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Oregon Files #9
Mirage
Ny nagelbitare med Juan Cabrillo, del 9 i Oregonarkiven
I oktober 1943 lämnar ett amerikanskt örlogsfartyg Philadelphias hamn, för att aldrig återvända. Ryktet säger att det försvann till följd av ett militärt experiment med elektromagnetisk strålning. Detta har länge ansetts vara en bluff, men kapten Cabrillo får anledning att tvivla. För samtidigt auktioneras ett vapen ut, som kopplas till en viss Nikola Tesla. Tesla var uppfinnare och verksam inom försvaret – var han ansvarig för experimentet? Medan Cabrillo jagar efter sanningen upptäcker han att mycket mer står på spel…
I oktober 1943 lämnar ett amerikanskt örlogsfartyg Philadelphias hamn, för att aldrig återvända. Ryktet säger att det försvann till följd av ett militärt experiment med elektromagnetisk strålning. Detta har länge ansetts vara en bluff, men kapten Cabrillo får anledning att tvivla. För samtidigt auktioneras ett vapen ut, som kopplas till en viss Nikola Tesla. Tesla var uppfinnare och verksam inom försvaret – var han ansvarig för experimentet? Medan Cabrillo jagar efter sanningen upptäcker han att mycket mer står på spel…
320 pages, Hardcover
First published November 5, 2013
792 people are currently reading
3435 people want to read
About the author
Clive Cussler
643 books8,518 followersCussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 479 reviews
February 22, 2019
Non-stop action once again in this, the 9th in the Oregon Files series by Clive Cussler. Mirage starts with Juan Cabrillo, Chairman of the Corporation and in charge of the ship Oregon, being thrown into a Russian prison in Siberia. But it was a cover to rescue his friend Yuri Borodin who’d been incarcerated for weeks on a trumped-up charge. Their mad race back to the safety of the Oregon went badly wrong – and that was the start of a dangerous mission which would see them cross paths with a rogue Admiral among others.
Technology turned into a weapon; shipwrecks; Russians and Chinese; submarines and more. Would Juan and his team of scientists and top-secret spies escape this one?
Mirage by Clive Cussler was excellent! Extreme adventure with thrills and chills; Juan Cabrillo is a great character. Highly recommended.
Technology turned into a weapon; shipwrecks; Russians and Chinese; submarines and more. Would Juan and his team of scientists and top-secret spies escape this one?
Mirage by Clive Cussler was excellent! Extreme adventure with thrills and chills; Juan Cabrillo is a great character. Highly recommended.
June 12, 2019
This adventure for Juan Cabrillo and his skillful crew - I found rather hard to follow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 4, 2013
Clive Cussler, author of the bestselling National Underwater and Marine Agency and Dirk Pitt series, created his most intriguing high seas action hero: the enigmatic captain of the Oregon, Juan Cabrillo who was introduced with the first Oregon Files series Golden Buddha in 2003.
Juan Cabrillo is Chairman of the "Corporation", a special US Government-sponsored group that operates out of a ship called the Oregon; a marvel of scientific research equipment bristling with state-of-the-art weaponry - but disguised as a heap of junk.
Cabrillo and his crew of mercenaries with a conscience are able to cross the high seas in their 'rusting' tub unmolested, seeking out those beyond the arms of the law and dealing out justice to any who would plot chaos on a global scale.
Fans of the series who have waited for almost three year since the release of the last book in the series, The Jungle (2011), will heave a sigh of relief, and gobble up this latest addition to the Oregon Files series, Mirage, which is a continuation of the extraordinary adventures of Juan Cabrillo - Golden Buddah (2003) was followed by Sacred Stone (2004), Dark Watch (2005), Skeleton Coast (2006), Plague Ship (2008), Corsair (2009), The Silent Sea (2010), and The Jungle (2011).
In Mirage, Cussler with co-author Jack Du Brul bring to the reader Juan Cabrillo on a dangerous mission to save his old friend Yuri Borodin from a maximum Siberian prison. But the mission goes horribly wrong and in the process Yuri dies. But the mention of “Tesla” by Yuri before his death takes Cabrillo in a new direction trying to unravel why a dying man would utter “Tesla.”
“Tesla” mentioned by Yuri is Nikola Tesla, a mysterious and shadowy Serbian scientist whose immense knowledge and understanding of modern science and technology could prove disastrous if it is not use for good purposes. Tesla has invented alternating-current electricity and it is also widely believed that he has also developed a number of secret weapons, including a death ray, an earthquake machine, and an invisibility field.
Dubbed the second-most corrupt man on the planet, Russian fleet admiral Pytor Kenin is a man with sinister designs. To serve his nefarious purposes he has formed a private army and is using Tesla’s secret technology to that end. When there is talk of a new weapon soon to be auctioned Cabrillo embarked on the most dangerous mission of his life and discovered that the stakes are much higher than earlier thought to be. What is Pytor Kenin up to? Will Cabrillo manage to thwart him?
Mirage is exciting, engrossing and totally enjoyable, and fans of the Oregon Files series will find the latest addition a great reading escape.
Juan Cabrillo is Chairman of the "Corporation", a special US Government-sponsored group that operates out of a ship called the Oregon; a marvel of scientific research equipment bristling with state-of-the-art weaponry - but disguised as a heap of junk.
Cabrillo and his crew of mercenaries with a conscience are able to cross the high seas in their 'rusting' tub unmolested, seeking out those beyond the arms of the law and dealing out justice to any who would plot chaos on a global scale.
