Customer Reviews

The Mediterranean Caper (Dirk Pitt Adventure)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

This is an exciting novel with, perhaps an improbable plot - but if you don't like improbable plots there's no point in reading Cussler! It has all the necessary elements - action, excitement, technical detail. There is only one downside - it is a re-issue of an early Dirk Pitt novel which was, in the meantime, issued under the title 'Mayday!' - So don't buy both, or you'll be as disappointed as I was!

I have a certain fondness for this Cussler novel, sure its missing some of those fun "pretitles" style preludes that tie together seemingly unrelated historical events in an ingenious manner and it's also very politically incorrect (but not as much as PACIFIC VORTEX is). But, this Dirk Pitt adventure (the first published, though Cussler wrote the aforementioned PACIFIC VORTEX first), is a fun ride of a novel and moves along at a fast pace (it's actually one of Cusslers shortest, if not THE shortest). With some very vivid fight scenes and some nice Alistair Maclean-esque plotting (apparently Cussler used the late Scottish writer's work as a template until he found his own style) this Cussler novel really delivers and I made fast work of it reading over a weekend about a year ago.
Starting with the attack on a US airfield in the Greek islands by a biplane and involving smuggling, German fighter aces and the trademark underwater sequences for which Cussler is perhaps best known for (through his non-fiction writings as much as for Dirk Pitt) I can guarantee that this novel will no doubt charm even the harshest of Cusslers critics as long as they take it for what it is - some harmless. Mildly diverting fun.
On a sidenote, all the reviewers who are commenting on the bad writing should really lighten up, this was after all one of Clive Cussler's earliest works :)

I will keep this review short. I have read all of Cussler's works over the past dozen years or so. I read The Mediterranean Caper perhaps ten years ago. To this day I still believe that it was my favorite of the Dirk Pitt stories. If you are a new fan of Cussler - pull this older book out. It is a classic.

I have read most of the Dirk Pitt novels and always enjoy them and look forward to the next one.
While I suspect that I might have read "The Mediterranean Caper" as "Mayday" a long time ago I recently bought it for my Kindle.
As I read it I kept thinking about how untypical it was and how silly/juvenile it was.
Now I realize that it was the first Dirk Pitt book and that explains it all.
I will forget it and remember instead all the good ones which came later.

MORE MISTAKES IN THE FIRST TWO %
PEERINGTHROUGH BEACHESBOARDING
CONTRASTEDAGAINST
AND MORE
DONT BUY HARD TO READ BECAUSE OF MISTAKES

Have read this & really enjoyed it he never loses the plot & keeps your interest all the way through

Really good tale, kept me reading I could not put it down. It delivers surprises and intrigue at different points throughout the book. An excellent read.

I read this novel only for light entertainment after having read other Cussler novels.

This is a fast-paced story of a misogynistic hero who survives all attacks, outguesses everyone, and considers women only as sex objects or typists. Our hero does not recognize that one woman is a female secret agent who is equally as dedicated as he, nor does he consider that a secretary (read 'typist') might not recognize him as the great conquering hero that he believes himself to be.

If you can stomach all that machismo and willingly suspend your disbelief, then this 'caper' will be excellent airplane reading for three hours.

If you have already read MAYDAY You'll waste your money buying this book as it is the SAME.Very dissapointing as my husband really enjoys these books.

The book was excellent, as are all of Clive Cussler's books. Also the book arrived in an excellent condition.