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Dirk Pitt® #14
Flood Tide
A fabulously wealthy Chinese businessman is making a fortune smuggling Chinese immigrants. Dirk Pitt becomes suspicious and begins to track him. The trail leads him from Washington to Louisiana where the villain is building a huge shipping port - apparently in the middle of nowhere. Pitt's continuing investigation reveals that his instincts were right - he is on the tail of a master villain and not only lives are at stake. Dirk Pitt must stop him at all costs.
512 pages, Paperback
First published September 25, 1997
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 502 reviews
August 18, 2007
I keep reading Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt stories, even though they drive me up the wall. This one had ALL my Cussler pet peeves:
1.) Dirk Pitt as irresistible, life-altering stud-muffin. Example:
She was put through to his secretary, who informed her that Pitt was out on vacation and had not returned to work yet. Julia hung up the phone and settled her head into the pillows. In some odd manner she felt transformed. Here I am acting like a brazen hussy, she thought, pursuing a man I hardly know. Why, she wondered, of all the men in the world, why did someone like Dirk Pitt have to walk into my life?
Spare me.
2.) Cussler writes himself in as a minor character in the story. Example:
An older man, in what Pitt guessed was his mid-sixties, straddled a chair nearby but did not join in. He played the role of a loner, but there was a humorous and friendly gleam in his blue-green eyes. ...He watched the others as they tossed their money on the poker table as though he was a psychologist studying behavioral patterns of laboratory mice.
*sigh*
3.) Just awkward and downright poor sentence structure. Examples:
Pitt was relieved to find no bodies, nor was he surprised.
He stared disbelievingly into Pitt's face as the hunted [Pitt] approached the hunter and ["he" the bad guy] saw the muzzle of the vicious-looking shotgun aimed at his chest.
Bottles on a stand containing clear fluids flowed into him through tubes.
That last one was a huge favorite, because it implies not only that the stand contains clear fluids, but that a man has bottles flowing into him. Nice.
In short, these books are fun and interesting--they make me want to know what happens next, and they also make me wish I were a copy-editor.
1.) Dirk Pitt as irresistible, life-altering stud-muffin. Example:
She was put through to his secretary, who informed her that Pitt was out on vacation and had not returned to work yet. Julia hung up the phone and settled her head into the pillows. In some odd manner she felt transformed. Here I am acting like a brazen hussy, she thought, pursuing a man I hardly know. Why, she wondered, of all the men in the world, why did someone like Dirk Pitt have to walk into my life?
Spare me.
2.) Cussler writes himself in as a minor character in the story. Example:
An older man, in what Pitt guessed was his mid-sixties, straddled a chair nearby but did not join in. He played the role of a loner, but there was a humorous and friendly gleam in his blue-green eyes. ...He watched the others as they tossed their money on the poker table as though he was a psychologist studying behavioral patterns of laboratory mice.
*sigh*
3.) Just awkward and downright poor sentence structure. Examples:
Pitt was relieved to find no bodies, nor was he surprised.
He stared disbelievingly into Pitt's face as the hunted [Pitt] approached the hunter and ["he" the bad guy] saw the muzzle of the vicious-looking shotgun aimed at his chest.
Bottles on a stand containing clear fluids flowed into him through tubes.
That last one was a huge favorite, because it implies not only that the stand contains clear fluids, but that a man has bottles flowing into him. Nice.
In short, these books are fun and interesting--they make me want to know what happens next, and they also make me wish I were a copy-editor.
August 8, 2013
This is the second Dirk Pitt adventure I have read from Clive Cussler. The first, Raise The Titanic!, didn't impress me, but it intrigued me enough to pick up another offering from the author.
Well, after this, I doubt I'll pick up a third. Cussler's writing is downright bad, the plot of the story was so obvious I had it figured out hundreds of pages ahead of time, and the combination of invincibility, luck, wit, and charm of Dirk Pitt was laughable.
All in all it was just too much for me. The series of coincidences that took place, along with the number of deus ex machina moments made me grind my teeth. Reading this, I actually felt as if my intelligence were being insulted by Clive Cussler.
Well, after this, I doubt I'll pick up a third. Cussler's writing is downright bad, the plot of the story was so obvious I had it figured out hundreds of pages ahead of time, and the combination of invincibility, luck, wit, and charm of Dirk Pitt was laughable.
All in all it was just too much for me. The series of coincidences that took place, along with the number of deus ex machina moments made me grind my teeth. Reading this, I actually felt as if my intelligence were being insulted by Clive Cussler.
May 13, 2024
Ad Hoc Read May 2024
Well when I came to mark this as currently reading I noticed that I had never written a review for it back in 2015. Most unusual for me. So I have now added a few words down below and written a few more words here.
A fun book (aren't all Dirk Pitt novels fun ? ) in which Dirk gets shot three times, meets a beautiful INS agent under water, spends a lot of time with his best mate Al and incurs the wrath of the US government by accidentally disposing of the baddie.