Fans of the series who have waited for almost three year since the release of the last book in the series, The Jungle (2011), will heave a sigh of relief, and gobble up this latest addition to the Oregon Files series, Mirage, which is a continuation of the extraordinary adventures of Juan Cabrillo - Golden Buddah (2003) was followed by Sacred Stone (2004), Dark Watch (2005), Skeleton Coast (2006), Plague Ship (2008), Corsair (2009), The Silent Sea (2010), and The Jungle (2011).
In Mirage, Cussler with co-author Jack Du Brul bring to the reader Juan Cabrillo on a dangerous mission to save his old friend Yuri Borodin from a maximum Siberian prison. But the mission goes horribly wrong and in the process Yuri dies. But the mention of “Tesla” by Yuri before his death takes Cabrillo in a new direction trying to unravel why a dying man would utter “Tesla.”
“Tesla” mentioned by Yuri is Nikola Tesla, a mysterious and shadowy Serbian scientist whose immense knowledge and understanding of modern science and technology could prove disastrous if it is not use for good purposes. Tesla has invented alternating-current electricity and it is also widely believed that he has also developed a number of secret weapons, including a death ray, an earthquake machine, and an invisibility field.
Dubbed the second-most corrupt man on the planet, Russian fleet admiral Pytor Kenin is a man with sinister designs. To serve his nefarious purposes he has formed a private army and is using Tesla’s secret technology to that end. When there is talk of a new weapon soon to be auctioned Cabrillo embarked on the most dangerous mission of his life and discovered that the stakes are much higher than earlier thought to be. What is Pytor Kenin up to? Will Cabrillo manage to thwart him?
Mirage is exciting, engrossing and totally enjoyable, and fans of the Oregon Files series will find the latest addition a great reading escape.
November 1, 2013
Love these books. Always a lot of action. The guys and gals of the corporation are fun. Never a dull moment and they always save themselves and many others.
November 17, 2013
Mirage is the latest instalment in The Oregon Files by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul. Juan Cabrillo and his distinguished crew are back yet again for another death defying adventure on the high seas. There are explosions, narrow escapes and a mystifying new weapon, however this action packed story was not as satisfying as previous Oregon adventures. Though it doesn’t live up to its predecessors, Mirage is still good read for adventure fans.
The appeal of this story lies in its extraordinary premise. A secret ship that appears to be a dilapidated but is instead a high tech, powerfully armed weapon whose mission it is to save the world on numerous occasions. The crew are up to any challenge, whether it be acting as bodyguards or recovering weapons from enemy forces. For me personally I love reading about the clandestine affairs of the Corporation. They are the heroes of the story and just for a little while you can indulge in childhood dreams of being a spy and saving the world. This is essentially what Cabrillo and team do over and over again. No matter how far fetched the scenario these guys will do the impossible and live to tell the tale. There have many miraculous scarps and Mirage is no exception. They face death over and over only to come out on top.
Mirage is centred on unravelling the mystery behind a device built by the genius inventor Nikolai Tesla. This device is a deadly weapon that could start a war in the wrong hands. A disastrous prison break planned by Cabrillo and his crew leads to a search for the truth. The villains this time around are the Russians and the Chinese. There is no lack of action sequences. Cussler has a knack for writing great action filled with explosions and high-speed chases. In Mirage there’s a couple of shootouts, underwater missiles, breaking and entering, rescue attempts and more. Mirage focuses a lot more on the events out at sea than on land, which was a nice change of pace from previous Oregon files.
I think the reason that Mirage didn’t hold up as much for me was it’s predictably. After nine books centred around the ghost ship Oregon the general plot has remained relatively the same. Cabrillo and his crew uncover an injustice and then proceed to save the world. There was no unexpected element. Right from the beginning you can tell that the crew will be successful by the end and no bodily harm will come Cabrillo’s way. The story also focused on many different sub plots that deviated from the main narrative. All though these were fun side missions they didn’t really have any bearing on the story.
My favourite part of Mirage was reading about all of the cloak and dagger secrets that go hand in hand with the Oregon. The little details that go into planning the missions and executing them are fascinating. The mission with The Container is one hell of a story. The technology incorporated into the story is always remarkable. When it comes to characters, Juan and his crew are a well-oiled machine. Each crewmember has a distinct role and personality. I love their interactions and banter. The Oregon is a family and you can see that reflected in their relationships right from Murph and Stones antics to Juan and Max’s friendship. I also loved the little Hunger Games reference that was incorporated into the story.
Overall Mirage is a good action adventure.
This review also appears at Ink Pages & Words.
The appeal of this story lies in its extraordinary premise. A secret ship that appears to be a dilapidated but is instead a high tech, powerfully armed weapon whose mission it is to save the world on numerous occasions. The crew are up to any challenge, whether it be acting as bodyguards or recovering weapons from enemy forces. For me personally I love reading about the clandestine affairs of the Corporation. They are the heroes of the story and just for a little while you can indulge in childhood dreams of being a spy and saving the world. This is essentially what Cabrillo and team do over and over again. No matter how far fetched the scenario these guys will do the impossible and live to tell the tale. There have many miraculous scarps and Mirage is no exception. They face death over and over only to come out on top.
Mirage is centred on unravelling the mystery behind a device built by the genius inventor Nikolai Tesla. This device is a deadly weapon that could start a war in the wrong hands. A disastrous prison break planned by Cabrillo and his crew leads to a search for the truth. The villains this time around are the Russians and the Chinese. There is no lack of action sequences. Cussler has a knack for writing great action filled with explosions and high-speed chases. In Mirage there’s a couple of shootouts, underwater missiles, breaking and entering, rescue attempts and more. Mirage focuses a lot more on the events out at sea than on land, which was a nice change of pace from previous Oregon files.
