Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed by Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo - Book Report #289

If your a fan of the Dirk Pitt series then you know that Clive Cussler is a looming part of the world he has created.  In the beginning, Pitt and Cussler were similar physically; six feet three inches in height, green eyes and the same general build.  In the books Pitt has not aged in real-time, he is perpetually in his 40’s.

Cussler’s life is just as interesting as his character and his experiences have been woven into the adventures he’s written.  But the opposite has also happened - from his books NUMA has become a real, not-for-profit entity.

Fans are just as curious about the author as the character and that is where this book comes in.  There is a terrific piece where Cussler writes himself into a short story about attending a party in Pitt’s hangar where he wanders throughout the building talking to previous characters from the series.  Alive or dead they are there.  It makes for a unique recap of the series so far.

This book is now 21 years old (Published in 1998) and is ripe for a second volume.

There is also a long interview with the author which I enjoyed.  I knew parts of Cussler’s story but not all of it and I especially liked how he broke into the business and how he negotiated the rights to his early books.

The bulk of the volume is dedicated to recaps of the plots of each book.  There is a list of all the recurring characters and their backgrounds.  Also included is a lengthy section that breaks down each books' characters, ship names, equipment used and locales.

It is a small encyclopedia of all things Dirk Pitt.

The book is not the easiest thing to find but well worth the effort.  I want to thank the Edmonton Public Library’s interlibrary loan system, which provides access to books from other regions if EPL does not have it.  I cannot imagine how much effort goes into providing this service but I am thankful for it.

Recommended.

Clive Cussler, back in the day.

Craig Dirgo