-plane!
A psychotic ex-Nazi, a bloodthirsty Greek strongman and a beautiful double agent set Pitt on the trail of the warped mastermind behind a devastating sabotage plot. And on that trail, danger and death are never far behind . . .
A psychotic ex-Nazi, a bloodthirsty Greek strongman and a beautiful double agent set Pitt on the trail of the warped mastermind behind a devastating sabotage plot. And on that trail, danger and death are never far behind . . .
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1973
865 people are currently reading
7209 people want to read
About the author
Clive Cussler
643 books8,517 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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 974 reviews
October 8, 2020
I have always loved books and reading, before I had a nightly routine of one-hundred annually and author gender and genre preferences. In bargain bins I came upon novels by Clive Cussler and acquired most of the “Dirk Pitt” tales, except this second volume. I was relieved to land “The Mediterranean Caper” at my favourite charity in July! It is more enjoyable than two stars seem. I have loved since his début, “Pacific Vortex”, the highly inventive variety of puzzling premises Clive conceived of for adventures.
A WWI single-seater shoots an air force airstrip in the Thasos Strait. Marine biologists seek endangered “Teaser fish” offshore. Locating rare fish is an exhilarating storyline for me but there was almost nothing about it. Startling chauvinistic attitudes mar the start and finish of this novel, the year 1973 notwithstanding. The conclusion is an information dump of answers Dirk produced; even so extreme as spotting a biological wonder that he had pissed me off for not caring about. The breadth of what Dirk pulled from a magician’s hat made him more ludicrous than “James Bond”.
Many of the explanatory threads were not hinted at, nor worked in sufficiently to have a place in a denouement appreciably. I am satisfied to have found this novel as a stepping stone to the others. Other readers reassure us that Clive gradually moulds his character into a decent human and gentleman. Modern times and a great wife must have helped this aspect of his craft too! I reserve stars to bestow on his many other books.
I am grateful for them and sorry he died, although 88 years aren’t shabby. I would have loved for my own beloved Mom to have lived 13 years more. Rest in peace, my dearest Mom. One month after: peace to Clive, too.
A WWI single-seater shoots an air force airstrip in the Thasos Strait. Marine biologists seek endangered “Teaser fish” offshore. Locating rare fish is an exhilarating storyline for me but there was almost nothing about it. Startling chauvinistic attitudes mar the start and finish of this novel, the year 1973 notwithstanding. The conclusion is an information dump of answers Dirk produced; even so extreme as spotting a biological wonder that he had pissed me off for not caring about. The breadth of what Dirk pulled from a magician’s hat made him more ludicrous than “James Bond”.
Many of the explanatory threads were not hinted at, nor worked in sufficiently to have a place in a denouement appreciably. I am satisfied to have found this novel as a stepping stone to the others. Other readers reassure us that Clive gradually moulds his character into a decent human and gentleman. Modern times and a great wife must have helped this aspect of his craft too! I reserve stars to bestow on his many other books.
I am grateful for them and sorry he died, although 88 years aren’t shabby. I would have loved for my own beloved Mom to have lived 13 years more. Rest in peace, my dearest Mom. One month after: peace to Clive, too.
April 23, 2017
This was my first foray into this adventure kind of novel. At least I think that's what it was. It was ok, but pretty mindless entertainment. I feel like I just ate an entire bag of chips or something completely empty of nutritional value.
It had its exciting, action-filled moments, but the characters... I had some problems with their lack of depth and the outright sexism really bothered me. I suppose I've been lucky not to read anything before that this blatantly objectifies females, and even more lucky not to be part of a generation that found this kind of attitude normal. I had read reviews that mentioned this and thought I was prepared. I wasn't. I was completely shocked when Pitt slapped a girl in the face right after meeting her, and then seduced her, and then she thanked him for it. His attitude towards women in general was more chauvinist than anything I've read, maybe ever. It was written in the 1970s, so I can at least hope later books are not as bad.
I also was disappointed in the mystery aspect, since it didn't take much for me to figure out what was going on (at least the main part), but then a bunch of extra details were thrown in at the end that came out of nowhere. I was kind of annoyed at the end when Pitt took pages and pages to explain everything he had figured out in a villain reveal-all that reminded me of Scooby Doo. One reason I like mysteries is having the chance to put things together myself, but here I just had to sit back and be told the answers. Except for the really obvious ones that I spotted ages before the main character seemed to catch on. Here, the main point seemed to be the action, and the mystery was just a prop.
Still, I'm not really sure what to expect from this type of book, so I might try one of the later Pitt novels before I write the series off - if I can get past the whole attitude towards women. The adventure part at least I can see growing on me.
It had its exciting, action-filled moments, but the characters... I had some problems with their lack of depth and the outright sexism really bothered me. I suppose I've been lucky not to read anything before that this blatantly objectifies females, and even more lucky not to be part of a generation that found this kind of attitude normal. I had read reviews that mentioned this and thought I was prepared. I wasn't. I was completely shocked when Pitt slapped a girl in the face right after meeting her, and then seduced her, and then she thanked him for it. His attitude towards women in general was more chauvinist than anything I've read, maybe ever. It was written in the 1970s, so I can at least hope later books are not as bad.
I also was disappointed in the mystery aspect, since it didn't take much for me to figure out what was going on (at least the main part), but then a bunch of extra details were thrown in at the end that came out of nowhere. I was kind of annoyed at the end when Pitt took pages and pages to explain everything he had figured out in a villain reveal-all that reminded me of Scooby Doo. One reason I like mysteries is having the chance to put things together myself, but here I just had to sit back and be told the answers. Except for the really obvious ones that I spotted ages before the main character seemed to catch on. Here, the main point seemed to be the action, and the mystery was just a prop.
Still, I'm not really sure what to expect from this type of book, so I might try one of the later Pitt novels before I write the series off - if I can get past the whole attitude towards women. The adventure part at least I can see growing on me.
January 6, 2023
RTF shortly (just off for a walk 🙂 )
December 3, 2023
While I'm way too young to remember the seventies, I've heard they were a very immoral time. Shows from back then, such as Three's Company, are perfect proof of what a loosey-goosey decade it was.
So, the fact that Clive Cussler published this book in 1973 makes the sexual content here no surprise. Thankfully, the late author seemed to mature over the years, and didn't add such immorality to his later books; at least, the ones I've read.
This is a great look at the origins of Dirk Pitt...but, discerning readers, especially ones trying to flee lustful thoughts, may take issue with some of it.
So, the fact that Clive Cussler published this book in 1973 makes the sexual content here no surprise. Thankfully, the late author seemed to mature over the years, and didn't add such immorality to his later books; at least, the ones I've read.
This is a great look at the origins of Dirk Pitt...but, discerning readers, especially ones trying to flee lustful thoughts, may take issue with some of it.
April 20, 2025
For manly action/adventure, one can’t lose with Clive Cussler. His books are the literary equivalent of a testosterone overdose. Some may call it toxic masculinity, I just call it a good time.