I think the reason that Mirage didn’t hold up as much for me was it’s predictably. After nine books centred around the ghost ship Oregon the general plot has remained relatively the same. Cabrillo and his crew uncover an injustice and then proceed to save the world. There was no unexpected element. Right from the beginning you can tell that the crew will be successful by the end and no bodily harm will come Cabrillo’s way. The story also focused on many different sub plots that deviated from the main narrative. All though these were fun side missions they didn’t really have any bearing on the story.
My favourite part of Mirage was reading about all of the cloak and dagger secrets that go hand in hand with the Oregon. The little details that go into planning the missions and executing them are fascinating. The mission with The Container is one hell of a story. The technology incorporated into the story is always remarkable. When it comes to characters, Juan and his crew are a well-oiled machine. Each crewmember has a distinct role and personality. I love their interactions and banter. The Oregon is a family and you can see that reflected in their relationships right from Murph and Stones antics to Juan and Max’s friendship. I also loved the little Hunger Games reference that was incorporated into the story.
Overall Mirage is a good action adventure.
This review also appears at Ink Pages & Words.
November 9, 2013
Juan Cabrillo is the leader of the mysterious Corporation, a highly skilled group of people who can be hired to find out information, track someone down, pick up or deliver some goods…basically anything at a price. Cabrillo works out of the Oregon a sea-going vessel deliberately dumbed down to look much slower and older than she really is. Her slightly battered facade hides a highly efficient motor, a shedload of sophisticated and deadly weaponry and an even more highly efficient state of the art technical hub and quarters for its crew, the employees of the Corporation. There’s nothing they can’t find out and their exclusive contracts take them all over the world, flying the Oregon’s different colours to throw more people off the scent of what she really is and is doing.
When Cabrillo goes undercover at a notorious Siberian prison, it is to break out an acquaintance, Yuri Borodin although things go awry in their attempt to make it back to the Oregon. Yuri gives Cabrillo a few cryptic remarks including “Tesla” which immediately intrigue Cabrillo. He wonders why anyone would utter the name of a long dead Serbian scientist given he was so overshadowed by others even though he is responsible for some of the most important discoveries and inventions in the modern era. Cabrillo sets his highly skilled team onto finding out why Borodin wanted to talk about Tesla and the results turn out to be potentially very damaging for a lot of people including probably most of the Western world.
The Philadelphia Experiment took place in 1943 and rumours were that a ship was cloaked to remain entirely invisible to enemies. Someone has resurrected this technology and is using it today and Cabrillo immediately grasps what this could mean in terms of modern day warfare. He takes it upon himself to track down the man who has the technology before it fall into even more unsavoury hands and starts a WW3 disaster. It’s hard to fight an enemy you can’t see and has something that can blast you right out of the water before you can even load your guns. But Cabrillo has his ways and so do the rest of the crew of the Oregon and with her formidable assets they just might be able to win.
Mirage is the ninth book in the Oregon Files series revolving around the mysterious Corporation and its enigmatic leader, Juan Cabrillo a man of many talents. This is the first book I’ve read in this series but I have some experience with some other Clive Cussler series’ and most of them you can read as stand alone no problem and this one is no exception. It’s also not the first Clive Cussler book I’ve read that revolves around some of the more rumoured work/discovery/inventions of Nikola Tesla and this one also incorporates the Philadelphia Experiment which is sort of considered a hoax as it defies most rules of physics. Either way there is no confirmation of said experiment but the rumours do give rise to a lot of potential in terms of fiction, something Cussler and Du Brul have worked well with here.
All of Cussler’s heroes are quite skilled Alpha males usually with some form of military or government background and Cabrillo is no exception but he is set apart in away by the loss of his leg which he has turned into an asset by having a large array of prosthetic legs which conceal weapons, items etc that are custom designed and serve individual purposes. He seems rougher, more proactive than the others I’ve encountered and has a large team around him that all perform a purpose and function to make the Corporation the formidable unit it is. I think of all the Cussler protagonists I’ve read, Cabrillo is the most interesting.
I loved the setting of this novel, which begins in Russia and then for the most part is spent aboard the Oregon or one of its vehicles in residence: a submersible, a helicopter, etc a brief foray into Uzbekistan and then finishes up in China. The beauty of having a ship as the setting gives the characters a lot of freedom to move around, including places they really have no business being, simply by changing the name of the ship and the colours she flies. There’s so much action, a lot of it revolving around the Oregon and her deceptive appearance. These sorts of books appeal to me because I have always loved the idea of working as a spy or for a secret organisation that get things done. The Corporation is definitely such an organisation and it seems like a very fun company to work for (if you ignore the fact that you’re nearly always in danger of being killed).
Mirage has all of the action and adventure you could want but there’s also a bit of thinking that has gone into it too with the physics and the experiments. It may not all be plausible (and I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit of a science dunce so a lot of it went over my head) but it doesn’t matter because the book convinces you that it almost could be and you can imagine what would happen if it were possible and that various governments or groups had this sort of technology and could perform such stealth attacks on other ships and even on war planes in the air. This novel is a wild ride from start to finish that keeps you turning the pages and makes me wish I had the time to go back and read the previous 8 Oregon Files books right away instead of putting them on my ginormous TBR because I enjoyed this one so much! I want to know more about Cabrillo and the men and women that make up his team.
