Customer Reviews
Great action adventure - By: Red, 21 Nov 2008 
This is only the second Clive Cussler book I have read, (Black Wind being the first) however if they are alll to this standard I believe it will not be the last. Flood tide is exciting & the characters are so likeable, especiallly the infamous Dirk Pitt. The story is an action packed adventure following Dirk & his pursuit of not only a shipping tycoon who makes vast profits from smuggling Chinese to America but also, with a little help from his friends, to find the lost bones of the 'Peking man' & lost treasures of China. I love Clive Cussler's style of writing as it is draws you into the story. It is witty to the point where I can laugh out loud but also intelligent. Definitely worth a read.
excellent serial characters - By: Ms. Ruth Walsh, 28 Aug 2008 I have never been a big fan of action thrillers. The only author I read regularly in this genre is Lee Child & his `Jack Reacher` character, & 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 the first published book in the Dirk Pitt adventures series, it was the first Cussler wrote, so logicallly, this is the novel I picked to start my journey. I found an interesting character that lives at the edge & is passionate about his work. Also in some aspects he is similar to James Bond, women mainly, & the mix is sufficient to keep the reader thoroughly entertained. If you enjoy serial characters then this is a must series for you, also try Michael Connelly`s `Harry Bosh` series, or much more violent is the `Soft Target` thrillers by Conrad Jones. In the Dirk pitt stories Cussler has created a very entertaining series, with a character that has an arrogant & pedantic side, but whom also shows his pure emotions & is true to his friends & ideals. This makes the Special Project Director of the National Underwater & 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.
A great page turner - By: , 27 Mar 2006 
This is only the second Clive Cussler book I have read, (Black Wind being the first) however if they are alll to this standard I believe it will not be the last. Flood tide is exciting & the characters are so likeable, especiallly the infamous Dirk Pitt. The story is an action packed adventure following Dirk & his pursuit of not only a shipping tycoon who makes vast profits from smuggling Chinese to America but also, with a little help from his friends, to find the lost bones of the 'Peking man' & lost treasures of China. I love Clive Cussler's style of writing as it is draws you into the story. It is witty to the point where I can laugh out loud but also intelligent. Definitely worth a read.
Flood Tide - By: Lucy Lowry, 15 Dec 2004 As Dirk Pitt novels go this is not one of the best but definately worth a read if only for some of the sinister descriptors of the immigrant smuggling ring.
Basicallly this time Dirk goes up against a chinese megalomaniac with an interest in antiques - as well as antics !!!
The ending is slightly far-fetched - with the great american must haves - dead dogs & divorce - but let's face it - It is Clive Cussler !!
Dunno how he manages it. By rights it should be 1... - By: , 09 Oct 2001 An OK story. I read them alll & am quite hooked.
However, there are things that are reallly rubbish about the later books. I know, because I went & read an earlier one to compare.
Characterisation is nowhere now - relies purely on whatever was in earlier books.
Dialogue is absolutely terrible. Take a tip, Clive, if you want to drop in a wealth of detail, do it in the narrative. Do not have the characters explain alll in a 50 - word sentence.... absolutely no one on the planet speaks in such a cumbersome & clunky fashion - & particularly not while they're embroiled in a gunfight...
Dirk Pitt (registered trade mark) What the...?
Clive writing himself in as a character. I tell you, even if I'm by myself in a locked room, reading silently, episodes like that overwhelm me with utter embarrassment. What was he thinking? I have this cold dread because I know it's coming, & I can't do a thing about it.
The snobbery. No-one ever has a drink, or drinks some wine. You always get the full "1948 Ricardo Montalban - Nappy Vallley Pinot Noir" nonsense that even Frasier Crane would reject as too prissy. If anything, the foodie-ness is worse.
Don't get me wrong, I still like, buy & read the books, but the standard of writing so lets it down. Imagine the good plots with good writing. Now that would be worthwhile.