Seriously , well sort of, when you need a book that fills you with enjoyment, is not too taxing and you know will end well, you can't go far wrong than Cussler.
Seemingly stuck in the throes of the house move from hell I still cannot read anything that will be remotely taxing on the little grey cells.
Read August 2015
Must've enjoyed it because I kept the book.
Well when I came to mark this as currently reading I noticed that I had never written a review for it back in 2015. Most unusual for me. So I have now added a few words down below and written a few more words here.
A fun book (aren't all Dirk Pitt novels fun ? ) in which Dirk gets shot three times, meets a beautiful INS agent under water, spends a lot of time with his best mate Al and incurs the wrath of the US government by accidentally disposing of the baddie.
Seriously , well sort of, when you need a book that fills you with enjoyment, is not too taxing and you know will end well, you can't go far wrong than Cussler.
Seemingly stuck in the throes of the house move from hell I still cannot read anything that will be remotely taxing on the little grey cells.
Read August 2015
Must've enjoyed it because I kept the book.
March 21, 2018
Dirk Pitt takes a vacation in rustic Washington state. His neighbor is a seemingly paranoid Chinese tycoon, who bought up the whole rest of the lake where Pitt is staying. Pitt starts poking around, and finds that the bottom of the lake is littered with dead bodies, disposed of by the tycoon who is smuggling people into the US.
This leads to a game of one upmanship between Pitt and the Tycoon to find a treasure ship containing all of the stuff Chiang Kai Shek smuggled out of China.
Very exciting.
This leads to a game of one upmanship between Pitt and the Tycoon to find a treasure ship containing all of the stuff Chiang Kai Shek smuggled out of China.
Very exciting.
October 6, 2023
Another great Dirk Pitt novel.
October 22, 2023
Velika poplava jako oličava rane 2000-e - knjiga je triler sa likovima i događajima koji baš tamo postoje - nadugački opisi ultramodernih spravica, tajne kancelarije ispod Bele kuće, zgodni glavni lik i njegovi debeli duhoviti drugar, koji nonšalantno bacaju forice dok spasavaju lepu koleginicu od negativaca. Prisutna je i ona specifična pomalo smešna politička korektnost ranih 2000-ih, uvek na granici da bude seksizam ili rasizam, ali ne baš. Posebno zabavno je bilo čitati scene muvanja, jer se na osnovu njih da postaviti pitanje da li je autor ikad pričao sa ženom.
U suštini, sve je to okej. Znao sam šta sam uzeo i bio sam spreman da preko raznih stvari pređem - neke su mi zapravo bile i simpatične u kontekstu žanra. Ne mogu da pređem preko toga što knjiga prosto nije bila dovoljno uzbudljiva već često i dosadna.
U suštini, sve je to okej. Znao sam šta sam uzeo i bio sam spreman da preko raznih stvari pređem - neke su mi zapravo bile i simpatične u kontekstu žanra. Ne mogu da pređem preko toga što knjiga prosto nije bila dovoljno uzbudljiva već često i dosadna.
September 21, 2019
Looking for a little rest and recreation from his last harrowing adventure, Dirk Pitt heads for an isolated cabin on a lake in Washington state. He finds little rest, though, as he stumbles upon a human trafficking operation run by an sadistic Chinese billionaire, Qin Shang. Pitt rescues an undercover INS operative, Julia Lee, from the operation and they soon find themselves and the rest of the NUMA organization trying to foul the billionaire's plan to divert the Mississippi River and give Shang control of port facilities in the Gulf Coast.
If you have read a Dirk Pitt novel, then you will certainly dive into this one and not come up for air until it's done. Shang is a worthy opponent for Pitt, and there are several diverting subplots along way, including the hunt for a ship carrying the ancient treasures if China that disappeared as the Communists were taking control in 1949. If course, the banter between Pitt and his partner, Al Giordano, is always a highlight and the courting of Pitt and Lee is handled with flair.
One interesting note is that this book introduces Captain Juan Cabrillo and his ship, the Oregon, that went on to their own series of novels later on. The Oregon's duel with a Chinese destroyer is a highlight of the book and foretell the adventures of the ship and her crew later on.
This book is another winner for Mr. Cussler and is very highly recommended by this reader.
If you have read a Dirk Pitt novel, then you will certainly dive into this one and not come up for air until it's done. Shang is a worthy opponent for Pitt, and there are several diverting subplots along way, including the hunt for a ship carrying the ancient treasures if China that disappeared as the Communists were taking control in 1949. If course, the banter between Pitt and his partner, Al Giordano, is always a highlight and the courting of Pitt and Lee is handled with flair.
