Atlantis Found: A Dirk Pitt Adventure (Dirk Pitt Adventures)

Atlantis Found: A Dirk Pitt Adventure (Dirk Pitt Adventures)

When a research ship manned by Dirk Pitt and members of the U.S. National Underwater and Marine Agency is nearly sunk by a vessel from the past, Pitt finds himself caught up in an ancient mystery with lethal ties to the present, matching wits with a malevolent and powerful adversary. 775,000 first printing. BOMC Main. Tour. Dirk Pitt, indestructible hero of 14 previous Clive Cussler novels and special-projects director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (which is something like the CIA of the ocean depths), makes James Bond look like a tuxedoed, martini-swilling poseur. Pitt has raised the Titanic , escaped massive volcanic eruptions, ducked nuclear explosions, foiled criminal plans for world domination, saved everyone on earth from germ warfare, and mastered the ins and outs of various electronic gizmos and futuristic vehicles while evading every imaginable form of almost certain death. (Of course, he's also wildly successful with brilliant, beautiful women, but in an admirably circumspect, sensitive-guy way.) It stands to reason Pitt's the right man to handle a crisis of millennial proportions. When mysterious black obsidian skulls and other artifacts of an exceedingly ancient culture begin to turn up in odd places, Pitt jumps in with both feet. It soon becomes dangerously apparent that a powerful, amoral group of fanatics calling itself the Fourth Empire wants the strange discoveries to remain underground. Pitt teams up with a beautiful red-haired expert in ancient languages to decipher the meaning of the artifacts. They were made 10 millennia ago in a then-temperate Antarctica by a seafaring civilization advanced enough to predict its own destruction by a comet impact. Now the Fourth Empire (whose literal and figurative progenitor comes as no surprise) is predicting a similar disaster in only a matter of months, and preparing to take control of the earth. Cussler's known for hands-on research--his hobbies are the backbone of Pitt's adventures: flying, climbing, diving, racing. The scientific and historical riffs that fill in the background of Atlantis Found are the weakest parts of the book--they're Pitt-less, and they give every discovery in the book away early. But what the heck--Cussler's not the king of suspense, he's the emperor of nonstop action. Atlantis Found bounces along on a good-humored techno-joyride, and for Cussler's legion of fans, that will be more than enough. --Barrie Trinkle YA-Once again, Cussler sends his superhero Dirk Pitt into the thickest of plots, against the odds and against human and natural forces that most mere mortals would never survive. Ancient archaeological sites are found containing relics of the advanced civilization identified as Atlantis, including a completely baffling written language. When finally deciphered, the inscriptions contain a prediction of the world's end in the next few months. At the same time, in South America, the Wolf family and its enterprises are assembling a massive clandestine operation. And, on Antarctica, a seemingly innocent scientific- research site proves to be a diabolical setup for destroying the known world. However, Dirk Pitt and his friend and partner, Al Giordino, destroy the dastardly plan. Offering one action-packed scene after another, Cussler guarantees to keep the pages turning at a rapid rate. There are plenty of technologically advanced gadgets and machines, along with secretive movements to add a thriller quality to the plot. Cussler writes himself into the story as a minor player in the mayhem, poking fun at his own writing. This book provides plenty of adventure, as well as top-rate entertainment. Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. Brilliantly conceived and boldly plotted, this 15th Dirk Pitt thriller by writer and shipwreck enthusiast Cussler is his most imaginative yet. Pitt, his associates, and Patricia O'Connell (an expert on ancient languages) here tackle a dangerous but intriguing puzzle: What ties a previously unknown and highly advanced prehistoric civilization, wiped out in a global catastrophe, to a group of murderous fanatics devoted to what they call "the Fourth Empire"? Adding to the mystery are twin 9000-year-old obsidian skulls found continents apart; ancient underground chambers with celestial maps, enigmatic inscriptions, and strange artifacts; a British Indiaman ship and its crew, trapped and frozen in ice since 1779; a Nazi U-boat still on the prowl 56 years after the end of World War II; and much more. This is a fascinating story with exotic locations, high-tech wizardry, heart-pounding suspense, the threat of a cataclysmic disaster, resourceful heroes, and an action-packed conclusionAall backed by meticulous research to make this a truly grand adventure. Highly recommended. [BOMC main selection.]ARonnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucso. -ARonnie H. Terpening, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson Copyright 1999 Reed Business I