Pacific Vortex!: A Novel (Dirk Pitt Adventure)

This book has all the appearance of a first effort. The story of mysterious people living under the Pacific Ocean north of Hawaii is highly improbable, and Cussler further bends probability when Pitt is allowed to stumble across not one but two beautiful women, Summer and Adrienne, lying naked on their beds.

Cliches are often evidence of the novice author, and I winced at the following cliche which appears early in the book when Pitt is strolling with a beautiful woman on Waikiki Beach and we are told by Cussler that "their skin (was) caressed by the warm tropical breeze". Cussler tells us that he did not think this first effort was good enough to justify publication, and I can only wish that he had resisted pleas from friends and family to publish it. HIs Kurt Austin NUMA FILES are much better written and this probably owes much to contributions from his co-authors in the NUMA books.

I rather enjoy Clive Cussler’s books simply because...well, I enjoy them. They are simple, action packed and a great way to spend a couple of evenings or afternoons emerged in action packed fantasy.

Now readers should know that this work, Pacific Vortex, was the first book to introduce Dirk Pitt, the star of quite a number of other like novels – adventure novels. It is a work that has been published AFTER several other novels in this series were published. As a matter of fact, I think it was one of his first attempts at writing a novel and by his own admission, not the best of the best.

This one will probably be of more interest to Cussler fans as it tells how Dirk got his start and does fill in some gaps. No, it is not his best work by far but it is still interesting and fun to read.

A new super sub has vanished into the middle of the Pacific. As chance would have it our hero, Dirk Pitt, is swimming in the surf in Hawaii and finds a container holding a cryptic message from the captain of this lost sub and he takes it to the navy. The search is on. What malignant and evil force destroyed this state of the art sub? What evil stalks our seas?

While I cannot in goof faith tell you that this is a “great” read, I can tell you that it answers some questions and for a first novel...hit ain’t half bad.

This was a library find.

Cussler’s 1983 adventure “Pacific Vortex” is an interesting read for many reasons. Written at an earlier point in his career, this nautical romp provides us with an important piece of Dirk Pitt’s puzzle. Told on a backdrop of Cold War intrigues that include spy ships and undersea anomalies, “Vortex” is fun—and—full of things we now take for granted. It’s a credit to the author’s imagination and his appreciation of technology.

While in search of a missing Hawaiian King’s tomb (in Hawaii), Dirk Pitt encounters a message buoy from what turns out to be a missing submarine. The seemingly routine investigation that follows is the opener to a much bigger mystery that is emotionally traumatic for Pitt in ways he couldn’t expect.

It’s good to remember that heroes did things in style without GPS, smart phones, or “apps” for a very long time. When Pitt goes looking for a missing prototype sub, he and his fellow salvagers don’t realize what they found until it’s too late. Anything and everything in the 1980’s connected to the Bermuda Triangle and other ocean locations where ships went missing made its way in to books and movies. Cussler’s adaptation of a Pacific Ocean theme follows in that tradition with a Cold War twist.

In their own way, some (but not all) Cold War villains were “politically correct” decades before it was considered cool to be PC. Some (but not all) of them just wanted to survive a nuclear war, without starting anything. That may sound benevolent—but—this antagonist has a surprise for Dirk Pitt that isn’t what you think it is. Orders given by his superiors force this hero to make decisions of his own. I liked it.

Although Clive Cussler’s sixth Dirk Pitt novel, Pacific Vortex is considered the first in the Dirk Pitt Series, he published five others prior to it. Dirk Pitt is certainly different from your typical thriller hero; he is Special Projects Director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), and an expert on underwater affairs. While on vacation in Hawaii, Pitt finds a communications capsule from the Starbuck, a submarine that disappeared on its maiden voyage six months before. The capsule contained log pages and clues to the disappearance. Pitt turns the capsule in to the Navy, but ends up being assigned the task as a liaison between Admiral Leigh Hunter of the 101st Salvage Fleet who is in charge of finding the Starbuck, and the officers of the Navy Department who don’t get on particularly well with Hunter.

The Navy supplies Pitt with information on several ships that have disappeared over the years in the same area, named the Pacific Vortex by the Navy, and there has been no evidence of wreckage found for any of them. Since Pitt is a hero, and his skills are extraordinary, he and a diving team find the Starbuck, as well as the other missing ships. Everything seems to be in perfect working condition, at least on the Starbuck, and Pitt must solve the mystery of the disappearances.

Working underwater is not only thrilling, but frightening and unfamiliar to most readers. So when Pitt is working underwater, there is a palpable level of suspense that carries on throughout the entire novel. There are some minor characters killed, and Pitt experiences several attempts on his life both on land and under water while working on the mystery. To make matters worse, Hunter’s promiscuous daughter, Adrian (who formerly shared Pitt’s bed) is kidnapped, and it is suspected that her kidnapping is connected to the case of the missing ships.