Okay, so his books—-especially his early stuff—-aren’t the most politically correct. They’re actually, to be honest, downright cringe-worthy at times, especially when it comes to Cussler’s track record with female characters. What few exist in his books are basically relegated to whores or secretaries. Occasionally, whorish secretaries.
If you can see yourself getting past all that embarrassing misogynistic stuff, his books are pretty readable.
“The Mediterranean Caper” was published in 1973, and it was the first of Cussler’s books to feature his hero, Dirk Pitt. (“Pacific Vortex” was, actually, the first book Cussler wrote featuring Pitt, but it was published much later, in 1983.) It wasn’t the best of Pitt’s adventures. Indeed, it’s actually pretty clunky compared to other Pitt classics, like “Raise the Titanic!”, where Cussler really started to find his groove.
“TMC” starts out interestingly enough. On a U.S. Air Force base on an island off the coast of Greece, a beautiful sunny day is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of an antique World War I German fighter bi-plane in Greece airspace. It suddenly lets loose a barrage of machine gun fire, damaging and nearly destroying all the expensive American jet fighters on the ground.
It just so happens that Pitt and his team of underwater scientists are looking for an extinct fish nearby.
Pitt decides to play detective, but he must first slap, seduce, and ravage (in that order) a young German girl on the beach at midnight. She happens to be the niece of a rich German dude living nearby.
Somehow, all of this relates to heroin.
If you’re confused, it’s okay. The plot barely makes sense. But who cares? All you need to know is that Pitt goes after the bad guys, gets the girl, and saves the world. End of story.
To be fair, Cussler’s novels actually got better as he got older and wiser. His storytelling skills improved and, believe it or not, his views on women actually became a bit more enlightened. Well, a lot less neanderthal-ish at least.
Okay, so his books—-especially his early stuff—-aren’t the most politically correct. They’re actually, to be honest, downright cringe-worthy at times, especially when it comes to Cussler’s track record with female characters. What few exist in his books are basically relegated to whores or secretaries. Occasionally, whorish secretaries.
If you can see yourself getting past all that embarrassing misogynistic stuff, his books are pretty readable.
“The Mediterranean Caper” was published in 1973, and it was the first of Cussler’s books to feature his hero, Dirk Pitt. (“Pacific Vortex” was, actually, the first book Cussler wrote featuring Pitt, but it was published much later, in 1983.) It wasn’t the best of Pitt’s adventures. Indeed, it’s actually pretty clunky compared to other Pitt classics, like “Raise the Titanic!”, where Cussler really started to find his groove.
“TMC” starts out interestingly enough. On a U.S. Air Force base on an island off the coast of Greece, a beautiful sunny day is interrupted by the unexpected arrival of an antique World War I German fighter bi-plane in Greece airspace. It suddenly lets loose a barrage of machine gun fire, damaging and nearly destroying all the expensive American jet fighters on the ground.
It just so happens that Pitt and his team of underwater scientists are looking for an extinct fish nearby.
Pitt decides to play detective, but he must first slap, seduce, and ravage (in that order) a young German girl on the beach at midnight. She happens to be the niece of a rich German dude living nearby.
Somehow, all of this relates to heroin.
If you’re confused, it’s okay. The plot barely makes sense. But who cares? All you need to know is that Pitt goes after the bad guys, gets the girl, and saves the world. End of story.
To be fair, Cussler’s novels actually got better as he got older and wiser. His storytelling skills improved and, believe it or not, his views on women actually became a bit more enlightened. Well, a lot less neanderthal-ish at least.
June 10, 2010
I don't mind some objectionable items but mistreatment of women is one thing I can't abide. Thankfully there was only a small amount of this at the beginning. I am at a loss as to why authors feel that a misogynistic attitude is a must in action books. Dirk Pitt is a dick! This shows in his cavalier and demeaning attitude toward women and in his over the top arrogance. The book was long on action and short on believable plot. Needless to say, Dirk Pitt rises up and saves the day. I am not sure I will read more of this drivel.
February 12, 2018
Un librito de aventuras que se ha dejado leer, pero no me ha entusiasmado. El héroe de la novela, el mayor Dirk Pitt, resulta plano, unidimensional: un macho de otros tiempos que lo tiene fácil para seducir a las heroínas y que sale triunfante de sus difíciles peripecias. De los libros de Clive Cussler que he leído, me resultaron más entretenidas otras dos lecturas: Sahara y Muerte blanca.
Peligro en el Mediterráneo fue uno de los primeros de la serie de Dirk Pitt, que se puede leer de forma independiente del orden cronológico. Compruebo en Goodreads que fue publicado por primera vez en 1973. Me ha hecho gracia ver que apenas han pasado cuatro décadas y media de su publicación, y ya se ve una eternidad de distancia con el momento actual: los personajes fuman en cualquier lugar (hoy está prohibido en la mayoría de los sitios) y abundan los clichés y estereotipos que hoy se inhibirían ante lo políticamente correcto: que si los alemanes son cuellicortos, que si las mujeres son así y asá…
Peligro en el Mediterráneo fue uno de los primeros de la serie de Dirk Pitt, que se puede leer de forma independiente del orden cronológico. Compruebo en Goodreads que fue publicado por primera vez en 1973. Me ha hecho gracia ver que apenas han pasado cuatro décadas y media de su publicación, y ya se ve una eternidad de distancia con el momento actual: los personajes fuman en cualquier lugar (hoy está prohibido en la mayoría de los sitios) y abundan los clichés y estereotipos que hoy se inhibirían ante lo políticamente correcto: que si los alemanes son cuellicortos, que si las mujeres son así y asá…
April 30, 2016
3.5 Stars
Not my favorite by Cussler. But a very good read regardless.
Not my favorite by Cussler. But a very good read regardless.
May 18, 2014
I did not read this entire book. I wanted to like it because I love the concept of Dirk Pitt, but I can't get past his view of women.
As early as page 27 of the book, Dirk gets angry because a woman has had the audacity to still be in mourning over a husband that died 9 years previously. For this crime, he slaps her. When she asks him why he hit her, he responds with the following:
"Because you needed it, needed it badly," he snapped. "That torch you carry around is as worn out as an overcoat. I'm surprised someone hasn't taken you over a knee and spanked it all off. So your husband was dashing. So what? He's dead and buried, and mourning him over him for all these years won't resurrect him from the grave. Lock away his memory somewhere and forget him. You're a beautiful woman--you don't belong chained to a coffin full of bones. You belong to every man who turns and admires you as you pass by and who longs to possess you."
After making her cry he then turns her vulnerable moment into an opportunity for sex.
I fully understand that Dirk is supposed to be a James Bond-like character for the archaeological world, but that passage was so revolting, I couldn't stomach any more. His speech to her was condescending, lacked any compassion whatsoever, and was just truly and really offensive.