One interesting note is that this book introduces Captain Juan Cabrillo and his ship, the Oregon, that went on to their own series of novels later on. The Oregon's duel with a Chinese destroyer is a highlight of the book and foretell the adventures of the ship and her crew later on.
This book is another winner for Mr. Cussler and is very highly recommended by this reader.
August 28, 2008
This book has Chinese stereotypes that make Fu Manchu look like a Nobel laureate. Read if you need something brain dead or if you enjoy "cabin in the woods" stories and don't mind a protagonist that seems physically young but who has the cultural sensitivity of a patriotic, battle-hardened seventy-something fiction author.
August 26, 2020
A ship goes down in unknown waters leaving only two survivors that know where a vast amount of Chinese heritage is located, a ship that a human trafficking Chinese businessman would do anything to find. Flood Tide is the fourteenth book of Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt with the titular character attempting to stop a human trafficking ring to the U.S. and preventing a massive economic and human disaster in Louisiana.
A ship taken by the retreating Nationalist government is loaded the national treasures of China before Mao’s Communists can get them in 1948, but before it reaches it’s destination it sinks in a violent storm with only the ship’s engineer and his girlfriend surviving on a freezing shore. In 2000 Dirk Pitt is vacationing and recovering from his injuries in Australia at Orion Lake when he realizes the cabin he borrowed has been search by the security of a Chinese businessman’s estate at the other end of the lake. Intrigued Pitt investigates only to find the mansion is a holding prison for illegal Chinese immigrants while the bottom of the lake is littered with dead bodies. Pitt saves new victims from drowning including an undercover INS agent and wrecks to the estate’s docking area before escaping down the Orion River to the Pacific from the security force. The INS raid the estate and the businessman Qin Shang begins damage control, including sending feelers to the White House and the President who he has given money to for his reelection campaign. Pitt teams up with Al Giordino to investigate a cruise ship in Hong Kong that Shang had bought and was refitting believing it’s to continue his illegal human trafficking ring, but find it empty except for automated guidance equipment that then navigates the ship across the Pacific without a crew. The pair return to the U.S. and Pitt along with the INS agent survive a car chase against Shang’s henchmen, but NUMA and the INS have a spat leading to them not working together anymore. Pitt and Giordino head to the Louisiana to investigate Shang’s shipping port that is in the middle of no where from the Mississippi when the duo figure out how his human trafficking network works in the area and again save the INS agent that Pitt keeps running into. Shang’s automated cruise ship arrives on the Mississippi River, but Pitt figured out Shang’s plan to redirect the flow of the Mississippi bypassing New Orleans and going to his out-of-the way port by blowing a levee and scuttling the cruise ship across the river. Pitt and Giordino takeover the ship and guide it into the levee’s breech to prevent a massive disaster. Shang flees to China where the Communist government will protect him while as there is battle in the U.S. between those he bribed against those who want him charged with terrorism. After learning everything to know about Shang including his search for the ship carrying his nation’s treasures, Pitt and NUMA discover the location of the wreck in Lake Michigan after talking with the survivor of the ship and his wife. NUMA, the Navy, and a Canadian salvage vessel recover everything before they leak the location into Shang’s channels. His massive ego leads Shang to arrive in Canada to border his own salvage vessel and goes down first only to find the ship empty with Pitt and Giordino springing a trap that send Shang to the bottom to die like all those at the bottom of Orion Lake. Admiral Sandecker and the head of the INS threaten the President to keep their own jobs with his own political future in the balance.
Having previously listened to the audiobook edition, I had completely forgotten about the Chinese treasure ship or Shang bribing of U.S. politicians but do remember the human trafficking and diverting the Mississippi plot points. That was because the human trafficking and Mississippi diversion plots were the good parts of the book while the other two were forgettable. Pitt comes off as superhuman given what he went through in Shock Wave while the INS agent Julia Marie Lee could have been a good character if not for becoming a multiple time damsel-in-distress character. Qin Shang could have been an interesting antagonist if not for some the trope material that Cussler saddled him especially at the end of the book. In fact, Cussler’s politics are heavy handed throughout the book and his “not-Clinton” but totally Clinton President were a little too much for my tastes.
Shock Wave is a okay book at best and felt a like downgrade in quality from Clive Cussler’s previous installments of his bestselling series. While not as bad as some of the early books in the series, this book was a disappointment given the good elements that were undermined by the bad.
