This series used to be a lot more fun. Either I've matured, or the melodramatic prose has just gotten worse. This story concerns a biological terrorist attack planned against the United States. It offered some interest as it described submarines built with floating hangars for launching sea planes, which I did not know existed before reading this book. The Japanese I-400 class actually had disassembled seaplanes which could be quickly reassembled and then floated where they could take off.And there was the occasional great line, a la the OLD JAMES BOND type humor. In one scene, our hero takes out a guy by throwing an iron at him. In the next scene another guy asks him what took him so long and he says, "I had to get some things ironed out!" a GREAT LINE!Cussler also writes some interesting stuff about antique cars and a picture of the car that appears in the book almost always (as it does here) appears as a photo on the back cover. In this case, it is a 1958 Chrysler 300-D convertible, a rather rare model. It is indeed a beauty.The story is typical PULP adventure, full of the characters we've come to know and love, well, tolerate. The hero of this one is Dirk Pitt, jr. though the old Dirk still shows up from time to time. His twin sister, Summer, also plays a pivotal role in the story.That pretty much sums up the good stuff-- Now the bad.....The bad guys seems to always opt to leave our heroes in certain death situations where a bullet to the head would stop the hero dead in his tracks. TWICE, in this novel, the bad guy leaves Dirk tied up somewhere where certain death should ensue when he should have just shot him. STUPID! Cussler regularly inserts himself into his novels and I'm sorry, the first time or two it was funny, but this time it was utterly ridiculous as the author himself becomes a hero by saving Dirk and Summer. STUPID!Summer picks up a nail file... of course it will play an important part in the story and becomes an integral part of an escape. STUPID!Then, there are the really lame lines:"An impressive display, but regrettably it will be your last.""I'm afraid Kang has an appointment with the Grim Reaper""Your ride is over, Kang. Enjoy Your Stay in Hell"I keep saying I'm going to stop reading these books, but then I find I have another one on my shelf and I pull it down and try again. To be fair, Cussler knows his ships, his planes, and his cars... and that certainly keeps the series interesting.. but having to wade through all the other stuff.
The fatigue will kill you...At the end of World War II the Japanese army was prepared to embrace some desperate measures. By creating a revolutionary new strain of a deadly virus they hope to turn the stakes on that dreadful war. Blah, blah. They have one small problem: how to get that evil concoction distributed on American soil? Ah, here is the solution: lets launch it from a submarine. No that won't work. Maybe we can drop it from an aeroplane that takes off from a submarine? Cool idea, let's do that. Of course, in the end things turned out a little bit different, because as far as we know there was never a viral attack from our Japanese friends. Really? But jeez, what happened to that deadly virus?Dark Wind is the first project where father and son Cussler work together. Yeah, this is bound to be a great idea, not? Well, this book is like all the other Cussler-thrillers not really ashamed to be a bit formulaic and naive. So, that is certainly no reason to dislike Dark Wind. For starters, you won't expect to get a John Le Carré-novel when you get a hold of some Cussler-adventure. And secondly, who cares... as long as you get some enjoyment out of it. It's supposed to be just entertainment. Not? Well, that is exactly what is wrong with this novel: it's boring, predictable, stupid, far-fetched, childish... do I need to continue? It reads like it was been written by a 12-old boy. I was under the impression that the son of Clive Cussler was a few years older, but I can be mistaken. I am so annoyed by this dreadful waste of paper that I cannot be bothered to get the right arguments...Do yourself a favour and throw this book away... far away (as long as you recycle it, this stays cool).
What do You think about Black Wind (2006)?
There isn’t a Clive Cussler novel I don’t like. Each one gets me sucked in and refuses to let me go until the book is completely read. What makes the action packed novel even better is the way Cussler incorporates history into each of his books. He didn’t disappoint me in Black Wind.Toward the end of World War II, a Japanese submarine reaches the shores of America ready to disperse biological warfare that had never been seen to that date. It is unable to unleash the Black Wind as an American naval ship plows into it sinking it to the bottom of the ocean. All remains quiet until mysterious Asian men begin a dance with the world to retrieve the deadly cargo and create something even more lethal. It is up to Dirk Pitt, Dirk Junior, and Sumer Pitt to save the day though each one is faced with losing their life more than once.Black Wind was full of the usual intricate plots and subterfuge Cussler is well known for. Action, mystery, betrayal, and romance all can be found in this novel.Having the children of Dirk Pitt involved in the story was fun. I really enjoyed it. It made a Dirk Pitt novel different than it had been before. Many have complained of this, but I saw it as an expansion of a line of novels that is heading into a new generation.As I said before, the fact that Cussler incorporates history into the story makes it even more interesting. He takes historical facts and adds to them giving them a more sinister twist and explores more ‘what if’ scenarios. For me, after reading his books I want to explore the true history of what he brings in and learn more about it. That makes it a very successful ‘history’ book in my eyes.It is full of technical jargon though the author explains most of it for those of you like me who can’t understand all of it including the science side of it. Those parts of the book do take me longer to read, but the majority of the time the information is critical to understanding the plot.Want some adventure? Want some action? Like gun scenes? Love history? Like science? Then any Cussler book will be a good read for you. If World War II, specifically the Pacific Theatre, is what you are interested in, this is for sure a book you need to look into.Note: This book was purchased with my own funds.
—Rebecca Graf
This book was TERRIBLE!!!!!!Ok, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's be a little more coherent, eh?Black Wind would have been a decent book if it werent for the author himself. The writing style is slow and boring. There's plenty of action but it is constantly disrupted by technical descriptions of rockets, or submarines, or biological warfare, or whatnot. It made even the most action packed scenes boring as all hell. Now onto the characters. By all rights and laws of nature, THESE PEOPLE SHOULD BE DEAD 4 TIMES OVER! AT LEAST!! Unrealistic escapes and luck, coupled with amazing intelligence, humor, looks, and skill make the characters irritating and flat. And those 'clever' little one line jokes the characters say at nearly even chapter end? Made me want to rip the pages out!Oh and the author writing himself into the book? How arrogant and egotistical!Oh well, done with the rant now I think. Definitely a book I will not be reading again, along with anything else by this boring, conceited author.
—Jenn
really awesome book and audio tape, of which i have both. i think it's a little bit more informative than his others, in the way of explaining historical events etc. he does this in all his other books but this one just seems more interesting, especially for those who enjoy warfare adventure. based on events during World War Two, it emphasizes the chemical warfare that could have potentially happened during the war & who the brains were behind the "technology". those of whom have read clive's earlier novels, this one is involving the main character's son, dirk pitt junior. not to be rivaled by his father, he provides a solid character with more spunk but has the same passions his father does. clive cussler brings adventure and history together every time and you won't be disappointed by this one!
—Kris