But the real jewel in that little speech was his comment that she belongs to every man who admires her and who longs to possess her. That kind of perspective is something I do not agree with--and I'm a far cry from a feminist.
That is a character that needs to get over himself. R.I.P. Dirk.
As early as page 27 of the book, Dirk gets angry because a woman has had the audacity to still be in mourning over a husband that died 9 years previously. For this crime, he slaps her. When she asks him why he hit her, he responds with the following:
"Because you needed it, needed it badly," he snapped. "That torch you carry around is as worn out as an overcoat. I'm surprised someone hasn't taken you over a knee and spanked it all off. So your husband was dashing. So what? He's dead and buried, and mourning him over him for all these years won't resurrect him from the grave. Lock away his memory somewhere and forget him. You're a beautiful woman--you don't belong chained to a coffin full of bones. You belong to every man who turns and admires you as you pass by and who longs to possess you."
After making her cry he then turns her vulnerable moment into an opportunity for sex.
I fully understand that Dirk is supposed to be a James Bond-like character for the archaeological world, but that passage was so revolting, I couldn't stomach any more. His speech to her was condescending, lacked any compassion whatsoever, and was just truly and really offensive.
But the real jewel in that little speech was his comment that she belongs to every man who admires her and who longs to possess her. That kind of perspective is something I do not agree with--and I'm a far cry from a feminist.
That is a character that needs to get over himself. R.I.P. Dirk.
September 23, 2021
I am openly admitting that I am violating some rule by reviewing this book because I did not finish it. I read 150 pages of this nonsense before giving up. I purchased it because Clive Cussler is on every bookshelf of every book retailer in the country and I guess I was curious. Here's a few reasons why I could not stand this drivel. This book contains a recurring character in Cussler's work named Dirk Pitt, which is a name so contrived I can't believe a human being let it escape his thought bank and committed it to paper. The Dirk Pitt description before the novel even starts reads as if 100 cliches of heroes were written on little pieces of paper, thrown into a hat, and then the author picked out 10 at random. He is a cookie cutter protagonist. A cardboard character. A novel about a personified piece of actual cardboard would have been infinitely more interesting. The story itself? Dime novel adventure stuff. (There's nothing wrong with this stuff by the way if it's done properly. Raiders of the Lost Ark anyone?)
Before I go, I just have to describe a scene from the book which just happens to be the worst scene I've ever read in my 32 years on earth. Dirk Pitt is on a beach and sees a beautiful blonde woman sitting near the surf. He sits next to her. She is crying because her husband is deceased. Dirk slaps her in the face to get her to stop bereaving I suppose. Then she sleeps with him. Turns out, Dirk Pitt is not so much a hero as he is a douche. In a better book, she would have shot him after he slapped her and then the book could be about her.
Before I go, I just have to describe a scene from the book which just happens to be the worst scene I've ever read in my 32 years on earth. Dirk Pitt is on a beach and sees a beautiful blonde woman sitting near the surf. He sits next to her. She is crying because her husband is deceased. Dirk slaps her in the face to get her to stop bereaving I suppose. Then she sleeps with him. Turns out, Dirk Pitt is not so much a hero as he is a douche. In a better book, she would have shot him after he slapped her and then the book could be about her.
January 25, 2012
A cover blurb on another Dirk Pitt novel compares the hero of Clive Cussler's novels to James Bond. The comparison is an apt one, especially when it comes to the first two novels in the series The The Mediterranean Caper Dirk Pitt 2 and Iceberg Dirk Pitt 3.
In the same way that Fleming used Bond as a way to comment on the ways in which masculinity could and should be defined, Cussler defines what is masculine through the opinions, actions and attitudes of one Dirk Pitt. For example, in Caper, Pitt meets a women who has been mourning the passing of her husband for a number of years and decides the thing she needs to help her get over his death is to find someone new to make love to. Within moments, Pitt and the woman are having a little sex on the beach (not the alcoholic kind mind you) and the woman is soon totally over her depression and grief and now devoted to Pitt. (In many ways, the scene reminds me of the "cure" put forward in Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy. If you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about).
But the attitude doesn't just extend to women. Pitt is the alpha male of alpha males in the novel, including wandering around naked at one point while being debriefed by his superior officer. Pitt is also one of the few people in the world to ever navigate his way out of a deadly maze trap, all while wounded and losing blood.
In many ways, Pitt is Jack Bauer and Chuck Norris of his day and age. He lives hard, loves hard and gets the job done. Like Bond or Bauer, Pitt is generally right about his assumptions, while others higher up in authority are wrong. And he's not afraid to say it or act on his assumptions.
These thoughts occurred to at about the mid-point of Caper and they really helped me to not worry so much about the details of the story and just go along for the ride. I doubt any one will mistake this book for fine literature but as a popcorn, escapist thriller, it's kind of a fun ride and it certainly does keep the pages turning. Pitt is called in to investigate an aerial attack on a local airbase from a World War II era plane. Is it a ghost come back or could the timing of the attack be tied into the discovery of a wreck just off the coast? Pitt soon finds himself facing a hiding Nazi war criminal, who just happens to be the uncle to his new female love interest. It's a battle of wits and a race against time for the two.
Again, the less you think about the story and just kind of let it wash over you like a big-budget Hollywood thriller, the happier you'll probably be. It's interesting to read the novel thirty plus years after its initial publication and to take note of the multiple references to smoking that litter the novel. Moving forward it will be interesting to see if and how Pitt's (and to the same extent Cussler's)attitude toward the use of tobacco changes. I can't imagine that Pitt would be the smoker in the latest installments that he is here.
So turn the brain off and just enjoy. You may be glad you did.
In the same way that Fleming used Bond as a way to comment on the ways in which masculinity could and should be defined, Cussler defines what is masculine through the opinions, actions and attitudes of one Dirk Pitt. For example, in Caper, Pitt meets a women who has been mourning the passing of her husband for a number of years and decides the thing she needs to help her get over his death is to find someone new to make love to. Within moments, Pitt and the woman are having a little sex on the beach (not the alcoholic kind mind you) and the woman is soon totally over her depression and grief and now devoted to Pitt. (In many ways, the scene reminds me of the "cure" put forward in Kevin Smith's Chasing Amy. If you've seen it, you'll know what I'm talking about).
But the attitude doesn't just extend to women. Pitt is the alpha male of alpha males in the novel, including wandering around naked at one point while being debriefed by his superior officer. Pitt is also one of the few people in the world to ever navigate his way out of a deadly maze trap, all while wounded and losing blood.
In many ways, Pitt is Jack Bauer and Chuck Norris of his day and age. He lives hard, loves hard and gets the job done. Like Bond or Bauer, Pitt is generally right about his assumptions, while others higher up in authority are wrong. And he's not afraid to say it or act on his assumptions.