When Cabrillo goes undercover at a notorious Siberian prison, it is to break out an acquaintance, Yuri Borodin although things go awry in their attempt to make it back to the Oregon. Yuri gives Cabrillo a few cryptic remarks including “Tesla” which immediately intrigue Cabrillo. He wonders why anyone would utter the name of a long dead Serbian scientist given he was so overshadowed by others even though he is responsible for some of the most important discoveries and inventions in the modern era. Cabrillo sets his highly skilled team onto finding out why Borodin wanted to talk about Tesla and the results turn out to be potentially very damaging for a lot of people including probably most of the Western world.
The Philadelphia Experiment took place in 1943 and rumours were that a ship was cloaked to remain entirely invisible to enemies. Someone has resurrected this technology and is using it today and Cabrillo immediately grasps what this could mean in terms of modern day warfare. He takes it upon himself to track down the man who has the technology before it fall into even more unsavoury hands and starts a WW3 disaster. It’s hard to fight an enemy you can’t see and has something that can blast you right out of the water before you can even load your guns. But Cabrillo has his ways and so do the rest of the crew of the Oregon and with her formidable assets they just might be able to win.
Mirage is the ninth book in the Oregon Files series revolving around the mysterious Corporation and its enigmatic leader, Juan Cabrillo a man of many talents. This is the first book I’ve read in this series but I have some experience with some other Clive Cussler series’ and most of them you can read as stand alone no problem and this one is no exception. It’s also not the first Clive Cussler book I’ve read that revolves around some of the more rumoured work/discovery/inventions of Nikola Tesla and this one also incorporates the Philadelphia Experiment which is sort of considered a hoax as it defies most rules of physics. Either way there is no confirmation of said experiment but the rumours do give rise to a lot of potential in terms of fiction, something Cussler and Du Brul have worked well with here.
All of Cussler’s heroes are quite skilled Alpha males usually with some form of military or government background and Cabrillo is no exception but he is set apart in away by the loss of his leg which he has turned into an asset by having a large array of prosthetic legs which conceal weapons, items etc that are custom designed and serve individual purposes. He seems rougher, more proactive than the others I’ve encountered and has a large team around him that all perform a purpose and function to make the Corporation the formidable unit it is. I think of all the Cussler protagonists I’ve read, Cabrillo is the most interesting.
I loved the setting of this novel, which begins in Russia and then for the most part is spent aboard the Oregon or one of its vehicles in residence: a submersible, a helicopter, etc a brief foray into Uzbekistan and then finishes up in China. The beauty of having a ship as the setting gives the characters a lot of freedom to move around, including places they really have no business being, simply by changing the name of the ship and the colours she flies. There’s so much action, a lot of it revolving around the Oregon and her deceptive appearance. These sorts of books appeal to me because I have always loved the idea of working as a spy or for a secret organisation that get things done. The Corporation is definitely such an organisation and it seems like a very fun company to work for (if you ignore the fact that you’re nearly always in danger of being killed).
Mirage has all of the action and adventure you could want but there’s also a bit of thinking that has gone into it too with the physics and the experiments. It may not all be plausible (and I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit of a science dunce so a lot of it went over my head) but it doesn’t matter because the book convinces you that it almost could be and you can imagine what would happen if it were possible and that various governments or groups had this sort of technology and could perform such stealth attacks on other ships and even on war planes in the air. This novel is a wild ride from start to finish that keeps you turning the pages and makes me wish I had the time to go back and read the previous 8 Oregon Files books right away instead of putting them on my ginormous TBR because I enjoyed this one so much! I want to know more about Cabrillo and the men and women that make up his team.
March 11, 2018
The Oregon Files is an extraordinary series that will appeal to fans of adventure, intrigue, mystery, with a dash of the scientific and a good dose of history. Anyone that has read about any of Tesla's experimenter will soon be caught up in the mystery of how a 1940's ship ended up in the now dry sea bed of Aral Sea in Uzbekistan. The characters are like likable and the reader will soon come to regard them as family....okay...a family with a punch.
July 20, 2018
Pretty good action adventure; very much true to the Cussler tradition of Bond-movie formulaic action with a high-tech easter-egg and nautical theme.
This gave me a few more "suspend your belief here" moments than usual. The military participants were all poorly-researched, poorly-developed caricatures of the real thing, and the tech had a McGuffin-esque ability to work perfectly (unless it needed to fail) and change capability.
Ultimate Reading Challenge #11, book with a one-word title.
½ of SRC 2018 Summer 30.1-4 all author initials in NUTCRACKER. (Haven't figured out the other half yet!)
This gave me a few more "suspend your belief here" moments than usual. The military participants were all poorly-researched, poorly-developed caricatures of the real thing, and the tech had a McGuffin-esque ability to work perfectly (unless it needed to fail) and change capability.
Ultimate Reading Challenge #11, book with a one-word title.
½ of SRC 2018 Summer 30.1-4 all author initials in NUTCRACKER. (Haven't figured out the other half yet!)
March 20, 2017
Well, this book was typical Cussler. Fast-paced, unreal characters with access to money and toys, and of course the ever present bad guy. It wasn't his best, but was an easy read. I appreciate the books about the Oregon as there are multiple characters all with different quirks. I could have done without the strange little aside in the middle of the book where they rescued a billion dollars for the U.S. government, it was a waste of space. Also, seriously Cussler needs to work with the editors more, he referenced lidar early in the book, but then didn't actually explain what it is (for the layman) until 150 pages later. The constant mention of name brand items leaves me to think Cussler gets a bit of a kick back and the overuse of descriptions are unnecessary, example - "He still had grit from Uzbekistan under his nails. He dressed in charcoal slacks with a striped button-down shirt and custom made shoes from Otabo. He had time to enjoy a Cobb salad in the dining room, surrounded by overstuffed leather furniture and a gentlemen's club's cozy atmosphere, before heading to the Oregon's boardroom for a status meeting with his senior staff" (snort). Maybe Cussler does this as a sort of mirage to get us to forget there isn't much plot.