A ship taken by the retreating Nationalist government is loaded the national treasures of China before Mao’s Communists can get them in 1948, but before it reaches it’s destination it sinks in a violent storm with only the ship’s engineer and his girlfriend surviving on a freezing shore. In 2000 Dirk Pitt is vacationing and recovering from his injuries in Australia at Orion Lake when he realizes the cabin he borrowed has been search by the security of a Chinese businessman’s estate at the other end of the lake. Intrigued Pitt investigates only to find the mansion is a holding prison for illegal Chinese immigrants while the bottom of the lake is littered with dead bodies. Pitt saves new victims from drowning including an undercover INS agent and wrecks to the estate’s docking area before escaping down the Orion River to the Pacific from the security force. The INS raid the estate and the businessman Qin Shang begins damage control, including sending feelers to the White House and the President who he has given money to for his reelection campaign. Pitt teams up with Al Giordino to investigate a cruise ship in Hong Kong that Shang had bought and was refitting believing it’s to continue his illegal human trafficking ring, but find it empty except for automated guidance equipment that then navigates the ship across the Pacific without a crew. The pair return to the U.S. and Pitt along with the INS agent survive a car chase against Shang’s henchmen, but NUMA and the INS have a spat leading to them not working together anymore. Pitt and Giordino head to the Louisiana to investigate Shang’s shipping port that is in the middle of no where from the Mississippi when the duo figure out how his human trafficking network works in the area and again save the INS agent that Pitt keeps running into. Shang’s automated cruise ship arrives on the Mississippi River, but Pitt figured out Shang’s plan to redirect the flow of the Mississippi bypassing New Orleans and going to his out-of-the way port by blowing a levee and scuttling the cruise ship across the river. Pitt and Giordino takeover the ship and guide it into the levee’s breech to prevent a massive disaster. Shang flees to China where the Communist government will protect him while as there is battle in the U.S. between those he bribed against those who want him charged with terrorism. After learning everything to know about Shang including his search for the ship carrying his nation’s treasures, Pitt and NUMA discover the location of the wreck in Lake Michigan after talking with the survivor of the ship and his wife. NUMA, the Navy, and a Canadian salvage vessel recover everything before they leak the location into Shang’s channels. His massive ego leads Shang to arrive in Canada to border his own salvage vessel and goes down first only to find the ship empty with Pitt and Giordino springing a trap that send Shang to the bottom to die like all those at the bottom of Orion Lake. Admiral Sandecker and the head of the INS threaten the President to keep their own jobs with his own political future in the balance.
Having previously listened to the audiobook edition, I had completely forgotten about the Chinese treasure ship or Shang bribing of U.S. politicians but do remember the human trafficking and diverting the Mississippi plot points. That was because the human trafficking and Mississippi diversion plots were the good parts of the book while the other two were forgettable. Pitt comes off as superhuman given what he went through in Shock Wave while the INS agent Julia Marie Lee could have been a good character if not for becoming a multiple time damsel-in-distress character. Qin Shang could have been an interesting antagonist if not for some the trope material that Cussler saddled him especially at the end of the book. In fact, Cussler’s politics are heavy handed throughout the book and his “not-Clinton” but totally Clinton President were a little too much for my tastes.
Shock Wave is a okay book at best and felt a like downgrade in quality from Clive Cussler’s previous installments of his bestselling series. While not as bad as some of the early books in the series, this book was a disappointment given the good elements that were undermined by the bad.
November 19, 2015
Another fun and thrilling Dirk Pitt adventure. Flood Tide has Pitt coming up against a Chinese tyrant who is selling illegal immigrants into slavery, and who is also in search of a long lost shipwreck. And we are introduced to Juan Cabrillo, who is the protagonist of the Oregon Files series, which is also written by Cussler, Cabrillo makes a cameo appearance, which I thought was pretty cool.
I realize that since I've been reading the Dirk Pitt series in order, I realize he's getting up there in age, but he just gets better with age.
I realize that since I've been reading the Dirk Pitt series in order, I realize he's getting up there in age, but he just gets better with age.
June 11, 2018
Took me a long time to get through this book. I've read most of the Dirk Pitt books by Clive Cussler, and enjoyed most of them. This one is a typical Pitt adventure, but it tends to kind of slog along in parts. Once the plot is fully realized it gets better, with Pitt and his NUMA colleagues stopping another evil madman from conquering a part of the seas and causing mayhem. Good for a beach read or when you want an adventure story, but not the best Pitt adventure for me, hence only three stars.
December 17, 2017
A great read.
Dork Pitt is up to his neck in political warfare that only he gets into. Jeopardy from Chinese billionaire and a U.S. Government filled with takers of dirty money. This novel moves from one area of the world with lightening speed. Pitt finds himself facing a formidable foe and enough red tape to the world with. A great read. 👍👍
Dork Pitt is up to his neck in political warfare that only he gets into. Jeopardy from Chinese billionaire and a U.S. Government filled with takers of dirty money. This novel moves from one area of the world with lightening speed. Pitt finds himself facing a formidable foe and enough red tape to the world with. A great read. 👍👍
July 26, 2018
Good Guys Win
Full of thrills. Great characters, even the bad ones. Unlikely tough guy is hit. Easy to read, hard to put down. The love interest is a great fit too. I'll continue the series.
Full of thrills. Great characters, even the bad ones. Unlikely tough guy is hit. Easy to read, hard to put down. The love interest is a great fit too. I'll continue the series.