Cussler’s writing style is good enough that readers will almost experience the underwater danger vicariously. The fact that Cussler is a marine archeologist and has knowledge in that area, makes it possible for readers to actually learn a few facts, even though the story is fiction. Pacific Vortex is definitely a edge-of-your-seat novel, and those who enjoy high adventure will enjoy this and Cussler’s subsequent books.

For some reason, many best-selling male authors create heroes that are incredibly handsome, incredibly skilled, incredibly attractive to the ladies who are always willing to sleep with them, and in incredibly good shape so as to get out of every scrape and predicament presented. This is the case with hero Dirk Pitt. Why is that? Can’t an average-looking, slightly overweight couch potato emerge as a hero in a suspense/thriller novel? Since this is fiction, and most likely includes scenarios from the author’s innermost fantasies, this novel will be especially enjoyed by those readers who are able to live those fantasies while imagining they are Dirk Pitt. Those who are turned off by male arrogance will probably want to skip this and the rest of the novels in the series.

This book was purchased with personal funds and no promotion of the book was solicited by the author or publisher.

In the forward, Cussler more or less apologizes for the book, says it was his first attempt and he didn’t think it was good enough to publish, but some folks talked him into it, so here it is. Fair enough. It’s interesting in that context—almost like a practice novel from an eventually successful author. But the book itself isn’t that good. It is one thing for a character to be a hero and another thing for him to be a superhero without any powers—just whatever he does happens to work. There are gaping plot holes like assassin-girlfriends who slip out of tenth story windows like flying ninjas. Meanwhile, the military characters are more like caricatures from a WWII comedy. Begin with the captain of the Navy’s newest nuclear submarine, just skipped over for promotion (If you’ve never been around the Navy, I promise they don’t give command of ANY submarine to an officer they are about to skip for promotion, and the newest one goes to a hand-picked star). Or, when Pitt is trying to see the Admiral to show him the message capsule he’s found, the sergeant warns him “be careful of the Admiral or he’ll throw you in the brig.” Then the Admiral, overhearing, says “I’ll throw you in the brig, big boy!” (yes, really, he says “big boy”—twice actually). Then he proceeds to try to intimidate Dirk Pitt with a room full of high-rank officers, only to learn that Pitt’s dad is a senator (convenient), but Pitt is a major even without his dad, and he must have been in a room with senior officers before, and the Admiral would know that…so the whole idea is silly. Quite a bit of other silliness, whether with characters or plot. In fact, what really surprises me is Cussler didn’t rewrite the thing…take the basic story and make it better. Anyway, if you are a Pitt fan and want the whole set, then go ahead and get this. Otherwise, pick another one.

Becoming a Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt fan, I researched to discover all the titles in the series and in which order I should read them. Though Mediterranean Caper was the first published, and the first one I could find to read, it was not the first Cussler wrote. Though Pacific Vortex was not published until years after Mediterranean Caper, it is supposed to be Dirk Pitt's introduction. Yes, I'm the type of person who wants to read a series in order, so I hunted down the first of the series. Even Cussler himself admits in the foreword to Pacific Vortex that it is still rough around the edges and he wasn't sure if he even wanted to publish it. I read several reviews that said Pacific Vortex was not as good as subsequent Clive Cussler books. Keeping that in mind, I dove in.
Everyone has heard of the mysterious Bermuda Triangle. The Pacific seems to have a mystery of its own--The Pacific Vortex. It has been swallowing ships for years, yet was counted as a mystery of the sea until a communications canister appears off a beach in Hawaii where Dirk Pitt is relaxing. A former Major in the Air Force, now with NUMA (National Underwater and Marine Agency), Pitt seems to be an expert of transportation of air and sea--planes, helicopters, boats, submarines--which makes him the perfect go-to guy for the assignment of finding the Starbuck. The Starbuck was an experimental nuclear sub on a test run when it went missing in the Pacific Vortex. With nuclear technology on board, Pitt is asked to help find and recover the sub before someone else does and uses the technology against the United states.
I'll admit that there were a couple scenes in the beginning of the book that were a little cheesy, but I pressed on and I'm glad I did. Though a little rough to start, the rest of the book was great. The imagery is fantastic. Another adventurous thrill-ride. In fact, it reminded me of things I loved in my childhood--deep sea explorations, discovering sunken ships, a twisting and turning mystery. Just when you think you know what's going to happen next, Cussler adds another twist that keeps you reading.
I really enjoyed Pacific Vortex and look forward to reading the rest of Dirk Pitt's adventures.

THE LOWDOWN: Considering this is Clive Cussler's first novel, I would say it was pretty well done. While Cussler writes a forward "warning" the reader of its inferior quality, the book is not by any means sub-par, it is just a little different than the later Pitt novels.