These thoughts occurred to at about the mid-point of Caper and they really helped me to not worry so much about the details of the story and just go along for the ride. I doubt any one will mistake this book for fine literature but as a popcorn, escapist thriller, it's kind of a fun ride and it certainly does keep the pages turning. Pitt is called in to investigate an aerial attack on a local airbase from a World War II era plane. Is it a ghost come back or could the timing of the attack be tied into the discovery of a wreck just off the coast? Pitt soon finds himself facing a hiding Nazi war criminal, who just happens to be the uncle to his new female love interest. It's a battle of wits and a race against time for the two.
Again, the less you think about the story and just kind of let it wash over you like a big-budget Hollywood thriller, the happier you'll probably be. It's interesting to read the novel thirty plus years after its initial publication and to take note of the multiple references to smoking that litter the novel. Moving forward it will be interesting to see if and how Pitt's (and to the same extent Cussler's)attitude toward the use of tobacco changes. I can't imagine that Pitt would be the smoker in the latest installments that he is here.
So turn the brain off and just enjoy. You may be glad you did.
October 12, 2022
Time for another Clive Cussler Wednesday!
An old WWI fighter plane attacks An out of the way US Air Force base. A nearby scientific experiment is experiencing sabotage. Dirk Pitt gets on the case.
On of the early novels, before the series became formulaic. Different, and better because of it.
An old WWI fighter plane attacks An out of the way US Air Force base. A nearby scientific experiment is experiencing sabotage. Dirk Pitt gets on the case.
On of the early novels, before the series became formulaic. Different, and better because of it.
June 16, 2014
I was having a conversation with my dad the other day about the first ‘serious’ book I read. You know, that moment when you graduate from The Famous Five into more adult fiction. I racked my brains and came to the conclusion that it was Mr Cussler that first welcomed me, at the tender age of eleven, into the wonderful, and often mystical, world of adult fiction. So coming back to this book is sentimental for me. I have a lot of fond memories of the Dirk Pitt novels, not in the least because they got me through some hairy moments at school. Which is why I just can’t bring myself to be mean.
Dirk Pitt was a massive part of my childhood and cultivating my love for books. But even I, through glasses that are rose-tinted, can see how ridiculous this whole book is. Hell, even the characters regularly remark how daft some of the premises are.
Of course, it must be remembered that this was written in the days when an appropriate response to an attack on a US Air Base has our intrepid hero quip “Maybe it’s an irate Greek farmer who’s tired of our jets scaring his goats.” And not be in a terrible rush to investigate. It is time locked. You find yourself telling him to just use his mobile phone dammit only to realise this is 1973. It actually hasn’t aged too badly in that sense. Once you get in that mindset, you don’t notice it.
And Pitt is a piece of work. I’m actually kind of surprised my parents thought this appropriate reading material for an eleven year old. I grew to love the character as the books went on so it was a nasty surprise coming back to this book. His treatment of Teri at the beginning honestly took my breath away. A writer these days would be lynched for not only having their hero pull such a stunt but then be proud and defiant of it. And even beyond that, the character is rude, abrasive (and not in a James Bond sort of a way despite what the blurb says) and too cocky for his own good. Even his whole ‘garbage guy’ routine sets my bones all wrong. Not to mention his behaviour when he first meets Von Till. He just makes it very hard for me to like him. I get the whole ‘rough around the edges’ vibe, and its part of what I love about the character in later books, but in this one it is overdone and leaves a bitter taste.
It’s strange for me. Like seeing a side of a long-time friend I wish I hadn’t. More so because I love most of the characters in his work. I think I fell in love with Giordino the moment he first turned up on the page. He’s his usual likeable self, and frankly more likeable than his best bud in this particular caper, with some brilliant quips that raise a smile. Gunn, while not one of my favourite characters, serves his purpose and is an engaging presence.
Word of warning, feminists should stay clear of this book. There is only one female character of note and, well, let’s just say she does damsel in distress very well. I think mostly it is the age of the book showing because in later books Cussler has written some brilliant female characters (Summer, Loren for starters) but this is very much in that mentality of ‘women are for saving’ (and cooking). ((And generally being sex objects)). (((Yeah, feminists will not like this novel))).
My main gripe with this book, however, is its villain. He feels like he stepped out of a comic book. He is so overblown and overworked. He doesn’t quite get as far as monologuing but I hear maniacal laughter whenever he enters a room. It’s frustrating because ironically, it lessens him as a foe for Pitt.
The book struggles too with its writing. This reads like exactly what it is, a first attempt (appropriately also the chosen name of the NUMA vessel in this book). This book would never have been published today. Not in the state it is in. The writing is clumsy and overworked very often, pushing too hard for suspense. This is an author that overuses the much-contentious adverbs and his descriptive work is very… blunt. It’s weird for me because I know how good Cussler’s later work is. It’s like reading a story you wrote in high school and thinking ‘Oh God, I let people read this???’ I wonder what he thinks when he reads it back now.
It’s also another ‘all hail America’ books. My dear fellow Brits, be prepared to once again be stereotyped. Quote: “By jove, that’s a bit all right”. Dear America, we do not speak like this. Love England.
The last third of the book is much better. The pace picks up, Pitt finally learns how to act like a hero, Giordino gets more page time and everything ties together. The conspiracy and main plot is clever and well thought out, if a little far-fetched but it’ll keep you going with a few surprises along the way.
Mayday is not a bad book. It is a throwaway book. It is a silly but engaging 240 pages of easy reading. The prose isn’t so bad as to detract from the basic enjoyment of the story. I’m going to be re-working my way through Cussler’s books. On that scale, this is one of his low points, and frankly, I’d say don’t bother with it. Despite being first published, it’s not actually first chronologically and there is nothing in this book that you can’t discover in some of the others. They call Clive Cussler the “Grandmaster of Adventure” and that is what he did become, but this I am afraid, is not his finest hour.
Check out more at ... http://www.maxibransdale.com/
Dirk Pitt was a massive part of my childhood and cultivating my love for books. But even I, through glasses that are rose-tinted, can see how ridiculous this whole book is. Hell, even the characters regularly remark how daft some of the premises are.
Of course, it must be remembered that this was written in the days when an appropriate response to an attack on a US Air Base has our intrepid hero quip “Maybe it’s an irate Greek farmer who’s tired of our jets scaring his goats.” And not be in a terrible rush to investigate. It is time locked. You find yourself telling him to just use his mobile phone dammit only to realise this is 1973. It actually hasn’t aged too badly in that sense. Once you get in that mindset, you don’t notice it.
And Pitt is a piece of work. I’m actually kind of surprised my parents thought this appropriate reading material for an eleven year old. I grew to love the character as the books went on so it was a nasty surprise coming back to this book. His treatment of Teri at the beginning honestly took my breath away. A writer these days would be lynched for not only having their hero pull such a stunt but then be proud and defiant of it. And even beyond that, the character is rude, abrasive (and not in a James Bond sort of a way despite what the blurb says) and too cocky for his own good. Even his whole ‘garbage guy’ routine sets my bones all wrong. Not to mention his behaviour when he first meets Von Till. He just makes it very hard for me to like him. I get the whole ‘rough around the edges’ vibe, and its part of what I love about the character in later books, but in this one it is overdone and leaves a bitter taste.
