Clive Cussler was born on the 15th of July 1931 in Illinois and has become very famous due to his highly successful adventure novels. After a career in the US Air Force, Cussler turned his hand to writing and his most famous creation is Dirk Pitt, a marine engineer cum adventurer. At the moment Cussler has written twenty one novels that centre on Dirk Pitt, the first “The Mediterranean Caper” was published in 1973.

As well as his series of novels that focus on Dirk Pitt, Cussler has also written several other series, including the NUMA files, the Fargo Adventures, the Oregon files and Isaac Bell stories. Most of Cussler’s work reflects his own personal interest in underwater exploration, and his expertise makes his books sound all the more realistic for it. His books are regularly bestsellers, and as there are so many of them, it is worth giving a couple of them a read- if you really like them you then have enough reading material to last you for years!

The Mediterranean Caper
If you haven’t read any of Cussler’s books yet, then it makes sense to start with his first, as many series that feature the same character have a level of assumed knowledge in later books- imagine trying to start reading the Harry Potter books from book 3- they still make sense but it is a lot easier to follow the story from the very start. In the book, Dirk Pitt is sent to the Aegean to discover the causes behind a series of mishaps that keep happening to a research vessel, First Attempt. Pitt soon discovers that all is not well, and is taken captive by a mysterious Bruno Von Till but manages to escape and later learns of Von Till’s true objectives – he is a world class smuggler.

Golden Buddha
Golden Buddha is the first book in the Oregon Files series, and the series follows the adventures of Juan Cabrillo, the captain of a ship named the Oregon which is owned by a mysterious organisation called “The Corporation.” The Oregon however is no ordinary ship, rather a high tech vessel full of technology and a capable crew who take jobs intelligence agencies in order to prevent terrorism and other high level crimes. In “Golden Buddha,” the team on board the Oregon is tasked with retrieving a golden statue of Buddha that was stolen from the Dalai Lama, yet their actions will also determine the freedom of Tibet but they are up against serious opposition.

Spartan Gold
The first book in the Fargo adventures, a series that focuses on Sam and Remi Fargo, a couple who are professional treasure hunters. In Spartan Gold the couple discover the key to finding one of the greatest treasures of all time, lost thousands of years ago but discovered by Napoleon Bonaparte, who left the clues that Sam and Remi find. However, with such an incredible treasure to be found, they are up against serious opposition.