June 4, 2009
I've enjoyed several of Cussler's books, but this one left a bad taste in my mouth with his semi-racist depiction of the Chinese characters in the book.
March 24, 2018
"Greatest Adventure Stories Ever"
This is the 14th novel in the Dirk Pitt series. I read this many years ago, and now I've read it again as an e-book and I loved it. Clive Cussler invites his readers to join his adventures. There are five parts to this story and each has a goal that takes you from Washington State to Louisiana. Also included is the sunken vessel which is lost with treasures from ancient China. Needless to say more, you'll enjoy the adventures in this story as only Clive Cussler can create. He's a magical author who can entertain you like no other author. Highly recommend.
This is the 14th novel in the Dirk Pitt series. I read this many years ago, and now I've read it again as an e-book and I loved it. Clive Cussler invites his readers to join his adventures. There are five parts to this story and each has a goal that takes you from Washington State to Louisiana. Also included is the sunken vessel which is lost with treasures from ancient China. Needless to say more, you'll enjoy the adventures in this story as only Clive Cussler can create. He's a magical author who can entertain you like no other author. Highly recommend.
January 14, 2020
I've never read another series where the main character is so clearly a wish-fulfillment alter-ego of the author, and then the author gets an extra (plot-important) cameo as himself. Who then is in every Dirk Pitt book - but seems to be a different version of Clive Cussler. I can only assume there is some cloning lab pumping them out somewhere.
What happens if the two them touch? Does the universe explode?
Otherwise this is dull and predictable.
Why is Dirk Pitt irresistable to all women?
Why does he not get shot dead a dozen times?
Why did I read more of this series? It was a certain amount of bile-fascination and I was stuck in a tent for three weeks with nothing else to read.
What happens if the two them touch? Does the universe explode?
Otherwise this is dull and predictable.
Why is Dirk Pitt irresistable to all women?
Why does he not get shot dead a dozen times?
Why did I read more of this series? It was a certain amount of bile-fascination and I was stuck in a tent for three weeks with nothing else to read.
April 14, 2018
Dirk Pitt at his best.
Defying death again and again Pitt continues to amaze and entertain. As an avid fan, I have read most of this series but this adventure ends in a way that, well, brought me to tears. We all know that good will win out in these adventures and NUMA will survive along with Dirk who, tough and wily as he is has a soft side that usually wins the heart of the ladies he meets along the way. Without giving anything away, this time he shows his compassionate side.....loved it!
Defying death again and again Pitt continues to amaze and entertain. As an avid fan, I have read most of this series but this adventure ends in a way that, well, brought me to tears. We all know that good will win out in these adventures and NUMA will survive along with Dirk who, tough and wily as he is has a soft side that usually wins the heart of the ladies he meets along the way. Without giving anything away, this time he shows his compassionate side.....loved it!
November 7, 2020
I’ve always enjoyed thrillers by Clive Cussler, especially when his main character is Dirk Pitt. I like how the author used a number of different action filled adventures ending with their own exciting climax in this novel. He was still able to tie them all together and let the reader know why he started with the prologue to set the stage.
Cussler has proven once more with the novel, Flood Tide, that he is the master of “Thrillers”.
Cussler has proven once more with the novel, Flood Tide, that he is the master of “Thrillers”.
July 22, 2018
Es muy del estilo de los otros que he leído de Dirk Pitt, pero aquí lo he visto más enojado, como menos controlado y más humano. El resto más o menos igual, con muchos viajes, aventuras, su historieta de amor, su historia tierna y su lado patriótico. Es que es lo que se llama "un buen chico americano", aunque sea de los que no se casan ;)
Y C. Cussler vuelve de cameo...
Y C. Cussler vuelve de cameo...
August 17, 2018
I enjoyed this read. Reality has to be suspended and once you have overcome that this turns into a ripping yarn involving a mad financial megalomaniac. Dirk is almost
an American 007 licenced to kill.
an American 007 licenced to kill.
August 18, 2017
Okay, I got bored and didn't read the last 100 pages. I think I've outgrown my liking for Dirk Pitt, sadly.
June 14, 2018
3.5 stars
A kind of weird story.
A kind of weird story.
September 3, 2008
I think I've found my Kryptonite...
June 13, 2013
Flood Tide by Clive Cussler
The book starts out by retelling the story of a boat called “The Princess Dou Wan” as it sailed through some rough seas towards Singapore in order to be scrapped. The story recounts how the only survivors of the wreck clambered into a raft and sat in it waiting for the boat to land. They raft does eventually land and the people inside climb out onto the shore. This is the last we hear from this side of the story for quite some time.