January 25, 2014
As always, Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul deliver nonstop, full on action with core characters I care about. The crew of the Oregon is family (as stated at the end) and while they are mercenaries, they are honorable men and women who choose jobs with a conscience.
I never want to give away a book's plot or twists because those are the parts I like the best. I will say that if you like history, science and intrigue woven through your thriller/adventure, this is right series. Cussler and Du Brul created a killer stew filled with Cold War Russia, Tesla theory and current events and finished it off with a stiff shot of action filled rescues.
This book was released some time ago and I bought it right away (hardcover from CostCo, because there are just some authors I collect), it is only now that I take a break from writing to read. So good I read it in less than 24 hours (had to sleep sometime) and so sad when I turned the last page.
I never want to give away a book's plot or twists because those are the parts I like the best. I will say that if you like history, science and intrigue woven through your thriller/adventure, this is right series. Cussler and Du Brul created a killer stew filled with Cold War Russia, Tesla theory and current events and finished it off with a stiff shot of action filled rescues.
This book was released some time ago and I bought it right away (hardcover from CostCo, because there are just some authors I collect), it is only now that I take a break from writing to read. So good I read it in less than 24 hours (had to sleep sometime) and so sad when I turned the last page.
November 20, 2013
Of the many series that Clive Cussler writes the "Oregon Series" staring Chairman Juan Cabrillo of the super spy ship the "Oregon" are by far my favorite. I have read all nine in the series. The non stop action, suspense,and daring escapes that I have come to expect are found in abundance in this latest effort. Cussler combines actual history with science fiction to provide the canvas for these action packed adventures. Let's face it; we always know that Juan and his crew will survive the many perils they face and save the world while at it. None the less I was biting my nails from start to finish. Fans of the "Oregon" series will not be disappointed. If this series is new to you and you like sea faring action and adventure do yourself a favor and read one of these novels. BTW -my rating is 3.5 stars out of 5.
November 23, 2013
I’ve probably read dozens of Clive Cussler books. After a while, each of his various series becomes repetitive – same stuff, different location. (I have stopped reading Dirk Pitt and Isaac Bell novels.)
However, I look forward to Cussler’s “Oregon files” books – and enjoy the work of his coauthor, Jack Du Brul. (Du Brul also writes with Tom Clancy.)
The “Corporation" and Captain Juan Cabrillo are back! The plot doesn’t matter. I enjoy the characters…a bunch of SEAL-type mercenaries with a conscience. They work for big bucks and travel around in junking-looking tramp steamer that’s actually a luxurious warship. It’s just fun stuff.
There’s no doubt that this is simply “beach reading” (like a “bubble gum” movie), not great literature. Nevertheless, Cussler and Du Brul do a good job. I can’t wait for the next installment.
However, I look forward to Cussler’s “Oregon files” books – and enjoy the work of his coauthor, Jack Du Brul. (Du Brul also writes with Tom Clancy.)
The “Corporation" and Captain Juan Cabrillo are back! The plot doesn’t matter. I enjoy the characters…a bunch of SEAL-type mercenaries with a conscience. They work for big bucks and travel around in junking-looking tramp steamer that’s actually a luxurious warship. It’s just fun stuff.
There’s no doubt that this is simply “beach reading” (like a “bubble gum” movie), not great literature. Nevertheless, Cussler and Du Brul do a good job. I can’t wait for the next installment.
December 27, 2013
Decent, typical plot line for a Cussler novel, but a serious deviation in the Oregon Files. This time it's personal, so Cabrillo acts like a one-man band in this one. The support from the rest of the Corporation receives short shrift, and I was truly disappointed. The feel of a collective effort was nonexistent and, though a good read, this wasn't the usual writing that makes a Cussler novel hard to put down. That, and the ending is among the worst contrived in any of Cussler's oeuvre. Very unsatisfying.
March 26, 2020
This story is an interesting take off of an interesting person. I enjoyed this book.
July 3, 2014
One of the better Clive Cussler & Co books I have read of late. It was great to catch up with Joe Cabrillo and The Corporation for another one of their bonecrunching adventures.
August 8, 2017
Juan Cabrillo and the corporation come through again. This book is the one he loses his leg. It also has a great deal about Tesla technology for the techies to read. An interesting and entertaining read.
October 15, 2021
Tesla on the high seas cloaking devices and magnetism. Russia and China as foes. Gobs of money to create the latest military weapon. Hope it is not true
October 14, 2023
Action packed
January 22, 2021
Another great adventure of Juan Carrillo and the crew of the Oregon. This kind of makes me want to read a little bit about Nikolai Tesla
October 29, 2014
This is book number 9 in the Oregon series. In this story we start out in Siberia with Cabrillo attempting to rescue a Russian Admiral Yuri Borodin from prison. Yuri is a friend of Cabrillo. Our protagonist Juan Cabrillo is handicapped with only one leg. But his leg prosthetics comes loaded with an array of weapons. His ship the Oregon is made to look like a derelict freighter but is really a high tech ship loaded with lots of fancy and exciting weapons, copters, boats and other secret toys.
