Rating: Summary: More Solid Nonfiction from Cussler Review: "The Sea Hunters II" follows the same pattern as "The Sea Hunters". Cussler presents a vignette that describes or speculates on the final moments of a ship or other artifact, and then describes the efforts of NUMA to locate the item in question. This combination of forgotten history and adventure is well written, and is easily as entertaining as Cussler's excellent fiction. Cussler approaches his subject matter with just the right touch of reverence for those souls lost in the wrecks he describes, along with a great sense of humor regarding his recovery attempts that did not go as planned. I hope a "Sea Hunters III" will be in the works at some time!
Rating: Summary: A wealthy man's interesting hobby Review: Clive Cussler in between authoring a plethora of novels, book tours and signings finds the time explore shipwrecks and other items of historical significance. Cussler and his NUMA (National Underwater Marine Agency) scour the world to try to unearth clues to unravel some of the mysteries of history. In each chapter he concocts a vignette explaining the history surrounding what he is searching for. He then describes the efforts of his team to uncover the ship or whatever they're going after. They aren't always successful.As opposed to his first Sea Hunters novel his team has searched for many things other than sunken ships. He spent time in Maine searching for L'Oiseau Blanc, thought to be the first plane to fly non stop across the Atlantic prior to Lindbergh. The NUMA team also tried to uncover the remains of the U.S.S. Akron, the first enormously sized Goodyear blimp which crashed of of the Jersey shore in the 30's. Of particular interest was learning the fate of the R.M.S. Carpathia, which was responsible for rescuing the survivors of the Titanic, and was subsequently torpedoed by a German U boat 6 years later. A very interesting chapter was devoted to the fate of the Mary Celeste, an extremely famous "ghost" ship of the 1870's. The most revealing discovery for me, surrounded the story of the steamship General Slocum which was involved in the greatest tragedy concerning loss of life in New York history. In excess of 1000 people died as the ship was ravaged by fire on a weekend excursion in New York Harbor. The event actually altered the dynamics of the German American community which inhabited lower Manhattan and suffered huge losses in the fire. They moved away to divorce themselves from the devastation on the General Slocum.
Rating: Summary: A wealthy man's interesting hobby Review: Clive Cussler in between authoring a plethora of novels, book tours and signings finds the time explore shipwrecks and other items of historical significance. Cussler and his NUMA (National Underwater Marine Agency) scour the world to try to unearth clues to unravel some of the mysteries of history. In each chapter he concocts a vignette explaining the history surrounding what he is searching for. He then describes the efforts of his team to uncover the ship or whatever they're going after. They aren't always successful. As opposed to his first Sea Hunters novel his team has searched for many things other than sunken ships. He spent time in Maine searching for L'Oiseau Blanc, thought to be the first plane to fly non stop across the Atlantic prior to Lindbergh. The NUMA team also tried to uncover the remains of the U.S.S. Akron, the first enormously sized Goodyear blimp which crashed of of the Jersey shore in the 30's. Of particular interest was learning the fate of the R.M.S. Carpathia, which was responsible for rescuing the survivors of the Titanic, and was subsequently torpedoed by a German U boat 6 years later. A very interesting chapter was devoted to the fate of the Mary Celeste, an extremely famous "ghost" ship of the 1870's. The most revealing discovery for me, surrounded the story of the steamship General Slocum which was involved in the greatest tragedy concerning loss of life in New York history. In excess of 1000 people died as the ship was ravaged by fire on a weekend excursion in New York Harbor. The event actually altered the dynamics of the German American community which inhabited lower Manhattan and suffered huge losses in the fire. They moved away to divorce themselves from the devastation on the General Slocum.