The story then transitions over to the main part of the story with Dirk Pitt coming into the picture as he is out on vacation in a friend’s cabin. After growing suspicious of the activities on the lake by the only other owner, he goes to investigate what is happening in the heavily guarded fortress of a home. The people from the other side catch him and warn him to stay away from the house. His cabin is searched while he is returning to it and this furthers his suspicions. He then calls in a favor from a friend for some dive gear. This dive gear leads him to a very gruesome discovery and while he is under the water someone very important to the story is literally dropped on top of him while he is diving and he helps rescue this person. This person turns out to play a key role in his uncovering of the truth. The events that follow lead to a very interesting and surprising conclusion.
I enjoyed this novel very much, as I have with most Clive Cussler novels. Something about the way he writes makes me enjoy the novels and the way the books draw one in really makes it something that one cannot put down easily. The way Clive Cussler writes seems to be a kind of twisty turvy kind of writing style as in each book there are usually 2-3 different main plot points that keep the reader interested. These new plots build out of the old ones and as such don’t seem out of place in the novel. This also helps to keep the reader interested as the story still follows one main plotline with strong other plots and their own twists and turns. Also the way he ties the whole story and each character’s plot lines together give the book a sort of “James Bond” feel. Being a ”James Bond” fan these books are a good way to provide a similar story and feeling while also have a slightly different writing style and new characters and plots.
Critical Review of Flood Tide
When a hero whose name never appears in print without a registered trademark symbol beside it sets out on a new adventure, readers should know what to expect: a great deal of derring-do, outlandish adventures, and fantastical scenarios. For Dirk Pitt, reality is an inconsequential construct. What matters is the U.S. National Underwater and Maritime Agency (NUMA) superheros unflagging energy, wit, strength, sex appeal, and patriotism. In this tale of a Chinese billionaire who plans to divert the mighty Mississippi in order to expand his illegal smuggling ring, find a treasure lost at sea nearly half a century ago, and, incidentally, split the U.S. into three countries controlled by China, Cusslers American version of James Bond struggles to save the day. All his trusty sidekicks are here, including Al Giordino, a regular partner in Pitts underwater adventures, and Admiral Sandecker, the NUMA commander. This time theres a beautiful Chinese American INS agent as the love interest, and a mendacious American president, too. Flood Tide is a romp that will tickle Pitt and Cusslers many fans, as well as readers new to this author who may find themselves stranded on the tarmac or tanning on Caribbean beaches. –Jane Adams.
When you pick up a book by Clive Cussler, you know what you are getting into. There will be nonstop action, some unbelievable developments, a couple of twists, maybe a little xenophobia, and of course, enough machismo to supply an Army.Flood Tide is no different. Opening with Dirk Pitt trying to get in a little fishing, and winding up saving a large number of illegal immigrants, it just gets better. This book is literally jam-packed with action and adventure as Pitt tries to stop a Chinese arch-criminal from carrying out his diabolical plan to make China the most powerful nation in the world(kind of like Dragon, only a few miles to the west). Theres an excellent sequence with the mercenary warship Oregon (now with its own spinoff series), a thrilling battle on the Mississippi river, and a search for underwater treasure. In fact, if I have a complaint about the book, its that its too sprawling. A little bit of the urgency bleeds away since Pitt and pal Giordino have time to travel the globe and do everything they must. In addition, after the huge developments in the middle of the book, the final showdown with the villain seemed a little weak. Nonetheless, for an excellent adventure novel, look no further than Flood Tide.
My Response
I feel that the review above almost exactly describes my feelings towards this book. This book has quite a few moments where it seems like an “American version of James Bond struggles to save the day” and this is true in those certain moments, there are a lot of things that differ from a James Bond story. One of the most notable differences is the fact that in this story Dirk discovers the human trafficking organization himself and makes it is own mission to uncover the secrets, whereas Bond would be given a mission from MI6. There are also differences in the way the two handle certain situations. When Dirk breaks into the mansion on the lake he handles the situation differently than Bond. Where Bond would seek out the ring leader of the organization, Dirk avoids all contact possible to keep his knowledge of their operation covert. Another good point from this review is that, when one chooses to read a novel by Cussler, they should know what they are getting into in regards to the “nonstop action, some unbelievable developments,” and “a couple of twists”. This is generally true for many Cussler novels and holds especially true in novels about Dirk Pitt. These novels are action packed and very entertaining for the reader. The one complaint I would have with this novel is also shared by the review writer in that “if I have a complaint about the book, its that its too sprawling”. This book covers massive distances with its plot and bounces all over the place with the way dirk works to uncover the trafficking ring. It is almost as if Cussler tried to fit as many different plots into a single story to make the story larger. The book somewhat James Bond-esque, however Cussler puts his own unique spin on the characters and plot lines to create an entertaining, fast-paced, outcome.