One of my favorite scientists is discussed in this story, Nikola Tesla. Apparently Tesla has invented an optical cloaking device and it was being tested on Westinghouse’s yacht. The book is non- stop action adventure. It is slam bang action on sea and land with lots of secret weapons. As with all Cussler books there is some history and it this book some science tossed into the story. I usually find the history part of the story most interesting.
Cussler’s books make a good escape read that holds the attention from page to page. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Scott Brick does his usual great job narrating the book.
One of my favorite scientists is discussed in this story, Nikola Tesla. Apparently Tesla has invented an optical cloaking device and it was being tested on Westinghouse’s yacht. The book is non- stop action adventure. It is slam bang action on sea and land with lots of secret weapons. As with all Cussler books there is some history and it this book some science tossed into the story. I usually find the history part of the story most interesting.
Cussler’s books make a good escape read that holds the attention from page to page. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Scott Brick does his usual great job narrating the book.
January 6, 2014
This was an amazing book. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time with a good sense of realism. It wasn't too far out there for me to not want to keep reading. It went into pretty good detail to describe the things that it had in the book. Anywhere from weapons and injuries to boats and clothing. It also gave a little bit of conspiracy to get you thinking. It has constant surprises that blow your mind. The hero isn't invincible either. He gets injured and needs help. It isn't just some invincible guy going around the world solving problems. It is a mercenary that does things for the greater good with the rest of the organization. This book also gets you right into the action and gives you just enough information to keep you guessing and to point you in the right direction with your thought process and then it gives you an amazing answer to mysteries. The book was great. I loved it. You should read it for yourself so you can enjoy it too. Clive Cussler does great in his books. The ones I have read by him are great. I highly recommend his novels.
February 2, 2014
Another solid Oregon Files hit. Tons of action and adventure and interesting characters made for a fun ride. The Oregon File books have been Cussler favorite's of mine since Juan Cabrillo and his crew were first introduced and I've remained a fan even after I drifted away from his Pitt, Austin and Bell characters. And while I really liked this book I am only giving it 4 stars because of the way the authors drifted off topic about half way thru. I loved the side story but failed to really connect it to the rest of the book except perhaps as a way to kill some time and fill pages. All in all, lots of excitement and thrills along with a love able cast of characters made for a fun read. Do you think they could use another crew member 'cause I'm game!
December 3, 2014
After listening to Fargo audio adventures, I thought my expectations for Cussler's books were set adequately low, yet still this one managed to disappoint. Apparently this is number nine is series, didn't matter, it worked as a stand alone, it just didn't really work overall. Fargo series is made tolerable by history, this barely had any, intriguing beginning, but then pretty much nonstop maritime (and otherwise)action. I probably wouldn't even want to watch it as a movie, definitely don't want it in a book. Scott Brick's reading is as solid as ever, but even he can't save this explosion happy plot thin blandness. I don't expect too much from audio books, some noise, some distraction, some diversion, but this one just didn't keep my attention or interest at all really.
February 26, 2014
I didn’t feel like Mirage was one of Clive Cussler’s best books. I thought it fell short of his normal outstanding quality; however, it was still an ok read. It had a good plot, but almost everything in the book happened to Juan Cabrillo. Don’t get me wrong, Juan is great, but this was just a little too much going here and there throughout the read. Sure hope his books get better instead of like this one since I normally enjoy them so much.
November 7, 2013
Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon take on a Russian Military Officer who is operating outside the government. Typical Cussler fare with loads of action as the Oregon crew work on several tasks one of which putts them all in danger from their opponents. As usual the back story includes a secret device from the files of Nicola Telsa that the Russian s built and sold to the Chinese.
August 10, 2016
Juan Cabrillo and Company go all over the world chasing a stealth boat.
They get on the track, when after attempting to rescue a friend of Juan's, the friend dies, and his last words are "eerie boat."
Good stuff, but not especially memorable.
They get on the track, when after attempting to rescue a friend of Juan's, the friend dies, and his last words are "eerie boat."
Good stuff, but not especially memorable.
May 17, 2021
3.8
Another good read by Clive Cussler. Been a while since I read a book from The Oregon Files but always really liked them. Mirage is as you'd expect, fast paced and full of action.
Once again, great holiday read.
Another good read by Clive Cussler. Been a while since I read a book from The Oregon Files but always really liked them. Mirage is as you'd expect, fast paced and full of action.
Once again, great holiday read.
December 11, 2013
A very enjoyable action packed advemture from Clive Cussler.
November 23, 2013
Another great Oregon Files story always enjoyable
January 29, 2014
Mirage
Mirage was written by Clive Cussler along with Jack Du Brul in 2013. Mirage is a work of fiction that was published by the Penguin Group. Mirage is about a high tech boat that is run my mercenaries that are out to save the world from a retired American businessman who is selling technology to the Chinese.