Rating: Summary: The Real World of the NUMA Review: For those who have read the novels of Clive Cussler the NUMA is a part of every fictional story the writer has written, and I have read them all. What I did not know is that The NUMA is very real, and over decades has discovered, and in some instances recovered lost wrecks including those that sailed beneath the sea, upon it, or even sailed in the air above it. The National Underwater Marine Agency is not a treasure hunting organization; rather they seek to solve mysteries that are in some cases many centuries old. They take nothing from the wrecks they locate, and when they do find historical vessels and their associated debris fields, it is States and Colleges and Universities that are given the locations to raise, preserve and restore pieces of History from a variety of Nations. The NUMA is comprised almost exclusively of volunteers and outside funding again is almost exclusively from the proceeds from the sales of Mr. Cussler's novels, and his non-fiction work, "The Sea Hunters I", and now "The Sea Hunters II". I, for a reason I cannot justify, passed on reading the first of these two books, and now that I have read the second I will be getting number one forthwith. The history this book contained that was either new, or clarified what I thought I knew was worth every penny the book costs, and the hours spent enjoying the tales. Some of the material for his novels originates on these trips that have taken him and his son and friends around the globe. Some of the quaint restaurants and hotels you may have read about in many instances are real. His son is named Dirk just like the primary character in his books, and Mr. Cussler is 6 foot 3 inches tall, also just like Dirk, at least until he fell off the back of a truck, compressed two spinal discs, and when combined with the settling of almost 70 years, he now is 6 foot one inch. You will read about the famous ship that saved so many from the sinking Titanic, and why another ship, more likely known to you as infamous, did so little. He also tells of steamboats that burned and took the lives of over 1,000 people, not on the Mississippi, but on The East River in New York City. Then there are the men who likely crashed in the Maine woods after crossing the Atlantic days before Lindbergh was to make his first solo flight. Also fascinating is how much the paths of rivers and the coastlines of continents can change in relatively short periods of time. One hundred and fifty years is nothing relative to the world's life, but I never knew the banks of the Mississippi River have moved over 200 feet in some spots. Mr. Cussler also shares the technology that allows the rediscovery of these vessels, and shares some of the most amazing moments that take place after decades of searching. One of the best candidates for the latter was the discovery and the raising of one of the first submarines to ever sail, The C.S.S. Hunley. This is a book of non-fiction from a man who is one of the best-selling authors of fiction alive today. If you have never read either type of his work, I recommend both. I also would wager that if you start with the true stories, you will be drawn to his fiction which is the definition of reading for pure fun.
Rating: Summary: This book is a sunken ship! Review: I absolutely love Clive Cusslers books but I don't love this book. In fact, I don't even like it. Usually, his books grip me from beginning to end. This one didn't. I couldn't even finish it. I tried to read it 3 times but had to put it down each time. It was completely unsatisfying...I was expecting a great Clive read but ended up with THIS???!!!
Rating: Summary: What happened? Review: I agree with the other reviewers, the first Sea Hunters was much better, even though there were problems with that book. This one is jarring in places - you can clearly see where Clive Cussler left off and Craig Dirgo picked up. Dirgo is not a good writer. I found some inaccuracies, which I know Cussler didn't make, because his research is meticulous. It's too bad, this could have been a better book with the right writer. The only reason I am keeping this book is because I'm in the last chapter (which I helped write, which means it was written well). It's fun to pull the book out and show people the photo and part I wrote. Then it goes right back on the shelf.
Rating: Summary: I enjoyed the first, but this one.... Review: I really enjoyed the first volume, but as I read this one something began to bother me. I couldn't put my finger on it until about page 108 when Cussler, or should I say Dirgo, details a friend's sense of humour. The friend refuses to stow his bag on the plane, because it really isn't against FAA regulations not to. The flight attendant has to deal with this fellow, who Cussler tells us is an FAA investigator, and a retired Col. in the Air Force, as he refuses to do as she asks. She has to get the pilot to come and speak to this friend, who when faced with a "suitable" authority figure, has already stowed the bag. Ho-ho! What a great joke. Then it hit me, the whole book is filled with "We're so much smarter than everyone" episodes from the flight attendant to a 7/11 clerk. If you agree that Cussler and his friends are the pinnacles of human evolution, then this is the book for you. I would recommend reading the historical chapters and skipping the rest.
Rating: Summary: Lightweight mix of fact and fiction Review: I'm not a fan of fiction, so the format of "The Sea Hunters", which combines a novel woven within historic fact (or is it historic fact woven within a novel?) just didn't work for me. Cussler's NUMA team has actively searched for historic shipwrecks over the years, and scored big time with the C.S.S. Hunley. In this book, he relates the adventures he has had looking for other important wrecks. While he does provide some interesting background to the ships, the historical value of his accounts is too lightweight to be of any real significance. The real "meat" of his book is his quest for the wrecks themselves. However, Cussler focuses more on the search than on what he and his crew found, and most of his "discoveries" are limited to magnetometer sweeps. Cussler then includes fictional accounts of the ship to flesh out his tales. While I was not expecting extensive archaeological investigations of the wrecks, I did want Cussler to provide some detail. For example, his team found the exposed wreck of the U.S.S. Patapsco, but Cussler mentions only that they found some guns and artifacts. He makes no mention of the ship's condition, no photos, and no wreck diagrams. This book remided me of a fishing trip - They went out, looked around, and had fun. Whether they actually caught something was of secondary importance. The book is: 30% fiction, 40% NUMA guys looking around, 25% historical background, and 5% information about what they found. If you like lightweight history, armchair adventure stories, or fiction, you might enjoy this book. For anyone looking for a historical or archaeological resource, go elsewhere.