(Note; spelling and grammatical errors in quotation marks are taken as is from the author of the review and are left the way the author wrote them in the critical review section)
The book starts out by retelling the story of a boat called “The Princess Dou Wan” as it sailed through some rough seas towards Singapore in order to be scrapped. The story recounts how the only survivors of the wreck clambered into a raft and sat in it waiting for the boat to land. They raft does eventually land and the people inside climb out onto the shore. This is the last we hear from this side of the story for quite some time.
The story then transitions over to the main part of the story with Dirk Pitt coming into the picture as he is out on vacation in a friend’s cabin. After growing suspicious of the activities on the lake by the only other owner, he goes to investigate what is happening in the heavily guarded fortress of a home. The people from the other side catch him and warn him to stay away from the house. His cabin is searched while he is returning to it and this furthers his suspicions. He then calls in a favor from a friend for some dive gear. This dive gear leads him to a very gruesome discovery and while he is under the water someone very important to the story is literally dropped on top of him while he is diving and he helps rescue this person. This person turns out to play a key role in his uncovering of the truth. The events that follow lead to a very interesting and surprising conclusion.
I enjoyed this novel very much, as I have with most Clive Cussler novels. Something about the way he writes makes me enjoy the novels and the way the books draw one in really makes it something that one cannot put down easily. The way Clive Cussler writes seems to be a kind of twisty turvy kind of writing style as in each book there are usually 2-3 different main plot points that keep the reader interested. These new plots build out of the old ones and as such don’t seem out of place in the novel. This also helps to keep the reader interested as the story still follows one main plotline with strong other plots and their own twists and turns. Also the way he ties the whole story and each character’s plot lines together give the book a sort of “James Bond” feel. Being a ”James Bond” fan these books are a good way to provide a similar story and feeling while also have a slightly different writing style and new characters and plots.
Critical Review of Flood Tide
When a hero whose name never appears in print without a registered trademark symbol beside it sets out on a new adventure, readers should know what to expect: a great deal of derring-do, outlandish adventures, and fantastical scenarios. For Dirk Pitt, reality is an inconsequential construct. What matters is the U.S. National Underwater and Maritime Agency (NUMA) superheros unflagging energy, wit, strength, sex appeal, and patriotism. In this tale of a Chinese billionaire who plans to divert the mighty Mississippi in order to expand his illegal smuggling ring, find a treasure lost at sea nearly half a century ago, and, incidentally, split the U.S. into three countries controlled by China, Cusslers American version of James Bond struggles to save the day. All his trusty sidekicks are here, including Al Giordino, a regular partner in Pitts underwater adventures, and Admiral Sandecker, the NUMA commander. This time theres a beautiful Chinese American INS agent as the love interest, and a mendacious American president, too. Flood Tide is a romp that will tickle Pitt and Cusslers many fans, as well as readers new to this author who may find themselves stranded on the tarmac or tanning on Caribbean beaches. –Jane Adams.
When you pick up a book by Clive Cussler, you know what you are getting into. There will be nonstop action, some unbelievable developments, a couple of twists, maybe a little xenophobia, and of course, enough machismo to supply an Army.Flood Tide is no different. Opening with Dirk Pitt trying to get in a little fishing, and winding up saving a large number of illegal immigrants, it just gets better. This book is literally jam-packed with action and adventure as Pitt tries to stop a Chinese arch-criminal from carrying out his diabolical plan to make China the most powerful nation in the world(kind of like Dragon, only a few miles to the west). Theres an excellent sequence with the mercenary warship Oregon (now with its own spinoff series), a thrilling battle on the Mississippi river, and a search for underwater treasure. In fact, if I have a complaint about the book, its that its too sprawling. A little bit of the urgency bleeds away since Pitt and pal Giordino have time to travel the globe and do everything they must. In addition, after the huge developments in the middle of the book, the final showdown with the villain seemed a little weak. Nonetheless, for an excellent adventure novel, look no further than Flood Tide.
My Response
I feel that the review above almost exactly describes my feelings towards this book. This book has quite a few moments where it seems like an “American version of James Bond struggles to save the day” and this is true in those certain moments, there are a lot of things that differ from a James Bond story. One of the most notable differences is the fact that in this story Dirk discovers the human trafficking organization himself and makes it is own mission to uncover the secrets, whereas Bond would be given a mission from MI6. There are also differences in the way the two handle certain situations. When Dirk breaks into the mansion on the lake he handles the situation differently than Bond. Where Bond would seek out the ring leader of the organization, Dirk avoids all contact possible to keep his knowledge of their operation covert. Another good point from this review is that, when one chooses to read a novel by Cussler, they should know what they are getting into in regards to the “nonstop action, some unbelievable developments,” and “a couple of twists”. This is generally true for many Cussler novels and holds especially true in novels about Dirk Pitt. These novels are action packed and very entertaining for the reader. The one complaint I would have with this novel is also shared by the review writer in that “if I have a complaint about the book, its that its too sprawling”. This book covers massive distances with its plot and bounces all over the place with the way dirk works to uncover the trafficking ring. It is almost as if Cussler tried to fit as many different plots into a single story to make the story larger. The book somewhat James Bond-esque, however Cussler puts his own unique spin on the characters and plot lines to create an entertaining, fast-paced, outcome.
