Title: Raise the Titanic
Series: Dirk Pitt, book 3
Author: Clive Cussler
Publisher: Books On Tape
Narrator: Larry McKeever
Duration: 12 hours, 39 minutes
Copyright: 1991
Genres: thriller, nautical, intrigue
Filed in: Audiobook reviews
Review copy provided by Kearney Public Library.
THE GIST: The President of the United States of America has secretly been funding a project whose sole purpose is to defend our nation against potential nuclear attacks. The project, dubbed the Sicilian Project, has finally hit paydirt. Unfortunately, the system the scientists came up with runs on an extremely rare element called byzanium. Byzanium is so rare, in fact, that it can be found in only one place in the whole world: the remote frozen tundra of Russia.
A small expedition manages to find the spot, but to their surprise they find that the byzanium has already been mined out. Starting with the few clues left at the site, investigators are eventually able to piece together what happened. The byzanium was collected bya team of American miners in the year 1912. The lone survivor of the ill-fated team managed to get the ore on board a ship headed toward America. That ship was the R M S Titanic.
Who do you call when you need to salvage a 46,000 ton ship from two and a half miles beneath the surface? NUMA, of course! The National Underwater and Marine Agency, with its special projects director, Dirk Pitt,receive a clear order from the president, “Raise the Titanic!” Dirk knows what to do, but it seems like one thing after another keeps delaying the work, including the death of one of his crew. After nine months of sealing up every opening in the Titanic’s exterior, Dirk and his team finally begin pumping air into her. After 75 years, the disinterred ship finally breaks the surface of her watery grave, and rejoins the land of the living.
Two tugboats link up to the resurfaced Titanic, and begin the long trip home, but Dirk isn’t out of the woods yet. There is a massive hurricane bearing down on them. And if they survive the hurricane, there are still the Russians to consider. They have been closely monitoring the entire project. In fact, the Russians have two spies working inside the salvage crew itself. Could this explain all the “accidents” and delays?
MY THOUGHTS: “Raise the Titanic” is Clive Cussler’s third Dirk Pitt audio book. I’ve read a few of Cussler’s later novels, and he always creates some kind of spectacle in them. The first two Pitt novels had no spectacles, but can you imagine anything more spectacular than the Titanic sitting atop the waves once more? This still isn’t Cussler’s best work, but it’s getting better.
NARRATOR: I was disappointed to find that Michael Pritchard did not return for “Raise the Titanic.” I enjoyed his readings of the first two Dirk Pitt novels. Larry McKeever isn’t a great audio book narrator. He didn't bore me like some narrators do, but his reading is kind of dry and emotionless. I may be biased because I really like Michael Pritchard, so try this audio book for yourself and tell me what you think.
FINAL WORD: I have always been fascinated by the history of theTitanic, and so was fascinated by “Raise the Titanic.” Cussler wrote the book in 1976 so his information was a little out of date based on what we know today, but he still made a good story of it.
FILM ADAPTATION: “Raise the Titanic” was adapted to film in 1980. The movie, also titled "Raise the Titanic" starred Jason Robards, Richard Jordan, David Selby, and Anne Archer. I don't think I ever heard of this movie before, but I like Jason Robards so it might be worth a look.
CHECK OUT THESE OTHER AUDIOBOOK REVIEWS:
Iceberg by Clive Cussler (audiobook Review)
Vixen ’03 by Clive Cussler (audiobook Review)
Night Probe by Clive Cussler (audiobook Review)
If you liked this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get "Raise the Titanic" by Clive Cussler (Unabridged Audiobook) from Amazon.com.
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This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
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Wow! There is only one Titanic so I was curious if this was one and the same.
ReplyDeleteOl Dirk is at it again huh? He sounds like an interesting character.
Maybe I'll give this a read but I'm more of the thriller type myself. :)
And no vampires or werewolves thank you. :)
Richard Jordan simply wasn't Dirk Pitt - a piece of bad miscasting by the Hollywood types. Dirk is described all through the Cussler works as tall, black-haired, and green-eyed. Jordan was too thin, not tall enough, and brown-haired, brown-eyed. Typical Hollywood arrogance.
ReplyDeleteThe novel was exciting. I think it was the first Cussler novel I read, many years ago. This was long before Cussler slid into the formulaic writing of his novels.
Good review. :)
Joni, this is a thriller. Go get a copy.