THE PLOT: It begins rather abruptly with Dirk Pitt rushing into a riptide to rescue a capsule containing the logbook to a missing nuclear submarine which was thought to be lost in the Caribbean Triangle-like "Pacific Vortex" off the coast of Hawaii. From there he is swept into a whirlwind of intrigue with the US Navy, falls in love with a beautiful assassin, and finds himself the central target of an undersea cult compound that wants to ensure that the nuclear sub is never found.

THE PROS: The action is hard-hitting, including a car chase involving Pitt's AC Cobra, and a battle with various underwater weapons aboard the sunken nuclear sub. Cussler paints his story in broad strokes, with a straightforward plot, a minimal amount of supporting characters, no politics, and a rather outlandish Doc Savage-type villain with a secret lair. Cussler establishes the arrogant-yet-heroic man's man that is Dirk Pitt and his wisecracking best friend Al Giordino nicely, and we see more character development here than we do in later novels.

THE CONS: The book follows an "action-exposition-action-exposition-action-exposition" formula that seems choppy at times, but my main complaint is the dialogue. The female characters are so poorly written it almost feels like a playboy story at times (two girls instantly getting into a catfight over Pitt, the girl who tries to kill him is in love with him after meeting him twice) and Pitt's arrogance is a bit over the top at times (basically treating the Navy like he owns it.)

As has been noted, in the foward Cussler has said that this was the first book. And that it wasn't as polished as it should be, and after reading this book, you can tell Cussler is a first time writer. For the people who bring this book down for that, we don't all start out doing our professions perfectly on the first day. Stephen Koontz didn't write masterpieces right out of the gate, this book is kind of an investigation into the Bermuda Triangle, here there is a fog shrouded zone where dozens of ships have disappeared without a trace. And the Supersub Starbuck is added to that list, Pitt is called in to find the sub and salvage her, but he encounters a group of people who live underwater. Lead by a man called Delphi, who has a daughter named Summer. Pitt and Delphi have many battles, with pitt winning most of them, we also get Pitts best Friend Al Giordino. Who sacrafices his finger, to save Pitt's life. Pitt does find the find the sub, raises her, and tries to get Summer to leave her father. Who is buried under his underwater hideout, a good solid book, nothing fancy. Just a straight ahead action adventure book.

I like to read series in chronological order, so I went to this Dirk Pitt adventure first. The action was non-stop, even if the mystery was something less than mysterious. The settings were somewhat exciting, in a Discovery Channel sort of way. All in all, it was simply OK. A good quick read, though some discrepancies near the end stopped me from giving it my seal of approval.

I can understand when the previous reviewer talks about missing pieces and that this book, from what I understand, may have been hastily released to cash in on the success of Dirk's other books (which took place after this one chronologically).

In one scene, Dirk comes upon a girl and her skin is creamy white and then, a few pages later, she has long tan legs...In a technical discrepancy, Dirk's depth meter reads 80 feet when he reaches an underwater cavern. Later on, when he and his compadre are leaving (sans diving gear), the depth is only 50 feet. Both these items occurred within the last 20 or 30 pages and left a bad taste in my mouth.

It bothered me that simply reading the book would have prompted any alert reader (I would hope that editors are alert readers) to the errors. I can't see that fixing these items would have stalled their big cash-in!

I've read great things about Mr. Cussler's other books, though, and will be willing to give at least one more try to the Dirk Pitt series as there were some promising things about this book. The action was well written and I hope that longer, more complicated books that followed this one will be able to draw me in more.

I mainly hope that his editor was awake on those later books.

PV is probably unsatisfying if you've read any of the others. Pitt, as we all know, is the larger-than-life adventurer who gamely puts his life on the line working as a diver for the National Underwater Marine Agency - NUMA. (Though a civilian agency whose mission is nothing more exotic than researching anything below the waves, NUMA rotunely crosses paths with mercenaries, arch-criminals, wicked corporate marauders, would be world-conquerors, insane villains and other all-round baddies.) In PV, Pitt is called on to find a missing nuclear attack sub, one that disappeared with no explanation. Luckily, a fragment of what might be the sub's final hours, happens to find its way to Dirk Pitt, who just happens to be in the same...ocean. Unfortunately, that ocean is the deceptively named Pacific, the largest ocean on earth, and a vortex of ships, crews and lives. Can Pitt find the sub and solve the riddle of her disappearance?

Okay, there's no doubt that Pitt will do all the above, and tangle with a ferocious enemy while romancing an exotic mystery woman. In short, it manages to be just like every other Pitt novel, yet delivers the goods. Still, it's a slim story, not full-blooded and globe-trotting like "Cyclops" or "Valhalla Rising". In short, if you're in need of a good Pitt novel, try one of his later books. Otherwise, you're in for some decent, if not terribly shocking fun.

