6 reviews for The Silent Sea
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The Silent Sea
by Clive Cussler
Description:
Clive Cussler’s tales of the Oregon and its crew-“the clever, indefatigable Juan Cabrillo and his merry band of tough, tech-savvy fighting men and women” (Publishers Weekly)-have made fans of hundreds of thousands of readers. But the Oregon’s sixth adventure is its most remarkable one yet. On December 7, 1941, five brothers exploring a shaft on a small island off the coast of Washington State make an extraordinary discovery, only to be interrupted by news of Pearl Harbor. In the present, Cabrillo, chasing the remnants of a crashed satellite in the Argentine jungle, stumbles upon a shocking revelation of his own. His search to untangle the mystery leads him, first, to that small island and its secret, and then much farther back, to an ancient Chinese expedition-and a curse that seems to have survived for more than five hundred years. If Cabrillo’s team is successful in its quest, the reward could be incalculable. If not . . . the only reward is death.
About The Author
Clive Eric Cussler (born July 15, 1931) is an American adventure novelist and underwater explorer. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than 20 times. Cussler is the founder and chairman of the real-life National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA), which has discovered more than 60 shipwreck sites and numerous other notable underwater wrecks. He is the sole author or lead author of more than 70 books
Skryf Review
“Amazing Reading”
Naman
I read this book almost in a single day. It’s a powerful tale of a group of Chinese explorers from the fifteenth century, who set sail to the east and discovered what they thought must be Africa. They left behind a few tantalizing clues on the Oregon coastline, clues that seem too incredible to be true.Juan Cabrillo and his team follow the exciting trail to the south, to Antarctica, where a remote outpost holds the key to solving the mystery. Unfortunately, there are other contenders for this great prize. The Argentinians and Chinese aren’t willing to relinquish their claim to the resources buried under the sea. A huge 300 foot Chinese junk might hold the key to untold riches.
Havisha
The story starts off with five brothers making a discovery, a discovery that leaves one dead and the older three brothers shamed by their family. In the present, Juan Cabrillo, the chairman of a private corporation that does military operations and recons for the CIA/government as well as they hire themselves out as security for the insanely rich. Juan and his men of the Oregon, are sent on a secret mission into Argentina to recover a downed satellite that landed within Argentine border. They discover an old blimp that went missing many years back and decide to explore it before pressing on. After losing one of their own, Jusan makes the decision to find the last remaining Ronish brother to deliver a message he found on the blimp. That meeting ends horribly with the Argentines hot on their tails. Juan and his crew discover that the Argentines are in Antarctica and have built a massive base there. And then there is the Chinese government who has an interest in the downed blimp, the Argentine presence in Antarctica AND the Ronish brothers discovery, a discovery that could change history as we know it. Cussler’s heros always seem to survive and save the day at end of the story so when it got to the second to the last page and Juan was “dead” I was shocked and a little sad. But then I find out he did survive and how he managed to survive the “big fallout” and then I was a bit under-whelmed by the good news. I guess I wanted to “see” his escape. I mean, if a hero is going to beat the odds, I should at least see how he does it. 😀 But in all, it was a great read. I’m on to my next Cussler book, Spartan Gold. A Fargo Adventure. I love the Fargos
Helly
Cussler has a knack for creating larger than life characters and Juan Cabrillo is no exception. Cabrillo’s home is the Oregon, a ship that looks like it’s headed for the garbage dump on the outside and one that is outfitted on the inside with the latest technology available for doing anything. It’s always enjoyable to see outsider’s (read enemies) reaction to the ship and how they underestimate it. This story has plenty of technology, plenty of adventure and discovery, and plenty of harrowing near-misses. It also has one unexpected tragedy.Cussler and/or Jack DuBrul who co-wrote the novel, wrote some great lines. For example page 150…”Encounter ice,” Max corrected. “One encounters ice, one must never hit ice. Bad for the ship.” On page 310, he begins a chapter with a description of the horrendous wind patterns in Antarctica. The second paragraph begins “It was into this hell that Juan Cabrillo drove his ship and crew.” It’s very hard to put down a book that drives the reader like that.
Anupama
The Ronish family had owned Pine Island, part of Washington State for generations. The mystery of the deep pit on the island had been investigated by many, but disaster struck each time. In December of 1941 it was the turn of the five Ronish brothers to uncover the mysteries of the deep – four were old enough but the youngest could only watch on. But once again tragedy struck; then with news of the war and Pearl Harbour the older brothers headed off to fight…I thoroughly enjoyed this entertaining novel by Clive Cussler. I had not read him for probably four years – I think I had overdosed! When I decided to read him again, I was curious to see if the enjoyment was still there – it most definitely was! The pace is fast, with full on action and likeable characters. The twists and turns make it easy to keep turning the pages to the end. I highly recommend this novel and I will be reading more.
Kaushal
When I picked up this novel, I failed to pick up on the fact it was an author-branded work. I had heard of Clive Cussler. His background and involvement with sunken ships and general marine archaeology is intriguing. That, and being a successful author were enough to lure me in–I’d hoped to learn something as well as be thrilled with the adventure. Only after a feeling of disappointment and depression set in did I look closely at the cover and realize Clive Cussler is used as a brand name. While brands are suppose to be a guarantee of a certain quality, or that a story will meet a beloved formula, to me they are sterile and predictable. Characters move as the plot dictates. Wry lines are thrown in for candy toppings. Sunken ships are involved, but again, the urgency, the fascination is missing. In sum, I am not a fan of branded novels. If I were to read Mr. Cussler again, I’d pick up one of his first works, when he was hungry and dug deep into his personal resources for inspiration.