It’s strange for me. Like seeing a side of a long-time friend I wish I hadn’t. More so because I love most of the characters in his work. I think I fell in love with Giordino the moment he first turned up on the page. He’s his usual likeable self, and frankly more likeable than his best bud in this particular caper, with some brilliant quips that raise a smile. Gunn, while not one of my favourite characters, serves his purpose and is an engaging presence.
Word of warning, feminists should stay clear of this book. There is only one female character of note and, well, let’s just say she does damsel in distress very well. I think mostly it is the age of the book showing because in later books Cussler has written some brilliant female characters (Summer, Loren for starters) but this is very much in that mentality of ‘women are for saving’ (and cooking). ((And generally being sex objects)). (((Yeah, feminists will not like this novel))).
My main gripe with this book, however, is its villain. He feels like he stepped out of a comic book. He is so overblown and overworked. He doesn’t quite get as far as monologuing but I hear maniacal laughter whenever he enters a room. It’s frustrating because ironically, it lessens him as a foe for Pitt.
The book struggles too with its writing. This reads like exactly what it is, a first attempt (appropriately also the chosen name of the NUMA vessel in this book). This book would never have been published today. Not in the state it is in. The writing is clumsy and overworked very often, pushing too hard for suspense. This is an author that overuses the much-contentious adverbs and his descriptive work is very… blunt. It’s weird for me because I know how good Cussler’s later work is. It’s like reading a story you wrote in high school and thinking ‘Oh God, I let people read this???’ I wonder what he thinks when he reads it back now.
It’s also another ‘all hail America’ books. My dear fellow Brits, be prepared to once again be stereotyped. Quote: “By jove, that’s a bit all right”. Dear America, we do not speak like this. Love England.
The last third of the book is much better. The pace picks up, Pitt finally learns how to act like a hero, Giordino gets more page time and everything ties together. The conspiracy and main plot is clever and well thought out, if a little far-fetched but it’ll keep you going with a few surprises along the way.
Mayday is not a bad book. It is a throwaway book. It is a silly but engaging 240 pages of easy reading. The prose isn’t so bad as to detract from the basic enjoyment of the story. I’m going to be re-working my way through Cussler’s books. On that scale, this is one of his low points, and frankly, I’d say don’t bother with it. Despite being first published, it’s not actually first chronologically and there is nothing in this book that you can’t discover in some of the others. They call Clive Cussler the “Grandmaster of Adventure” and that is what he did become, but this I am afraid, is not his finest hour.
Check out more at ... http://www.maxibransdale.com/
February 26, 2017
NUMA undertakes an expedition in Mediterranean sea in search for a fish which could link to the evolution of mammals and also believed to be an extinct species 200 hundred millions year ago. The expedition was sabotaged, our hero Dirk Pitt is sent to investigate. A World War I biplane attacks the nearby Brady airfield, Pitt cleverly completes the puzzle thrown by his adversary through his wit and dare devilry.
A lot of unexpected twist in the story, three characters one is Bruno von Till who is believed to be Admiral Heibert, Commander of Nazi Germany's transportation fleet, a fanatical follower of Adolph Hitler, and brother of Kurt Heibert. Second character Bruno von Till's niece a widow Teri and finally Darius the monster.
Awesome engineering feats behind the smuggling of heroin through Minerva Lines freighter and the sunken cave of the villain are unexpected revelations for me.
Two escapades of Dirk Pitt are worth mentioning and has the edge of the seat thrilling experience, one is escaping from the clutches of Bruno von Till's labyrinth and another from the deserted Queen Artemisia ship.
Below two incidents which shows Pitt's cleverness and remained me of watching a MGR movie.
One is after getting out of the car, Dirk Pitt with Willie the chauffeur.
"Willie my friend, Pitt said seriously, I must tell you something. Will you step out of the car for a moment?
Willie's brows wrinkled but he shrugged and stepped from the car, facing Pitt. Now Herr Pitt, what do you wish to tell me?
I see you wear jackboots, Willie.
Ja, I wear jackboots.
Pitt flashed his best used car salesman's smile. And jackboots have hobnails, don't they?
Ja, jackboots have hobnails, said Willie irritably. Why do you waste my time with such nonsense? I have duties to perform. What is it you wish to say?
Pitt's eyes grew hard. My friend, I felt that if you want to earn your peeping Tom merit badge, it's my duty to warn you that silver rimmed spectacles reflect the sun's rays and can easily give your hiding place away..... and Pitt's fist slammed into his mouth, cutting off the words.
Another incident, Pitt with Bruno von Till who had dressed appropriately for the dinner in his house:
Pitt's eyes searched von Till. Is that why you carry a Luger in a shoulder holster?"
And one liner I like to quote when badly injured Pitt tries to enter First Attempt:
"I'm Pitt and I'm injured. Now stop screwing around and hurry.
Is it really you, Major? the lookout asked hesitantly.
What the Goddamn hell do you want? snapped Pitt, a birth certificate?"
Yet another superb thriller from Clive Cussler, I enjoyed reading the book.
More of book reviews in www.chromaring.com
A lot of unexpected twist in the story, three characters one is Bruno von Till who is believed to be Admiral Heibert, Commander of Nazi Germany's transportation fleet, a fanatical follower of Adolph Hitler, and brother of Kurt Heibert. Second character Bruno von Till's niece a widow Teri and finally Darius the monster.
Awesome engineering feats behind the smuggling of heroin through Minerva Lines freighter and the sunken cave of the villain are unexpected revelations for me.
Two escapades of Dirk Pitt are worth mentioning and has the edge of the seat thrilling experience, one is escaping from the clutches of Bruno von Till's labyrinth and another from the deserted Queen Artemisia ship.
Below two incidents which shows Pitt's cleverness and remained me of watching a MGR movie.
One is after getting out of the car, Dirk Pitt with Willie the chauffeur.
"Willie my friend, Pitt said seriously, I must tell you something. Will you step out of the car for a moment?
Willie's brows wrinkled but he shrugged and stepped from the car, facing Pitt. Now Herr Pitt, what do you wish to tell me?
I see you wear jackboots, Willie.
Ja, I wear jackboots.
Pitt flashed his best used car salesman's smile. And jackboots have hobnails, don't they?
Ja, jackboots have hobnails, said Willie irritably. Why do you waste my time with such nonsense? I have duties to perform. What is it you wish to say?
Pitt's eyes grew hard. My friend, I felt that if you want to earn your peeping Tom merit badge, it's my duty to warn you that silver rimmed spectacles reflect the sun's rays and can easily give your hiding place away..... and Pitt's fist slammed into his mouth, cutting off the words.