If you're planning to start reading the entire Dirk Pitt series, you had better start with this one. Because even though it was published at a later date, Clive Cussler has made it clear that this is the first Dirk Pitt adventure. In this story, Dirk is investigating the disappearance of a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine in the Pacific Vortex, the Pacific Ocean's version of the Bermuda Triangle. The clock is ticking as Dirk and NUMA race to stop a mad scientist who poses a serious threat to national security. Pacific Vortex is actually a very enjoyable read. It has a great story line and in many ways sets the stage for future Dirk Pitt stories.

Dirk Pitt is the James Bond meets John Wayne character that every guy would love to be. Pitt's a "man's man." He smokes, but he still scuba dives with the best of them. He's no pretty boy, well-mannered and cute, but he gets plenty of women. He's no fame-seeking show off, but he always saves the day. Playboy, Maxim, and GQ only WISH they could have such a chap to plaster on their covers!
Pacific Vortex! is a quick read since its a rather short book, but that's not a bad thing. A lot of popular novels contain the author's preaching to the reader or cramming pages upon pages full of verbose meandering. Not so with Cussler. Pacific Vortex is the perfect book for anyone who wants to have fun reading. Its difficult to make a novel fun (is Dan Brown a "fun" read? is Sydney Sheldon a "fun" read? are the classics "fun" reads?), but Cussler writes really fun books. I enjoyed Pacific Vortex because it moves quick - Cussler doesn't bore me by telling me every single detail about every room characters are in, what they are wearing, what they are thinking, what they ate for breakfast etc. There's a mysterious "vortex" in the Pacific? A capsule from a missing ship has been awash? Add Dirk Pitt and the story comes to life and there's not much of a pause. The ending is a bit silly (as is the villian), but good triumphs over evil, there were sexy women (but no filthy sex-scenes) involved in the storyline, and there were guns! I'm a happy reader!

Obviously, this being the first-ever Dirk Pitt novel, this book has nostalgiac historical significance for us Clive Cussler fans. I first read this book 18 years ago when I was a mere 6th-grader, so re-reading it now I have a sense of perspective I didn't have then, especially on the military stuff (since I've been in the USAF for almost 5 years as I write this).

One thing I notice from re-reading "Pacific Vortex" as well as Clive's other oldies-but-goodies like "Raise the Titanic!" and "Vixen 03" is that they're a lot more graphic in terms of descriptions of physical violence and salty language (in terms of both profanity and sexual innuendo) compared with his newer stuff like "Trojan Odyssey" and "Valhalla Rising;" is this a sign of ol' Clive getting more mellow with age?
But as "a reader from Bordentown" has already pointed out, there's a big missing piece: in all the sequels, Cussler always refers to Pitt's ill-fated true love, Summer Moran . . . yet upon reading this book, there's no love scene with Dirk and Summer . . . so how the heck did Summer indeed turn about to be the father of his two kids? Perhaps it was an oversight on Cussler's part when he wrote the book, rookie error as he rushed to finish the manuscript, perhaps?
Fun stuff all the same!

Dirk Pitt. Seriously. If this book hadn't been written 30 years ago -- and ten years before it was finally published -- I would swear that Clive Cussler's name of his lead character Dirk Pitt was an obvious wink to Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg in "Boogie Nights") and Brad Pitt (in anything). I can't think of another "Dirk" or "Pitt" that comes anywhere close. He's suave, he's cool, he's -- updated for the 80s -- wearing "brief white bathing trunks" when first we meet him. And he's sunbathing, no less.

Mr. Pitt -- Dirk, not Brad -- has starred in 17 of Cussler's swashbuckling adventure thrillers. (Cussler wrote "Pacific Vortex!" first, though it was not published until 1982 when Dirk Pitt books were already a fixture on the best seller's list. According to "Dirk Pitt Revealed," Cussler's 1998 concordance/encyclopedia of all things Dirk Pitt, "Pacific Vortex!" was initially deemed a weak first effort.) I was tempted to start with "Flood Tide" (1997) or "Atlantis Found" (1999), more recent best sellers that are plentiful in paperback and in the remainder bins, but I like my genre novels to unfold in the order the author intended.

But enough exposition: Dirk Pitt is a star in "Pacific Vortex!," and a star for reasons Cussler never intended. He's rugged, debonair and likes the ladies, to be sure, but he screams '80s louder than a Boy George t-shirt. In the picturesque opening scene, Dirk Pitt is sunbathing in those brief white bathing trunks on a Hawaiian beach. As he naps, "[t]he hairy barrel chest that rose slightly with each intake of air, bore specks of sweat that rolled downward in snaillike trails and mingled with the sand." Oh, my. While I read, I alternately imagined him as Tom Selleck circa "Magnum, P.I." and Ben Stiller in "Starsky & Hutch," the real and the surreal, the yin and yang versions of the '80s man.

