Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler, Black Wind

Having been an avid reader of Clive Cussler books for many years I feel I must protest at the above author having his name in bold letters on the top of the book and with a lesser name beneath. Regarding the appending of the name "Dirk Cussler" is FRAUD! From the outset it was plain to see that the above title was not written by Clive himself but by his son. The whole thing was a disaster, most pages were full of faulty syntax and hopless descriptions, altogether a mess. Papently NOT genuine Clive Cussler. I managed about 50 pages before discarding the book to the bin. I now refuse to buy any title having With??????? This practise should CEASE forthwith.

Much like all of Mr. Cussler's books, Black Wind has a complicated, if unbelievable plot, but so what, that is part and parcel of his style and success. I would recommend any of his books, as they are all so unputdownable, and I have been late for work once stuck into Treasure until 3.00am. His style of writing never has you saying "please hurry up with the story", and it is always a disappointment to me when I have finished; much like a bottle of Miller when it is the last one and you are dying for more of the same. Start reading his early work also, if you can get hold of them as they are getting harder to find now, and you will be hooked.

Black Wind

Clive Cussler and Dirk Cussler

Putnam, Dec 2004

ISBN: 0399152598

In December 1944, Captain Miyoshi Horinouchi, staff operations officer of the Japanese Imperial Navy Sixth Fleet, informs Lieutenant Commander Ogawa of Submarine I-403 of a change of assignment. Instead of patrolling the Philippines, he is to "escort' a special guest from the Kure Naval Base in Japan to the "enemy's doorsteps". The civilian Dr. Jisaichi Tanaka of the Army Medical College has found a devastating biological agent that will bring the Americans to their knees begging for peace. If he fails on this mission, Japan will inevitably lose the war as the Battle of the Pacific is all but over since the recent fleet devastation at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. However neither this sub nor a companion ever made it to its intended target.

In 2007, a South Korean knows where the subs sank and has plans for uniting his country by distracting the Americans with the launching of the deadly biological cargo on Los Angeles. Only Dirk Pitt Sr. and his adult children Jr. and Summer along with his crew from the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) stand in the way of success.

This is typical Clive Cussler fare starting with a historical naval moment expanded into an exhilarating base for a strong, contemporary, watery thriller in which the action is everything. Dirk is aging gracefully (my knees hurt just reading about his adventures), but the torch as with the authors seems to be moving on one knot at a time to the next generation. BLACK WIND is an exciting tale that is like all the NUMA novels worth an oceanic adventure trek that takes enthralled readers merrily to the Pitts.

Harriet Klausner