The book starts off on a boat off the coast of the United States that experiences an unusual phenomenon. A blue light appears on the horizon and slowly blankets the entire sky. All the metal objects on the boat are stuck to the metal deck. Then as soon as it started it was done and the boat continues in its heading. Many years latter off the coast of Russia, Juan Cabrillo is placed in a high max prison in the Russian tundra. His only goal is to help a friend of his escape from solitary confinement. The mission went with out a hitch until his friend was shot and died before reaching the boat. Before his friend died he told Juan the name of the guy that put him in prison on a faulty charge and something about a sea and Nicola Tesla “Aral. The words dribbled from his lips. The Aral Sea? Juan asked. What about it?”(41) Juan then went to the Aral Sea where his friends family lived. After talking to his family Juan found out that Yuri, Juans friend was studying a boat in the now dried up sea. While studying the ship in what was once ocean and now is a desert. Juan and his guide came under attack. His guide was shot and killed and Juan was pinned down in the sunken boat by sniper fire. Juan made a brake for the car where an AK- 47 was sitting on the passenger seat. Juan shot the assassin just as the ship he was in blew up. Juan returns to the ship having learned nothing. After much research Juan learned that the boat was owned my a friend of Nicola Tesla. Juan also learned that their was another boat that was sunk out in the Atlantic that was also one of Nicola Tesla creation. Juan and his team dove down to the sunken boat and found and odd contraption on the boat. While Juan was down at the sunken ship a Russian attack submarine launched two torpedoes at the sunken boat so Juan couldn’t gain any technology. Juan barely escaped from the wreck before it blew up. Juans ship launched two of its own torpedoes that sunk the submarine. The Russians stole some of the technology off the boat and built on invisible ship that bent light around it so you couldn’t see it. They then sold one of the two ships to the Chinese who were in a battle with china over resources. Juans boat blew one of the boats up when it attacked them and the other they blew up before it sunk an American aircraft carrier.
The plot of the book is set up so it is easy to identify the different sections of the plot. The introduction occurs when in 1901 a ship is over come with an “eerie blue glow that clung to the horizon and blotted out the dying rays of the setting sun” (viii). The rising action occurs when Juan is placed in a super max prison and helps a friend of his escape. During the escape attempt his friend gets shot and tells Juan about something he was studying that got him put in prison. The rising action continuous when Juan discovers what his friend was studying and almost dies when a sniper up in the hills opened up on them killing his guide but Juan made it back to the car just in time for the boat he was just standing on to blow up erasing what ever his friend was studying. The conflict occurs when Juan’s boat blows the first invisible ship out of the water with one of the guns mounted on the front of their ship. The climax occurs when Juan blows the other invisible ship up before it could sink a United States aircraft carrier. The falling action occurs when Juan and his team sneak in and kill the guy that is responsible for building the invisible ships and take the technology that allowed him to build the two ships and then they gave it to the United States. The conclusion occurs when Juan and his team get paid for their work by the United States government and they get two week vacation from the ship.
The characters in this book are all round because they all change at one point in the story. Juan is the main character and he changed after watching his friend die after he risked his own life to help save him. “He’d failed. It didn’t matter that he busted Yuri out of prison and got him to within a mile of the Oregon. Juan blew out another long breath” (44). After this Juan did everything he could to help the family of his friend since he felt like it was his fault that Yuri died. By the end of the story Juan felt like he avenged Yuri’s death after discovering and destroying what got Yuri thrown in jail for.
One of the themes for mirage is the risk worth the reward? When they were going after the second invisible ship the United States government thought that they were an enemy ship and sent two fight jets to sink the Oregon. The planes shot at the boat but the rounds didn’t pierce the armored hull of the ship. And then the Oregon hit the invisible wave that the enemy ship used to hid it self. Once the Oregon righted it self after hitting the wave and being drove down into the ocean almost sinking the ship. “the Oregon pitched so far forward that her drive tubes came free from the ocean, and two great columns of water were shot into the air like massive fire hoses blasting with everything they had. Another couple of degrees and the Oregon would be driven under with no hope of ever recovering.”(392) once they were inside of the invisible force field the planes couldn’t see the Oregon any longer. The Oregon now could see the invisible ship and they blew it out of the water saving the American navy. They almost destroyed the Oregon and almost killed the entire crew in blowing up the enemy ship. Was it worth almost dyeing to stop the enemy from sinking and an American aircraft carrier?
Clive Cussler grew up in Alhambra, California were he later attended Pasadena City College for two years but he never completed college because he enlisted in the air force during the Korean War. Clive Cussler begin writing in 1965 and published his first novel in 1973(the Mediterranean Caper) with the main character Dirk Pit and Al Gordino. Clive Cussler has written many novels with these two main characters. Clive Cussler founded NUMA (National Underwater & Marine Agency) that searches for lost ships and donates their finding to museums and are a non profit organization. “She was narrow at the beam. She had a good amount of foredeck, which was surprising for a fishing boat since all the work took place on the stern, and her super structure looked more befitting of a yacht then a commercial vessel.” (90) Cussler used his great knowledge about the ocean and boats and he shows that in his writing making it very interesting to read.
http://clive-cussler-books.com/
Once I got thought the prologue I was sucked into the book. Every chance I got in every class I read as much as I could and finished the 400 page book in 3 days only reading at school. Clive Cussler used his knowledge of the seas and ships and includes all of that vocabulary into his writing showing that he is very knowledgeable about what he is writing about. “She had the remains of an a frame crane over her rear deck and a sloping stern that would of allowed her to deploy and then reship her nets. The bridge was a glassless cube hunched over the bows, the open window frames like mouths caught in a terrible scream”. (89) I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about adventure or anything about the ocean.
Mirage was written by Clive Cussler along with Jack Du Brul in 2013. Mirage is a work of fiction that was published by the Penguin Group. Mirage is about a high tech boat that is run my mercenaries that are out to save the world from a retired American businessman who is selling technology to the Chinese.