The obvious comparison is James Bond, and it's a fair one. Dirk Pitt is comfortable schmoozing over cocktails. In the most unintentionally hilarious scene of the book, two women are literally fighting over Dirk while he suavely sips scotch. "The bruise beneath her right eye had begun the transformation from red to purple, and a small cut on her lower lip unleashed a few drops of blood that trickled down her chin, falling with precise accuracy down the cleavage between her breasts. Pitt still thought she was the most desirably woman he'd ever seen." Enough said. Oddly, there are no bow-chick-a-wow-wow scenes, but you know Dirk's gettin' some. The "sexy" scenes are usually of the slow-motion-body-shimmering-in-the-moonlight variety. Most are hysterical.

PV is probably unsatisfying if you've read any of the others. Pitt, as we all know, is the larger-than-life adventurer who gamely puts his life on the line working as a diver for the National Underwater Marine Agency - NUMA. (Though a civilian agency whose mission is nothing more exotic than researching anything below the waves, NUMA rotunely crosses paths with mercenaries, arch-criminals, wicked corporate marauders, would be world-conquerors, insane villains and other all-round baddies.) In PV, Pitt is called on to find a missing nuclear attack sub, one that disappeared with no explanation. Luckily, a fragment of what might be the sub's final hours, happens to find its way to Dirk Pitt, who just happens to be in the same...ocean. Unfortunately, that ocean is the deceptively named Pacific, the largest ocean on earth, and a vortex of ships, crews and lives. Can Pitt find the sub and solve the riddle of her disappearance?

Okay, there's no doubt that Pitt will do all the above, and tangle with a ferocious enemy while romancing an exotic mystery woman. In short, it manages to be just like every other Pitt novel, yet delivers the goods. Still, it's a slim story, not full-blooded and globe-trotting like "Cyclops" or "Valhalla Rising". In short, if you're in need of a good Pitt novel, try one of his later books. Otherwise, you're in for some decent, if not terribly shocking fun.

If you're planning to start reading the entire Dirk Pitt series, you had better start with this one. Because even though it was published at a later date, Clive Cussler has made it clear that this is the first Dirk Pitt adventure. In this story, Dirk is investigating the disappearance of a U.S. Navy nuclear submarine in the Pacific Vortex, the Pacific Ocean's version of the Bermuda Triangle. The clock is ticking as Dirk and NUMA race to stop a mad scientist who poses a serious threat to national security. Pacific Vortex is actually a very enjoyable read. It has a great story line and in many ways sets the stage for future Dirk Pitt stories.

Dirk Pitt is the James Bond meets John Wayne character that every guy would love to be. Pitt's a "man's man." He smokes, but he still scuba dives with the best of them. He's no pretty boy, well-mannered and cute, but he gets plenty of women. He's no fame-seeking show off, but he always saves the day. Playboy, Maxim, and GQ only WISH they could have such a chap to plaster on their covers!
Pacific Vortex! is a quick read since its a rather short book, but that's not a bad thing. A lot of popular novels contain the author's preaching to the reader or cramming pages upon pages full of verbose meandering. Not so with Cussler. Pacific Vortex is the perfect book for anyone who wants to have fun reading. Its difficult to make a novel fun (is Dan Brown a "fun" read? is Sydney Sheldon a "fun" read? are the classics "fun" reads?), but Cussler writes really fun books. I enjoyed Pacific Vortex because it moves quick - Cussler doesn't bore me by telling me every single detail about every room characters are in, what they are wearing, what they are thinking, what they ate for breakfast etc. There's a mysterious "vortex" in the Pacific? A capsule from a missing ship has been awash? Add Dirk Pitt and the story comes to life and there's not much of a pause. The ending is a bit silly (as is the villian), but good triumphs over evil, there were sexy women (but no filthy sex-scenes) involved in the storyline, and there were guns! I'm a happy reader!

Obviously, this being the first-ever Dirk Pitt novel, this book has nostalgiac historical significance for us Clive Cussler fans. I first read this book 18 years ago when I was a mere 6th-grader, so re-reading it now I have a sense of perspective I didn't have then, especially on the military stuff (since I've been in the USAF for almost 5 years as I write this).

One thing I notice from re-reading "Pacific Vortex" as well as Clive's other oldies-but-goodies like "Raise the Titanic!" and "Vixen 03" is that they're a lot more graphic in terms of descriptions of physical violence and salty language (in terms of both profanity and sexual innuendo) compared with his newer stuff like "Trojan Odyssey" and "Valhalla Rising;" is this a sign of ol' Clive getting more mellow with age?
But as "a reader from Bordentown" has already pointed out, there's a big missing piece: in all the sequels, Cussler always refers to Pitt's ill-fated true love, Summer Moran . . . yet upon reading this book, there's no love scene with Dirk and Summer . . . so how the heck did Summer indeed turn about to be the father of his two kids? Perhaps it was an oversight on Cussler's part when he wrote the book, rookie error as he rushed to finish the manuscript, perhaps?
Fun stuff all the same!