Rating: Summary: A Masterful Blend of History, Adventure and Humor Review: Several years ago I picked up a copy of THE SEA HUNTERS by Clive Cussler. Although I had enjoyed nearly a dozen of his Dirk Pitt novels, a book about the true adventures of the real NUMA team sounded interesting. Interesting didn't begin to describe it. By the time I'd finished reading, the book was a bestseller and I was a lifelong fan. I began tapping into his NUMA website (www.numa.net) on a regular basis to see what new projects were afoot and what discoveries had been made. Last spring, I was lucky enough to interview Cussler on the release of his latest Dirk Pitt novel VALHALLA RISING and was rewarded with even more information about his research into maritime history. It's this history that forms the basis for both his fictional stories and real life expeditions and his dedication to contributing to that body of historical knowledge is admirable. In THE SEA HUNTERS II, Cussler's avid interest and unselfish pursuit is simply defined: if it's lost, he wants to find it. THE SEA HUNTERS II, like its predecessor, contains not only accounts of the various expeditions undertaken by Cussler's National Underwater Marine Agency but also gives readers a historical recreation of the events that took place at each fateful site. Utilizing the archives of governmental agencies both here and abroad, as well as available eyewitness accounts and personal records, Cussler engages the reader with reenactments that set the stage for his narration of each NUMA discovery. The first five sections of the book concentrate on NUMA's exploration of Civil War wreckage, focusing on the copious naval battles that took place over control of the Mississippi River and the eventual siege of Charleston. Cussler's professed love of southern history and the ships that played a part in it is evident as the tales of heroism and tragedy unfold upon the waters of the mighty Mississippi. Other chapters of THE SEA HUNTERS II recount the international exploits of Cussler and his fellow researchers in the far corners of the world from the warm Caribbean waters surrounding Haiti to the treacherous shores of South Africa and the tumultuous seas of the northern Atlantic. One of the most fascinating stories is the mystery surrounding the Mary Celeste, a "ghost" ship whose crew disappeared without a trace and spawned a legend that has tantalized maritime enthusiasts for decades. While much of the tale is speculation, NUMA was finally successful in pinpointing the resting place of this fabled ship. Another mystery that still remains unresolved is the disappearance of the plane and the pilots who attempted the first transatlantic crossing from Paris to New York. NUMA's research uncovered convincing evidence that The White Bird actually achieved the first nonstop crossing --- prior to Lindbergh and his Spirit of St. Louis --- they just didn't make it all the way down the coast to New York. Their crash site remains undiscovered in the boggy wilds of Maine, but the story of NUMA's attempts to locate it while sorting through the fuzzy first-hand recollections and baffling psychic revelations make for great reading. Perhaps the most famous and heavily exploited maritime tragedy was the sinking of the ocean liner Titanic in 1912. The Carpathia, the ship that attempted to rescue Titanic survivors, is featured prominently in all accounts of that fateful night but, beyond that, she sailed out of the picture never to be heard from again. Cussler, of course, was not content to leave Carpathia as a footnote in Titanic's history, thus the further adventures of Carpathia and her final demise by a German U-boat become a chapter of NUMA's history as well. With the release of THE SEA HUNTERS II just before the holidays, this reviewer hopes many of you will find a copy in your stocking Christmas morning. It's 400 plus pages are a masterful blend of history, adventure and humor --- enlightening and entertaining --- as Cussler intended. His lifelong mission has been to leave the world more enriched than he found it and perhaps to inspire us all to follow a similar path in our own way. "Each day is future history. So don't step lightly. The trick is to leave tracks that can be followed." --- Reviewed by Ann Bruns
Rating: Summary: Great book, much like last, but still different. Review: This book is full of "Cusslerettes" - those short, facinating narratives into the world of history. Forget the failed searches and insight into his life (though they too are written wonderfully and a pleasure to read) and enjoy the incredible tales of men and machines set in situations that dumbfound. Those short stories were real page turners- and true!
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