Want a NOOK? Explore Now
Clive Cussler is the author of many New York Times bestsellers, most recently The Spy and Lost Empire. He lives in Arizona.
Paul Kemprecos has coauthored all five previous NUMA Files novels with Cussler and is a Shamus Award-winning author of six underwater detective thrillers.
Cussler is an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers have discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In September, 1998, NUMA - which turns over all artifacts to state and Federal authorities, or donates them to museums and universities - launched its own web site for those wishing more information about maritime history or wishing to make donations to the organization. (www.numa.net).
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler is also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He has been honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. The author lives in Arizona.
Biography courtesy of Penguin Group (USA)
The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered Cussler's 1996 nonfiction book, The Sea Hunters, equivalent to a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in 1997.
Cussler is a fellow in the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London, and has been granted the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Anonymous
Posted February 21, 2010
THESE TYPES OF THINGS ARE ALMOST TO CLOSE TO REALITY.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 26, 2009
I couldn't put the book down!! Just wanted to keep on reading to see what would happen next!!!!
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 16, 2009
I Also Recommend:
this book is a dramatic book that includes science within it and alot of action through out the entire story from giant waves to car chases to gun fights, this book has alot in it and is very long. It could of made the book into multiple stories but it left you to fill in the blanks, I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO PEOPLE WHO LIKE SCIE FI AND LONG DRAMATIC BOOKS
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted April 15, 2008
60 years ago, A Hungarian genius discovers how to trigger a Polar Shift, a phenomenon that disorients animals and damages electrical equipment. When the Southern Belle, an elegant ocean liner, falls to freak waves in the northern Atlantic Ocean, it starts raising questions. Where did these 100 ft. waves come from? No one has seen them before. As they start their research, they begin to realize that there is actually a very big problem here. Austin and Zavala, part of the Numa (national underwater marine agency) Special Assignments Team, decides to set up a team to hunt the Southern Belle down and find some answers being that no one has been able to find the ship. While on the search, they are caught in a huge storm that came out of nowhere and are being sucked into the middle of a whirlpool. As his partners are being whirled around and around, closing in on certain death, Austin is faced with saving his friends. Austin then realizes that someone else is behind this when they find a ship that is housing an electronic cone device that was being put in the water. Austin, being the courageous man he is, starts his investigation to find out who is behind all this madness. Later he finds that an anti-globalization group plans to use it to give the world¿s industrialized nations a small jolt and then reverse it back, but only one problem. The shift can¿t be reversed. He goes through many twists and turns, chasing fugitives and people that are out to kill him and others. This book is very exciting and full of surprises. It¿s full of enjoyment and will keep you entertained and on the edge of your seat at all times.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted August 11, 2006
Whirlpools, tsunamis and rogue waves are occuring suddenly and simultaneously world-wide. Kurt Austin and his NUMA team quickly discover that there is a consortium behind these unnatural events. Will they manage to save the world (yet again)? Far-fetched but persuasive as always, Polar Shift is a fun, fast ride.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 11, 2006
I've read every Clive Cussler book I can get my hands on and I own quite a few of them, you want adventure he'll give it to you.I was fortunate enough to meet Clive and his son Dirk, how I enjoyed listening to what they had to say, amazing people,I can easily loose myself in any of his books, I do like Dirk Pitt and sweet Al, but Kurt Austin is getting my vote also, I love adventure and Mr. Clive Cussler is the Master!! I will read every book I get more than once.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 7, 2005
I enjoyed every chapter of this book.The author had no problems getting the point or objective across to the reader.And he did it wonderfully in this fast-paced technothriller. Clive Cluster accomplishes one of the greatest anti-globalization messages I have ever read with this book.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted November 6, 2005
Been reading this series a long time. It was a good book but not like the ones with Dirk Pitt and his gang! I am glad I borrowed it instead of buying it
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted January 3, 2006
After watching the movie 'Sahara,' I decided to give Clive Cussler a chance for the first time. I didn't expect great literature, but I at least thought I'd get good writing and an exciting story. Unfortunately, I found the story good, not great, and the writing mediocre. Okay, so all of the important characters have movie-star looks, everyone is one-dimensional (the good guys are completely good, and the baddies are 100% evil), and our hero falls for the damsel-in-distress (and of course, she couldn't possibly resist him!). I can live with that, as long as the story is exciting enough to keep me reading and the writing is good enough not to distract from the flow. Sorry, but Cussler and his buddy fail on both counts. Here's one small but typical example--when the evil genius gives orders to kill someone, he says, 'Make it look like an accident...maybe an explosion in his office.' What?!? How many people do you hear about dying from accidental office explosions? This man is a genius? I hope that Clive Cussler's earlier stuff is better than this...lots better. Perhaps he's gotten lazy. That would fit with his having a cowriter (see Tom Clancy's Net Force boilerplate material). I may try Cussler one more time and read a Dirk Pitt novel, but only after a year or two to lose the bad taste in my mouth.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted October 12, 2005
How many times can someone write about billionaire meglomaniacs trying to cause world havoc & a small group of scientists that save the world by a miracle? AND it still seems new & fresh?? Clive Cussler is still keeping us on the edge of our seats & keeping us up until 3 am because we can't put Polar Shift down!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 16, 2005
Lest anyone be concerned that the master has lost his touch...Polar Shift will disabuse them of that notion in a hurry! The conclusion alone is worth the price of the book! Highly reco'd for fans and non-believers alike!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 13, 2005
I have read everything Mr. Cussler has written. His last two books have, to me, been sub-par in story line. I kept waiting for this book to get better and, finally, was a little angry I wasted my time reading the whole book. Very weak story line, lack of any constant gripping action like his other books.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 2, 2005
I also am an avid fan of Mr. Cussler and have been reading his work for over 20 years. One of my prized possestions is a signed edition of Valhalla Rising. I have not yet read Polar Shift as I am currently half way through The Lost City. I too was slow to warm up to Kurt Austin even though, living in the Pacific NW, I enjoy Kurt's roots to Seattle.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted February 2, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted March 27, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted March 27, 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted February 12, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted October 13, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted January 27, 2010
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted March 23, 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
Polar shift: It is the name for a phenomenon that may have occurred many times in the past. At the very least, it disorients birds and animals and damages electrical equipment. At its worst, it causes massive eruptions, earthquakes, and climatic changes. At its very worst, it would mean the obliteration of all living matter, and if that happens-exit Earth.Sixty years ago, an eccentric Hungarian genius discovered how to artificially trigger such a shift, but then his work was lost, or so it was thought. Now, the charismatic leader of an anti-globalization group plans to use the work to give the world's industrialized nations a small jolt, then reverse ...