Dirk Pitt. Seriously. If this book hadn't been written 30 years ago -- and ten years before it was finally published -- I would swear that Clive Cussler's name of his lead character Dirk Pitt was an obvious wink to Dirk Diggler (Mark Wahlberg in "Boogie Nights") and Brad Pitt (in anything). I can't think of another "Dirk" or "Pitt" that comes anywhere close. He's suave, he's cool, he's -- updated for the 80s -- wearing "brief white bathing trunks" when first we meet him. And he's sunbathing, no less.

Mr. Pitt -- Dirk, not Brad -- has starred in 17 of Cussler's swashbuckling adventure thrillers. (Cussler wrote "Pacific Vortex!" first, though it was not published until 1982 when Dirk Pitt books were already a fixture on the best seller's list. According to "Dirk Pitt Revealed," Cussler's 1998 concordance/encyclopedia of all things Dirk Pitt, "Pacific Vortex!" was initially deemed a weak first effort.) I was tempted to start with "Flood Tide" (1997) or "Atlantis Found" (1999), more recent best sellers that are plentiful in paperback and in the remainder bins, but I like my genre novels to unfold in the order the author intended.

But enough exposition: Dirk Pitt is a star in "Pacific Vortex!," and a star for reasons Cussler never intended. He's rugged, debonair and likes the ladies, to be sure, but he screams '80s louder than a Boy George t-shirt. In the picturesque opening scene, Dirk Pitt is sunbathing in those brief white bathing trunks on a Hawaiian beach. As he naps, "[t]he hairy barrel chest that rose slightly with each intake of air, bore specks of sweat that rolled downward in snaillike trails and mingled with the sand." Oh, my. While I read, I alternately imagined him as Tom Selleck circa "Magnum, P.I." and Ben Stiller in "Starsky & Hutch," the real and the surreal, the yin and yang versions of the '80s man.

The obvious comparison is James Bond, and it's a fair one. Dirk Pitt is comfortable schmoozing over cocktails. In the most unintentionally hilarious scene of the book, two women are literally fighting over Dirk while he suavely sips scotch. "The bruise beneath her right eye had begun the transformation from red to purple, and a small cut on her lower lip unleashed a few drops of blood that trickled down her chin, falling with precise accuracy down the cleavage between her breasts. Pitt still thought she was the most desirably woman he'd ever seen." Enough said. Oddly, there are no bow-chick-a-wow-wow scenes, but you know Dirk's gettin' some. The "sexy" scenes are usually of the slow-motion-body-shimmering-in-the-moonlight variety. Most are hysterical.

This was my first Dirk Pitt novel and first Clive Cussler novel as well. I decided to pick this one up because all the reviews and lists recommended it as a great read and good place to start.

Of course, having seen the previews to Sahara, I already had Dirk Pitt pictured as Matthew M. Right there, that sort of set me back because the description of him is nowhere near that of the actor. Then, the book sort of dragged on and didn't have much action at first. I read this book in about 3 days off and on until I finished. It had its good parts and it had its parts that could have been left out or expanded upon. There were times when we were left hanging and wondering why and what happened.

The author's note suggests this was never intended to be printed, but at the urging of others he decided to print it. So, with him being upfront about that, I gave it 3 stars. Otherwise, we would be looking at 2 or 1 1/2, but it is clear the book was meant to be a starting point for the author as well as the reader.

I probably will not read another Dirk Pitt or Cussler, but you never know.

I was surprised when I first saw 'Pacific Vortex' at the bookstore. I was no stranger to Clive Cussler novels. I had been reading them for years and immediately picked it up and when I found out that it was actually the first book he had written about Dirk Pitt I was almost reluctant to buy it. I had to wonder WHY he waited so long to publish it...was it because it wasn't as good as his other stories? What was the reason? Well I took a chance and bought it, and after finishing it, I can tell you I have NO IDEA why Cussler chose to wait before releasing 'Pacific Vortex'. This is one fantastic book. I believe it is also one of the few Cussler stories that takes place in the (where else?) Pacific Ocean. From an underwater surprise to a missing sub to Pitt's incredible wit and wisdom, this is one advenuture you need to take. If you DON'T read 'Pacific Vortex' you are missing out on not only Pitt's very beginning's, but a GREAT read as well. Everything that makes Dirk Pitt one of modern fiction's greatest characters is all here. Pick it up and clear away some time, relax, begin and enjoy.

The USS Starbuck was the most advanced nuclear submarine not only in the United States Navy but in the world. Built with all the latest computerized equipment it had an edge over any other vessel in the water. During its shakedown cruise through the Pacific Ocean, the Starbuck and her crew vanished without a trace. Extensive searches of its last known position turned up absolutely nothing.