Another incident, Pitt with Bruno von Till who had dressed appropriately for the dinner in his house:
Pitt's eyes searched von Till. Is that why you carry a Luger in a shoulder holster?"
And one liner I like to quote when badly injured Pitt tries to enter First Attempt:
"I'm Pitt and I'm injured. Now stop screwing around and hurry.
Is it really you, Major? the lookout asked hesitantly.
What the Goddamn hell do you want? snapped Pitt, a birth certificate?"
Yet another superb thriller from Clive Cussler, I enjoyed reading the book.
More of book reviews in www.chromaring.com
April 1, 2025
What do you do when you want other people to read a series of books but you can’t stand the first official book? How do I rate this?
So Cussler says Pacific Vortex! was the first Dirk Pitt novel written, but it got shelved, and The Mediterranean Caper was the first Pitt novel published. Why this one? Cussler didn’t say, but I’m assuming that Dirk Pitt wasn’t enough of a sleazy asshole in the other novel, so let’s crank up the sleaze a few notches and make THIS his first adventure. Yay.
Look, I’m not a prude and I like asshole characters. But the Dirk Pitt novels I REALLY like come later in this series, where he’s much less of a prick. Does that make sense? If this was some other hero or series I probably wouldn’t have minded the cheesy, over the top trash that permeates this book.
Anyway, skip this. In fact, maybe skip until after Raise the Titanic, because IIRC Dirk Pitt is still a piece of crap through that novel as well. We will see as I go through my rereads.
I didn’t hate this book but the best I’m going to give is two stars.
So Cussler says Pacific Vortex! was the first Dirk Pitt novel written, but it got shelved, and The Mediterranean Caper was the first Pitt novel published. Why this one? Cussler didn’t say, but I’m assuming that Dirk Pitt wasn’t enough of a sleazy asshole in the other novel, so let’s crank up the sleaze a few notches and make THIS his first adventure. Yay.
Look, I’m not a prude and I like asshole characters. But the Dirk Pitt novels I REALLY like come later in this series, where he’s much less of a prick. Does that make sense? If this was some other hero or series I probably wouldn’t have minded the cheesy, over the top trash that permeates this book.
Anyway, skip this. In fact, maybe skip until after Raise the Titanic, because IIRC Dirk Pitt is still a piece of crap through that novel as well. We will see as I go through my rereads.
I didn’t hate this book but the best I’m going to give is two stars.
April 12, 2011
Damn I just love Dirk Pitt! He's not a hottie, heck according to Cussler, he's not even handsome; regardless, he always gets the girl. He's just like MacGiver, from that old TV show. Give him a toothpick and a high heeled shoe and he can get out of any death-defying scrape imaginable. Dirk is quick on his feet and even though he always gets caught, his unconventional tactics will amaze you. This time he and Al Gordino are sent in to Greece to help one of NUMA's research vessels that have been sabotaged again and again. Of course, Dirk and Al aren't satisfied just flying to save the day. No no no, Dirk has to get stumble on an ingenious drug smuggling operation and immediately get on the bad side of the culprit.
This was written in 1973 so it's not as involved and convoluted as Cussler's later Pitt novels. Even so, I enjoyed the hell out of it as I always do.
This was written in 1973 so it's not as involved and convoluted as Cussler's later Pitt novels. Even so, I enjoyed the hell out of it as I always do.
April 20, 2021
Leído en 2013.
Lo empecé a leer porque a este autor no le había catado y sin embargo es de los que "se ve mucho" en las colecciones de libros de bolsillo.
Había leído sobre el autor que hace best sellers muy digeribles sobre temas marinos con un detective, Dirk Pitt, como protagonista. Así que ataqué este libro, el primero de ese detective.
Resultado : no muy bueno, la verdad. La novela se deja leer y todo eso, pero a cambio tienes que tragarte actitudes del machito protagonista que serían lo habitual al escribir la novela -1973- pero que hoy son difícilmente "digeribles". Los roles masculino/femenino que salen en la novela supongo que darán vergüenza hasta al autor al leerlos hoy.
Yo escogería otro autor de best sellers antes de alabar a este, la verdad. Si alguien quiere empezar con el autor yo no recomiendo esta novela. ¿Tal vez empezar por alguna otra novela escrita un poco después?.
Lo empecé a leer porque a este autor no le había catado y sin embargo es de los que "se ve mucho" en las colecciones de libros de bolsillo.
Había leído sobre el autor que hace best sellers muy digeribles sobre temas marinos con un detective, Dirk Pitt, como protagonista. Así que ataqué este libro, el primero de ese detective.
Resultado : no muy bueno, la verdad. La novela se deja leer y todo eso, pero a cambio tienes que tragarte actitudes del machito protagonista que serían lo habitual al escribir la novela -1973- pero que hoy son difícilmente "digeribles". Los roles masculino/femenino que salen en la novela supongo que darán vergüenza hasta al autor al leerlos hoy.
Yo escogería otro autor de best sellers antes de alabar a este, la verdad. Si alguien quiere empezar con el autor yo no recomiendo esta novela. ¿Tal vez empezar por alguna otra novela escrita un poco después?.
October 23, 2025
I read a Cussler or two in my teens and should have known better, but I was seduced by the biplane on the cover. Perhaps the most startling thing to happen during this unlikely and sordid adventure is when Dirk Pitt meets a beautiful woman who's been grieving for her dead husband for eight and a half years. His response is to smack her in the face and tell her to get over it. Then they have sex. It's not often that you hope the elderly Nazi will succeed in killing the hero, but here we are.
April 17, 2009
Don't waste your time reading this one. The plot is fine, typical beach reading, but... There's fine line between machismo and misogynistic kak, and this particular book crosses it. It's the difference between a dog pissing to mark his territory, and a dog pissing on you to mark his territory. I like Cussler's stuff, but if I'd started with this one I would have developed a permanent sour opinion for him. Thank God it dawned on him that women can read too, and changed a few things later in the series.
September 5, 2024
Clive Cussler's books suffer from what I call the "tell me" writing. Instead of the author letting the reader live the story, they tell us the story through extensive narrative. I'm not a fan, it's like a friend telling you a story instead of you being on the adventure with them. But I did greatly enjoy the inventive plot and the various twists that plot took. Dirk Pitt is quite a character. Very much a man of his times, the 70's.
As Dirk Pitt and his sidekick, Al Giardino, are on approach to an Air Force base on a Greek island, they get a mayday that the base is under attack. The plane turns out to be a World War I German fighter. The plane did considerable damage before Dirk and Al chased him away. Pitt is on his way to a NUMA ship anchored just off the base to troubleshoot some very annoying problems they have been having. He ends up in the middle of an international smuggling ring, with a beautiful girl, of course.
As Dirk Pitt and his sidekick, Al Giardino, are on approach to an Air Force base on a Greek island, they get a mayday that the base is under attack. The plane turns out to be a World War I German fighter. The plane did considerable damage before Dirk and Al chased him away. Pitt is on his way to a NUMA ship anchored just off the base to troubleshoot some very annoying problems they have been having. He ends up in the middle of an international smuggling ring, with a beautiful girl, of course.