(Note; spelling and grammatical errors in quotation marks are taken as is from the author of the review and are left the way the author wrote them in the critical review section)
August 22, 2022
Clive Cussler è stato uno degli autori della mia adolescenza: a quei tempi, infatti, ho letto gran parte dei suoi romanzi, in particolare della serie di Dirk Pitt, che non nascondo essere stato la mia prima o seconda cotta libresca. Questo era quindi uno dei pochi libri della serie che mi mancava e che avevo in casa lì da recuperare.
Devo dire che nel complesso la storia mi è piaciuta, senza però avermi fatto impazzire. E i perché credo che siano proprio l’evidenza che crescendo i gusti cambiano.
Ho infatti trovato la trama nel complesso accattivante, in grado di tenermi incollata alle pagine, grazie a tutte le avventure continue che i protagonisti si trovano ad affrontare. Però il romanzo mi ha lasciato poco di più di questo: alcune battute mi hanno fatto sghignazzare a lungo, ma poi stop.
In particolare ho mal sopportato le descrizioni, che una volta mi piacevano e che trovavo estremamente interessanti, e che invece questa volta ho trovato esagerate e ridondanti: dopo un po’ basta, non ce la facevo più a leggere la descrizione minuziosa di ogni imbarcazione, aereo, macchina eccetera eccetera. Idem le similitudini: spesso le ho trovate esagerate e quasi fuori luogo, seppur sicuramente alcune davvero fantasiose.
Infine i personaggi. E qua proprio si vede come i gusti nel tempo cambino. Ho infatti poco sopportato Dirk Pitt: l’ho trovato troppo sborone ed esagerato nei suoi atteggiamenti, anche nei confronti delle donne. In particolare proprio non mi è andato giù il ruolo di giustiziere che ha deciso di assumere in questo romanzo: proprio non me lo ricordavo, anzi, sono piuttosto certa che sia un cambiamento, mal riuscito, solo di questo romanzo.
Devo dire che nel complesso la storia mi è piaciuta, senza però avermi fatto impazzire. E i perché credo che siano proprio l’evidenza che crescendo i gusti cambiano.
Ho infatti trovato la trama nel complesso accattivante, in grado di tenermi incollata alle pagine, grazie a tutte le avventure continue che i protagonisti si trovano ad affrontare. Però il romanzo mi ha lasciato poco di più di questo: alcune battute mi hanno fatto sghignazzare a lungo, ma poi stop.
In particolare ho mal sopportato le descrizioni, che una volta mi piacevano e che trovavo estremamente interessanti, e che invece questa volta ho trovato esagerate e ridondanti: dopo un po’ basta, non ce la facevo più a leggere la descrizione minuziosa di ogni imbarcazione, aereo, macchina eccetera eccetera. Idem le similitudini: spesso le ho trovate esagerate e quasi fuori luogo, seppur sicuramente alcune davvero fantasiose.
Infine i personaggi. E qua proprio si vede come i gusti nel tempo cambino. Ho infatti poco sopportato Dirk Pitt: l’ho trovato troppo sborone ed esagerato nei suoi atteggiamenti, anche nei confronti delle donne. In particolare proprio non mi è andato giù il ruolo di giustiziere che ha deciso di assumere in questo romanzo: proprio non me lo ricordavo, anzi, sono piuttosto certa che sia un cambiamento, mal riuscito, solo di questo romanzo.
August 15, 2022
4,5 sterren - Nederlandse hardcover
Geleend van de Bibliotheek. Heb de sterren in een agenda staan maar heb de verdere recensie/boekverslag nog niet gevonden.
Geleend van de Bibliotheek. Heb de sterren in een agenda staan maar heb de verdere recensie/boekverslag nog niet gevonden.
January 6, 2026
One of my favorite Dirk Pitt adventures!
May 24, 2024
A clever adventure thriller with Dirk Pitt and friends, the story illuminates some real political and economic issues while spinning a hard to put down mystery concerning human trafficking, greed, dirty politicians and those few good 'men' working to thwart them all!
February 20, 2020
Better than the last one, a "ripping good yarn" as the Brits say, but there was still way too much extraneous detail, especially when it came to things like engine size, and I couldn't help but notice the overuse of -ly words as speech tags--totally unnecessary and classic "telling" rather than "showing," making me wonder whether the publisher's copy editor was allowed to do his or her job.
September 6, 2025
There is no subject that Dirk Pit cannot turn into a page turning race to see what happens next. From China to New Orleans and up to Lake Michigan a really great book Thanks again Clive, can’t wait to read the next one
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