Six months later the special projects director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, Dirk Pitt, is enjoying his first vacation in three years on a sunny beach in Hawaii. Gazing out over the tropical blue waters Dirk catches a flash of yellow out in the surf and decides to swim out after it. The yellow object turns out to be a submarine message canister full of hand-written documents from none other than the USS Starbuck. The documents recount the last few days of the ill-fated submarine but instead of a story of damage or malfunction what Dirk actually reads is a terrifying tale of a deliberately disabled submarine under siege by unknown assailants at the bottom of the ocean. The documents are from the captain's log and also contain the coordinates of the sub's final resting place, which turns out to be very far from where anyone expected.

Dirk Pitt, and a specially trained Navy salvage team are sent to explore the area but in the process of their investigation they will uncover some secrets that someone will go to great lengths to keep hidden. The journey will take Pitt and his team right into the heart of the Pacific Vortex, an area north of Hawaii infamous for disappearing ships. And what does the ancient lost island of Kanoli have to do with all this?

Pacific Vortex is the sixth audiobook to be published in Clive Cussler's Dirk Pitt series but according to the author it is actually the first one he wrote. As he explains in the foreword he never intended to publish Pacific Vortex because he felt that it was not up to his usual standards. But upon the urgings of his friends and associates, he decided to go ahead with it.

I for one am glad he published it because Pacific Vortex is one of the better Dirk Pitt audiobooks I've read. Cussler borrowed elements of some of the most mysterious and intriguing bits of nautical legend, namely the Bermuda triangle and the lost continent of Atlantis, to make Pacific Vortex a fascinating audiobook. Cussler drops in the clues in a well-timed manner and Dirk Pitt makes an excellent Sherlock Holmes as he pieces it all together.

Michael Prichard did a fine job on the narration of Pacific Vortex as he always does. Prichard has really become the voice of Dirk Pitt for me, and I can't imagine anyone else voicing one of these audiobooks.

Like I said, of the first six Dirk Pitt audiobooks Pacific Vortex is one of the best. I'm glad Cussler decided to publish it.

I have never been a big fan of military thrillers. The only author I read regularly in this genre is Nelson DeMille and I enjoy him a lot, so I decided to give Clive Cussler a try. I am happy to say I was not disappointed! Even though "Pacific Vortex" was not the first published book in the Dirk Pitt adventures series, it was the first Cussler wrote, so logically, this is the novel I picked to start my journey. I found an interesting character that lives at the edge and is passionate about his work. Also in some aspects he is similar to James Bond, women mainly, and the mix is sufficient to keep the reader thoroughly entertained.
For six months the US government has been trying to find the Starbuck, a submarine lost in the Hawaiian (Pacific) vortex. This is an area similar to the well-known Bermuda Triangle. The submarine was lost on its maiden trial and possesses the most advanced equipment, in terms of nuclear capabilities, that the US has developed so far. The last known communication from the nuclear submarine came from captain Dupree, establishing that they were lost without possibilities of recovering themselves and giving the coordinates of their location. While in his holidays in the coast of Hawaii, Dirk finds a communications capsule from the Starbuck addressed to Admiral Hunter in Pearl Harbor. Thus, he is directly involved in the search for the submarine and starts a dangerous journey in which he will face different enemies, conspiracies and uncertainty about who to trust. He also meets a mysterious woman, Summer, who will rock his world and complicate matters further.
Cussler has created a very entertaining series, with a character that has an arrogant and pedantic side, but whom also shows his pure emotions and is true to his friends and ideals. This makes the Special Project Director of the National Underwater and Marine Agency a very likable character. This is a book that a reader can breeze through in a few hours making it an enjoyable way to spend a weekend's afternoon. I will surely read the next book in this series hoping for a similar experience.

I really loved this introduction to Dirk Pitt, one of the most extaordinary and exciting heroes I have ever had the pleasure to read. We meet Admiral Sandeker briefly and Al Girodino and find out just a hint about NUMA. I have become addicted to Dirk. I recently read Valhalla Rising where Dirk Pitt relives his experience with Summer Moran the first true love of his life where at the end a pair of fraternal twins who are the spitting images of both Dirk and Summer show up on his doorstep. After reading this fast paced exciting story I am stumped. As another reviewer mentioned. When could Dirk have had the oppotunity to leave Summer with the gift of his children when they met only 3 times in the story,never spent any time lying together and then parted in a vast underwater explosion? Admittedly, this works out great for Clive, but doesn't make a whole lot of sense. All the same, it's a very entertaining story and a great read and I just had to give it flying colors.

I enjoy reading the Dirk Pitt novels. Like the James Bond books you have to suspend your belief during the course of the book and not wonder how this guy could survive so many near death experiences from book to book. As with his other books this goes quick and provides ample entertainment. If you have read his other books you'll enjoy this one as well. This however doesn't deserve any more than 3 stars because it really is Cussler just getting started. The story isn't as good as his other future books. I think that "Deep Six" and "Raise the Titanic" were better. No less outlandish, but kept you at the edge of your seat all the more. So don't take this rating as anything bad, but just know it's not his best book and there's more you can expect out of him.