June 17, 2024
I'm loving these Dirk Pitt books! Indiana Jones meets the Ocean meets sexism! I can completely understand why this series launched a million books (and spin off series).
Plot: Just as Dirk and his co-hort are arriving at a military base, a WWI bi-plane shows up and destroys everything! What follows involves:
- Submarines!
- A beautiful lady that Dirk raw dog bones on the beach!
- Nazis!
- Undiscovered fish!
- Casual domestic abuse and racism!
It's just a blast! I love these books!
Plot: Just as Dirk and his co-hort are arriving at a military base, a WWI bi-plane shows up and destroys everything! What follows involves:
- Submarines!
- A beautiful lady that Dirk raw dog bones on the beach!
- Nazis!
- Undiscovered fish!
- Casual domestic abuse and racism!
It's just a blast! I love these books!
March 16, 2012
2 ½ stars. Not for me, but it might be good for teen boys and adults in that kind of mood.
STORY BRIEF:
A group of scientists are looking for a fish that may exist in the Mediterranean Sea. They thought it was extinct. Someone is sabotaging things. Dirk Pitt is assigned to help them. Some bad guys are nearby doing bad things.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I enjoyed the Lee Child books about Jack Reacher, and I thought this author might be similar. Although I’ve compared Jack to a comic book hero, I find Dirk is much more of a comic book hero than Jack. Dirk is a hero adventurer whose life is often in danger, but he always survives and outwits the bad guys. I’ve now read two Dirk Pitt books. I’m done. He just doesn’t do it for me. I’m not sure why. Jack Reacher fascinates and entertains me but Dirk doesn’t. The Dirk stories feel like action-adventure movies, not the kind of depth that I normally get from books. Maybe because the characters and motivations aren’t developed enough for me? I’m not sure.
DATA:
Story length: 372 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: none. Sex scenes: one brief scene was vaguely referred to, no details. Setting: current day Mediterranean Sea, Island of Thasos, and Washington D.C. Copyright: 1973. Genre: action adventure thriller
STORY BRIEF:
A group of scientists are looking for a fish that may exist in the Mediterranean Sea. They thought it was extinct. Someone is sabotaging things. Dirk Pitt is assigned to help them. Some bad guys are nearby doing bad things.
REVIEWER’S OPINION:
I enjoyed the Lee Child books about Jack Reacher, and I thought this author might be similar. Although I’ve compared Jack to a comic book hero, I find Dirk is much more of a comic book hero than Jack. Dirk is a hero adventurer whose life is often in danger, but he always survives and outwits the bad guys. I’ve now read two Dirk Pitt books. I’m done. He just doesn’t do it for me. I’m not sure why. Jack Reacher fascinates and entertains me but Dirk doesn’t. The Dirk stories feel like action-adventure movies, not the kind of depth that I normally get from books. Maybe because the characters and motivations aren’t developed enough for me? I’m not sure.
DATA:
Story length: 372 pages. Swearing language: moderate, including religious swear words. Sexual language: none. Sex scenes: one brief scene was vaguely referred to, no details. Setting: current day Mediterranean Sea, Island of Thasos, and Washington D.C. Copyright: 1973. Genre: action adventure thriller
February 22, 2013
Clive Cussler’s The Mediterranean Caper starts out just as Major Dirk Pitt arrives on an island near Greece to investigate a series of mishaps on a science vessel looking for a rare fish. The arrival coincides with the attack of an old World War I war plane attacking an US Air Force air field. Dirk Pitt can drive the old war plane off with his own non-combat plane, but is now drawn into a strange fight seemingly about fish.
The second book in the Dirk Pitt series keeps up the story of the James Bond like hero and womanizer who lives through the strangest adventures. The amount of repetitions where the author tries to tell the reader how incredibly awesome Dirk Pitt is are vastly reduced in comparison to the first adventure, but there are still lengthy revelation scenes where Pitt explains the whole story to the Evil Overlord, showing him that he totally saw through him. Other than that, the book is a very simple and fast read, good for casual, low-brain reading.
If you don’t mind some chauvinism towards women and a rather simple but fast-paced story, you can’t go wrong here. Don’t expect high-quality literature, though.
The second book in the Dirk Pitt series keeps up the story of the James Bond like hero and womanizer who lives through the strangest adventures. The amount of repetitions where the author tries to tell the reader how incredibly awesome Dirk Pitt is are vastly reduced in comparison to the first adventure, but there are still lengthy revelation scenes where Pitt explains the whole story to the Evil Overlord, showing him that he totally saw through him. Other than that, the book is a very simple and fast read, good for casual, low-brain reading.
If you don’t mind some chauvinism towards women and a rather simple but fast-paced story, you can’t go wrong here. Don’t expect high-quality literature, though.
August 25, 2013
This was my 2nd Dirk Pitt book (Dragon was my first) that I picked up after realizing that the BF owned enough of the series that I could read it in some semblance of order. Though I know it doesn't make a huge deal of difference with these novels, I still did find it more enjoyable to start at least close to the "beginning".
These are a mix of what I like to call my "Guilty Pleasures" and something more substantial, as even though they are easy reads, they have enough accurate and new information that I do actually feel like I am increasing my knowledge base on at least a slight level. They are definitely a predicatable format (one of my favorite Goodreads Reviews summed up: Meet Bad Guy, Meet Dirk, Meet Hot Girl, Enter dangerous situation to defeat bad guy, Dirk Wins, Dirk Gets the Girl - is spot on) but they are still different enough to be enjoyable. Especially on a rainy day in January!
These are a mix of what I like to call my "Guilty Pleasures" and something more substantial, as even though they are easy reads, they have enough accurate and new information that I do actually feel like I am increasing my knowledge base on at least a slight level. They are definitely a predicatable format (one of my favorite Goodreads Reviews summed up: Meet Bad Guy, Meet Dirk, Meet Hot Girl, Enter dangerous situation to defeat bad guy, Dirk Wins, Dirk Gets the Girl - is spot on) but they are still different enough to be enjoyable. Especially on a rainy day in January!
March 15, 2021
The first "Dirk Pitt" novel by Clive Cussler. This one got the Dirk Pitt legend started. You could tell that it was one of Cussler's first novels. He was overly descriptive and some of the actions and words were typical of the late 1960s early 1970s (it was published in 1973) and date the novel. Typewriters? No cell phones or GPS? What an archaic world it was back then. The language was a little rough on the edges and it got a little melodramatic at times. Also noted that his plot line was a single thread. There were no secondary plots to follow and keep track of. They are quite common in his later works.
I'll offer two spoilers:
1) The bad guy isn't who you think he is- he's much, much worse.
2) The chauffeur drives more than just a limousine.
I am glad I finally got around to reading the book that got the Dirk Pitt legacy started.
