Rating: 
Summary: A Little Too Self-Indulgent
Review: I used to enjoy Clive Cussler's novels; that is, until hestarted inserting himself into the story lines. Each time Dirk at some point has to take a break in his adventure to meet with some mysterious hermit-like fellow (Cussler) who just happens to be loaded with crucial information about the local area. In this book Cussler writes himself into the story line as the "Bayou Kid"-- an old timer who knows every nook and cranny of the Mississippi swamp Dirk must investigate and who just happens to have a sophisticated and well-appointed undercover swamp boat (complete with comic relief guard dog) for Dirk and his lady de jure to borrow for his mission. Yawn! Cussler's habit of writing himself into the plot may have been cute the first time he did it, but at this point it's become downright annoying. Let Cussler have his fantasies--and his books--for I shall not subsidize him any longer.
Rating:
Summary: A Little Too Self-Indulgent
Review: I used to enjoy Clive Cussler's novels; that is, until he started inserting himself into the story lines. Each time Dirk at some point has to take a break in his adventure to meet with some mysterious hermit-like fellow (Cussler) who just happens to be loaded with crucial information about the local area. In this book Cussler writes himself into the story line as the "Bayou Kid"-- an old timer who knows every nook and cranny of the Mississippi swamp Dirk must investigate and who just happens to have a sophisticated and well-appointed undercover swamp boat (complete with comic relief guard dog) for Dirk and his lady de jure to borrow for his mission. Yawn! Cussler's habit of writing himself into the plot may have been cute the first time he did it, but at this point it's become downright annoying. Let Cussler have his fantasies--and his books--for I shall not subsidize him any longer.
Rating: 
Summary: Good reading but somewhat predictable.
Review: I have always enjoyed Clive Cussler. This book held myattention all the way through. No matter how far fetched, this book is an adventure and an escape and that is what a good book should do. I just wish they would turn his books into films!
Rating:
Summary: Good reading but somewhat predictable.
Review: I have always enjoyed Clive Cussler. This book held my attention all the way through. No matter how far fetched, this book is an adventure and an escape and that is what a good book should do. I just wish they would turn his books into films!
Rating:
Summary: Action & adventure not enough
Review: "Flood Tide" is an exciting piece of adventure fiction written about twenty-five years too late. The story's strong genesis is headlines on illegal immigration and disgust with politicians--in Cussler's Washington, the weak double-talking President no longer even occupies the White House. In the end, though, the story depends too heavily on a traditional, almost stereotypical view of patriotism. This type of patriotism is intertwined closely with jingoism, racism, and paternalism, and brings to mind the loaded words of another time, such as Heimat and Volk, rather than the ideals of democracy and equality that have been so hard-fought in the U.S. It does not exist comfortably with any idea of political correctness. Part of the appeal of the hero, Dirk Pitt, is that he is a dashing adventurer out of another time. It's unfortunate he is such a creature of that time and doesn't represent some of the better aspects of the present, such as greater understanding and acceptance of other cultures. Instead, the reader is treated to clinkers such as "To his untrained ear the Mandarin dialect sounded like a fast pitch by a used-car dealer in a television commercial that was speeded up and played backward. Through the doors of other rooms he could hear the strange, twangy sounds that Orientals call music." "Flood Tide's" embrace of closed-mindedness, isolationism, and ignorant stereotypes suggests it will best be appreciated either by readers who hold their noses through them or by those uncomfortable with multiculturalism and internationalism. It's a shame Cussler couldn't have stuck with the action and adventure he writes well.
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful book with a lot of adventure
Review: I have read all of Clive's books(5 times each)and I think thisbook is a really great book. It has a lot of action and some humor too(Clive always makes me laugh out loud). It is a great book for any one who like Clive, adventure, humor, and a bit of sex.
Rating:
Summary: A wonderful book with a lot of adventure
Review: I have read all of Clive's books(5 times each)and I think this book is a really great book. It has a lot of action and some humor too(Clive always makes me laugh out loud). It is a great book for any one who like Clive, adventure, humor, and a bit of sex.
Rating:
Summary: still an entertaining read
Review: as a reader of cussler since discovering "raise thetitanic" back in 1977, i eagerly await the release of a new dirk pitt adventure. and this book will satisfy the many longtime fans of the series hungering for more tales from cussler. however, for me, the last few books while still quite good, have not quite been on a par with his best work, from vixen 03 to roughly treasure. maybe i'm familier enough with cussler and pitt to anticipate where he's going, but it seems i can figure out where the plot is going, or how dirk will get out of his next seemingly impossible situation. perhaps it's because the plot twists are becoming too familier- dirk faces certain doom, wiles his way out of it only to face even greater odds. perhaps i expect too much. still, spending several hours with a new dirk pitt book is a very enjoyable way to spend an evening.
Rating:
Summary: still an entertaining read
Review: as a reader of cussler since discovering "raise the titanic" back in 1977, i eagerly await the release of a new dirk pitt adventure. and this book will satisfy the many longtime fans of the series hungering for more tales from cussler. however, for me, the last few books while still quite good, have not quite been on a par with his best work, from vixen 03 to roughly treasure. maybe i'm familier enough with cussler and pitt to anticipate where he's going, but it seems i can figure out where the plot is going, or how dirk will get out of his next seemingly impossible situation. perhaps it's because the plot twists are becoming too familier- dirk faces certain doom, wiles his way out of it only to face even greater odds. perhaps i expect too much. still, spending several hours with a new dirk pitt book is a very enjoyable way to spend an evening.
Rating: 
Summary: Slipped Two or More Notches
Review: I didn't find Flood Tide to be on par with any of Cussler'sother books. I thought the concept of the story to be a great idea however, I took offense to his portrayal of asians as a racial insult. It was as if this were written in the 1940's and typical of the Hollywood racial stereotypes. Not even Clive's beautiful heroine could be all Chinese (half/half). We've come a long way since then Clive, so lighten up!
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