This is definitely light reading. I think many will enjoy this adventure of Dirk Pitt if you do not analyze it too closely. It tends to have a somewhat perposterous plot in the vein of James Bond novels. But if the reader knows that going into it then this book can be quite enjoyable - Cussler does an excellant job of telling a story.

Dirk Pitt is truly a modern day swashbuckler who can do it all from the physical gun and knife play to the deductive powers matching Sherlock Holmes. He comes complete with a trusty sidekick.

I found it a good book to read when I wanted to take a break from Novels with intricate plots. You can just plow full steam ahead on this novel.

This book successfully provided a day of entertainment! Being somewhat shorter than most of Cussler's books allows a quick emmersion into the adventures of NUMA agent Dirk Pitt.
Although this was not the first Dirk Pitt novel published, it was the first written, and thus the first in the series. One of the best aspects of these books is how older adventures are referenced in the newer books. That is why it is important to start at the begining: so that you will fully understand all of the subtlies that come up in the later story.
Beyond that, Dirk Pitt is closer to an American James Bond than Jack Ryan (in fact, the "Pacific Vortex" is remarkably similar to the underwater city in Octopussy), so don't expect reality in these books. They are meant to be fun, and not Cussler doesn't have the technical underwriters that Tom Clancy uses when he is writing his adventure novels.
But what makes Dirk Pitt even better than Bond, Ryan or pretty much any other secret agent type (other than the fact that he has two hot girls fighting over him) is the fact that he makes scuba diving sexy. I would much rather read about a scuba diving super-hero than a brittish super-hero.
I only give it a four, because we have to leave room for truly well written literature.
Anyway it is the perfect quick read for a weekend, plane ride, day at the beach, etc.

Pacific Vortex provided the expected suspense, action, and unpredictable plot. As with all the other Dirk Pitt novels that I have devoured it was hard to put down. The only reason that I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because if it had been a movie I would have rated it "R" for language and sexual situations. As a writer myself I believe that it is possible to write entertaining fiction without graphic sex and language. Granted Clive Cussler is not as graphic as some writers and that is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 3. Pacific Vortex is a book that I highly recommend and I am looking forward to reading more Dirk Pitt adventures.

Here we have intrigue, adventure, excitement and even sex thrown into the book. Details are sparse, enough to interest and not to bore.

Still, Dirk Pitt's lines are a bit too smooth and clever, the bad guy doesn't evolve enough(even though the good guys are constantly moving against him, he doesn't defend and secure his base) and the ending was quite silly.

Yet, at least the action is good enough to make you want more.

This was the first Dirk Pitt adventure and it was easy to see why it was not published until later on. But despite some far-fetched ideas this is a very entertaining story, and provides assorted chases, underwater action, beautiful women and Dirk being insubordinate as always. Good for a plane or beach read actually. On the whole, `Dragon`, `Sahara`, `Night Probe` and `Cyclops` remain kings!

The first Dirk Pitt book. But already the charm is present, already Pitt has those little touches in his character (and jokes with Giordino) that make him the guy we all love. Short but packed with tons of action, straightforward but intriguing, simple but in no way stupid, this book will provide FUN and ENJOYMENT. Besides, since it's Clive's first, it's worth just for collection. Go grab it! Nothing else to say.

This was the first Clive Cussler book I have ever read. I've always been intrigued and decided I would just try it out. I was very entertained by the story. It could have been longer and it seemed to have had a short ending when I felt more should have been written. Very easy to read. Took me about two to three days to read it. Very simple book with some really good descriptions and writing. I enjoyed this book and if you're looking for an easy summer read while you're lounging around on the beach or in your home, this book is what you're looking for to fill the void in your boring life.

I discovered the adventures of Dirk Pitt because of the movie version of Sahara. I liked the movie and thought I would give Clive Cussler a quick summer read. What can I say? I read "Pacific Vortex" cover to cover in about 2 days on my summer break. I have also now read "The Mediterranean Caper" and have started "Iceberg" in a little less than a week. Clive Cussler's writing keeps you turning the pages and keeps you wanting more. It's a great read while lying in the hammock with a cold drink on a hot summer's day. If you like adventures of heroes and detectives (with equal parts of Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Magnum PI) then you'll love Cussler's Dirk Pitt. Pick it up ASAP.

This is the first of Dirk Pitt's many adventures. I have read many other Dirk Pitt books, so it was especially nice to read the first book! As always, it is an action packed novel. Lots of good plot twists to keep my interest until the final page. I highly recommend it as a very good action adventure.

Since this book is officially the beginning of Dirk Pitt's adventures as seen by Clive Cussler, I really looked forward to reading it. It's not as complex as his novels are, but still an enjoyable read. I highly recommend the Dirk Pitt novels and have highly enjoyed all the ones I've read. Clive Cussler is a masterful storyteller, and even though the general route the stories take is similar, each is a great read and well worth the time.