The book starts off on a boat off the coast of the United States that experiences an unusual phenomenon. A blue light appears on the horizon and slowly blankets the entire sky. All the metal objects on the boat are stuck to the metal deck. Then as soon as it started it was done and the boat continues in its heading. Many years latter off the coast of Russia, Juan Cabrillo is placed in a high max prison in the Russian tundra. His only goal is to help a friend of his escape from solitary confinement. The mission went with out a hitch until his friend was shot and died before reaching the boat. Before his friend died he told Juan the name of the guy that put him in prison on a faulty charge and something about a sea and Nicola Tesla “Aral. The words dribbled from his lips. The Aral Sea? Juan asked. What about it?”(41) Juan then went to the Aral Sea where his friends family lived. After talking to his family Juan found out that Yuri, Juans friend was studying a boat in the now dried up sea. While studying the ship in what was once ocean and now is a desert. Juan and his guide came under attack. His guide was shot and killed and Juan was pinned down in the sunken boat by sniper fire. Juan made a brake for the car where an AK- 47 was sitting on the passenger seat. Juan shot the assassin just as the ship he was in blew up. Juan returns to the ship having learned nothing. After much research Juan learned that the boat was owned my a friend of Nicola Tesla. Juan also learned that their was another boat that was sunk out in the Atlantic that was also one of Nicola Tesla creation. Juan and his team dove down to the sunken boat and found and odd contraption on the boat. While Juan was down at the sunken ship a Russian attack submarine launched two torpedoes at the sunken boat so Juan couldn’t gain any technology. Juan barely escaped from the wreck before it blew up. Juans ship launched two of its own torpedoes that sunk the submarine. The Russians stole some of the technology off the boat and built on invisible ship that bent light around it so you couldn’t see it. They then sold one of the two ships to the Chinese who were in a battle with china over resources. Juans boat blew one of the boats up when it attacked them and the other they blew up before it sunk an American aircraft carrier.
The plot of the book is set up so it is easy to identify the different sections of the plot. The introduction occurs when in 1901 a ship is over come with an “eerie blue glow that clung to the horizon and blotted out the dying rays of the setting sun” (viii). The rising action occurs when Juan is placed in a super max prison and helps a friend of his escape. During the escape attempt his friend gets shot and tells Juan about something he was studying that got him put in prison. The rising action continuous when Juan discovers what his friend was studying and almost dies when a sniper up in the hills opened up on them killing his guide but Juan made it back to the car just in time for the boat he was just standing on to blow up erasing what ever his friend was studying. The conflict occurs when Juan’s boat blows the first invisible ship out of the water with one of the guns mounted on the front of their ship. The climax occurs when Juan blows the other invisible ship up before it could sink a United States aircraft carrier. The falling action occurs when Juan and his team sneak in and kill the guy that is responsible for building the invisible ships and take the technology that allowed him to build the two ships and then they gave it to the United States. The conclusion occurs when Juan and his team get paid for their work by the United States government and they get two week vacation from the ship.
The characters in this book are all round because they all change at one point in the story. Juan is the main character and he changed after watching his friend die after he risked his own life to help save him. “He’d failed. It didn’t matter that he busted Yuri out of prison and got him to within a mile of the Oregon. Juan blew out another long breath” (44). After this Juan did everything he could to help the family of his friend since he felt like it was his fault that Yuri died. By the end of the story Juan felt like he avenged Yuri’s death after discovering and destroying what got Yuri thrown in jail for.
One of the themes for mirage is the risk worth the reward? When they were going after the second invisible ship the United States government thought that they were an enemy ship and sent two fight jets to sink the Oregon. The planes shot at the boat but the rounds didn’t pierce the armored hull of the ship. And then the Oregon hit the invisible wave that the enemy ship used to hid it self. Once the Oregon righted it self after hitting the wave and being drove down into the ocean almost sinking the ship. “the Oregon pitched so far forward that her drive tubes came free from the ocean, and two great columns of water were shot into the air like massive fire hoses blasting with everything they had. Another couple of degrees and the Oregon would be driven under with no hope of ever recovering.”(392) once they were inside of the invisible force field the planes couldn’t see the Oregon any longer. The Oregon now could see the invisible ship and they blew it out of the water saving the American navy. They almost destroyed the Oregon and almost killed the entire crew in blowing up the enemy ship. Was it worth almost dyeing to stop the enemy from sinking and an American aircraft carrier?
Clive Cussler grew up in Alhambra, California were he later attended Pasadena City College for two years but he never completed college because he enlisted in the air force during the Korean War. Clive Cussler begin writing in 1965 and published his first novel in 1973(the Mediterranean Caper) with the main character Dirk Pit and Al Gordino. Clive Cussler has written many novels with these two main characters. Clive Cussler founded NUMA (National Underwater & Marine Agency) that searches for lost ships and donates their finding to museums and are a non profit organization. “She was narrow at the beam. She had a good amount of foredeck, which was surprising for a fishing boat since all the work took place on the stern, and her super structure looked more befitting of a yacht then a commercial vessel.” (90) Cussler used his great knowledge about the ocean and boats and he shows that in his writing making it very interesting to read.
http://clive-cussler-books.com/
Once I got thought the prologue I was sucked into the book. Every chance I got in every class I read as much as I could and finished the 400 page book in 3 days only reading at school. Clive Cussler used his knowledge of the seas and ships and includes all of that vocabulary into his writing showing that he is very knowledgeable about what he is writing about. “She had the remains of an a frame crane over her rear deck and a sloping stern that would of allowed her to deploy and then reship her nets. The bridge was a glassless cube hunched over the bows, the open window frames like mouths caught in a terrible scream”. (89) I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to read about adventure or anything about the ocean.
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