I'll offer two spoilers:
1) The bad guy isn't who you think he is- he's much, much worse.
2) The chauffeur drives more than just a limousine.
I am glad I finally got around to reading the book that got the Dirk Pitt legacy started.
May 18, 2019
I am a big Dirk Pitt / Clive Cussler fan, so I decided to re-read his books from the beginning. I also decided to try and get an audiobook if possible.
This, being the first published Dirk Pitt novel, one had to accept that there would probably be some rough spots. This became very obvious. I didn't remember such blatant sexism and male chauvinism. Maybe that's because I was younger when I read it. I don't know.
Still, I gave it 3 stars - I love the character of Dirk Pitt and the sheer inventiveness of the villains' plots in future books is wonderful. They had to start somewhere.
This, being the first published Dirk Pitt novel, one had to accept that there would probably be some rough spots. This became very obvious. I didn't remember such blatant sexism and male chauvinism. Maybe that's because I was younger when I read it. I don't know.
Still, I gave it 3 stars - I love the character of Dirk Pitt and the sheer inventiveness of the villains' plots in future books is wonderful. They had to start somewhere.
June 23, 2013
Technically this is the 2nd Dirk Pitt adventure from Clive Cussler, but it was the first book he ever had published. As usual in a first novel, there are some rough edges.
A very James Bond type adventure featuring all the stereotypes of the genre. Big tough super smart hero, evil megalomaniac super villain, a fiendish plan and a pretty girl who the hero gets in the end. The plot would be totally implausible in real life but, for the most part, works well in this type of book.
A very James Bond type adventure featuring all the stereotypes of the genre. Big tough super smart hero, evil megalomaniac super villain, a fiendish plan and a pretty girl who the hero gets in the end. The plot would be totally implausible in real life but, for the most part, works well in this type of book.
October 17, 2018
A lazy Sunday afternoon at a U.S Air Force base on a quiet Greek island is shattered when a WWI-era German fighter attacks and then finds itself in a dogfight with a WWII-era seaplane. The Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler was the first published book featuring Dirk Pitt and started off a four decade long series of books that sold millions of books and multiple times on the bestseller list.
Dirk Pitt and his best friend Al Giordino, heading to the Greek island of Thasos on a special assignment to a NUMA vessel, fight off a WWI German fighter attacking a nearby U.S. Air Force base in a WWII-era seaplane. The next morning Dirk takes an early morning swim and meets Teri von Till, niece of a reclusive shipping magnate who lives on the island. After meeting with the NUMA vessel’s captain, Pitt goes to meet Teri’s uncle Bruno for dinner and finds out he was a German pilot in World War I with a model submarine in his study. Von Till attempts to kill Pitt with his dog, but Pitt escapes and the next day with Giordino invade von Till’s mansion and kidnap Teri only to be detained by a member of an INTERPOL drug task force. Pitt and Giordino learn that von Till is a suspected drug smuggler and are ordered by the NUMA director to aid INTERPOL in stopping a massive shipment of heroin from reaching the U.S. After boarding the suspected cargo ship with the heroin, Pitt figures out how von Till hasn’t been caught. Pitt then leads a group of scientists to look for and find a massive cave in which they find several submarines, though caught by von Till and a mole from the INTERPOL task force it’s an elaborate trap as Giordino, several INTERPOL agents, and military personnel had raided von Till’s mansion and listened in on Pitt explaining to von Till everything he had figured out including that he was actually a Nazi war criminal which von Till didn’t deny.
This is a quick pacing book and has numerous cliché elements that one would expect to find in an early 1970s adventure novel with the main character notably inspired by James Bond. While I could knock the disjointed narrative flow or the weak character development of some of the other characters given the time period it was to be expected, the biggest eyesore is Dirk Pitt himself. The term “jerk” is a cleaned up way to describe Pitt’s interacting with anyone in the book including his best friend, Al, and his way to make a woman interested in him, slapping her for still mourning her late husband. This is not the same Pitt that appears in Pacific Vortex! or later in the series and would be a definite turn off for anyone encountering the character for the first time.
The Mediterranean Caper is a quick adventure that is sometimes fun, but today has a lot of problems. Though Clive Cussler’s portrayal of Dirk Pitt has improved over the last four decades, I would not recommend this book for those either interested in reading or listening to a Dirk Pitt novel. If you have read or listened to later books then be warned this is not the same Dirk that you’ve encountered.
Dirk Pitt and his best friend Al Giordino, heading to the Greek island of Thasos on a special assignment to a NUMA vessel, fight off a WWI German fighter attacking a nearby U.S. Air Force base in a WWII-era seaplane. The next morning Dirk takes an early morning swim and meets Teri von Till, niece of a reclusive shipping magnate who lives on the island. After meeting with the NUMA vessel’s captain, Pitt goes to meet Teri’s uncle Bruno for dinner and finds out he was a German pilot in World War I with a model submarine in his study. Von Till attempts to kill Pitt with his dog, but Pitt escapes and the next day with Giordino invade von Till’s mansion and kidnap Teri only to be detained by a member of an INTERPOL drug task force. Pitt and Giordino learn that von Till is a suspected drug smuggler and are ordered by the NUMA director to aid INTERPOL in stopping a massive shipment of heroin from reaching the U.S. After boarding the suspected cargo ship with the heroin, Pitt figures out how von Till hasn’t been caught. Pitt then leads a group of scientists to look for and find a massive cave in which they find several submarines, though caught by von Till and a mole from the INTERPOL task force it’s an elaborate trap as Giordino, several INTERPOL agents, and military personnel had raided von Till’s mansion and listened in on Pitt explaining to von Till everything he had figured out including that he was actually a Nazi war criminal which von Till didn’t deny.
This is a quick pacing book and has numerous cliché elements that one would expect to find in an early 1970s adventure novel with the main character notably inspired by James Bond. While I could knock the disjointed narrative flow or the weak character development of some of the other characters given the time period it was to be expected, the biggest eyesore is Dirk Pitt himself. The term “jerk” is a cleaned up way to describe Pitt’s interacting with anyone in the book including his best friend, Al, and his way to make a woman interested in him, slapping her for still mourning her late husband. This is not the same Pitt that appears in Pacific Vortex! or later in the series and would be a definite turn off for anyone encountering the character for the first time.
The Mediterranean Caper is a quick adventure that is sometimes fun, but today has a lot of problems. Though Clive Cussler’s portrayal of Dirk Pitt has improved over the last four decades, I would not recommend this book for those either interested in reading or listening to a Dirk Pitt novel. If you have read or listened to later books then be warned this is not the same Dirk that you’ve encountered.
April 6, 2024
Read the 40th anniversary edition of this book. This is the oldest Dirk Pitt I’ve read to date as it was released in the early 1970’s. Pretty good crime mystery, but its treatment of the female character was so ludicrous throughout I wasn’t sure I would be able to continue. Cussler definitely matured in his writings over the following decades.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 974 reviews