Raise the Titanic

By: Clive Cussler

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's Summary

A Sunday Times best seller

The fantastic fourth Dirk Pitt classic from multi-million-copy king of the adventure novel, Clive Cussler.

A tidal wave of pounding excitement from start to finish....

Two and a half miles beneath the icy North Atlantic, the mighty Titanic holds the key to the safety of the free world.

The Americans want it. So do the Russians. Ace maritime troubleshooter Dirk Pitt faces one of the most stupendous tests of courage and ingenuity ever. Raise the Titanic is a spellbinding blockbuster of action and suspense.

©2017 Clive Cussler (P)2017 Little Brown Book Group

Critic Reviews

"Cussler is hard to beat." ( Daily Mail)

"Clive Cussler is the guy I read." (Tom Clancy)

"The Adventure King." ( Daily Express)

Good from Cussler...

Raise the Titanic is the fourth book in the Dirk Pitt series. For a large part of the book Pitt takes a bit of a back seat, but is soon thrust forward into action as things get to the nitty gritty. The story centres around the US quest to recover some long lost minerals that have the potential to create a superweapon that could render Soviet missiles useless. Obviously, the Russians are keen on preventing the Americans in doing so.

A good story from Cussler, though not one of his best. Very enjoyable nevertheless.
Great narration from Scott Brick as always.

6 people found this helpful

Raise the titanic (Dirk |Piit )

Would you consider the audio edition of Raise the Titanic to be better than the print version?

with my job its opened the world to listen to great novels when on the road

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

not much of a twist it was were i thought the story was leading to

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

scott brick love the energy he puts in to these novels

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

yes but it would spoil that part but its refs an old man

Any additional comments?

so far its bottom of all the dirk pitt novels i have read easy listening and didnt have a twist i couldnt see coming but as with clive books still good listening

5 people found this helpful

Not Impressed

Some stories age well and others do not. Raise The Titanic is in the latter category. Not simply because the finding of the ship in question in 1985 and the state of destruction it was in rendered this story moot but the feel of the writing is very much of its time. This novel, according to the release year of the printed edition, was written way back in 1976 and it shows.

What sells this book is the Titanic itself and yet it is really only there as a secondary plot device for what this story really is, another Cold War espionage thriller. The story meanders its way along as the Americans desperately trace the whereabouts of the super rare element Bizanium. Like so many stories of this type and written in that era, the Americans and Soviets are highly cliched characters fitting the well worn stereotypes we have seen many times before. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just that there really isn't anything to make this particular story stand out from the pack within this genre and I feel that bringing the Titanic into this as really a bit of a cheap shot to sell the story.

As you can tell by now, Raise The Titanic did not impress me at all. I found the Titanic elements so implausible as to really take any credibility away from this plot element.. Even if the wreck had never been discovered in 1985, any reader with a modicum of understanding of the engineering involved in raising such a large wreck from over 12,000 feet down would see all the flaws in the writing.

In addition, the trapped submersible on the deck of the Titanic sub plot was also silly in its implementation as either the sub would've slid off the deck due to the hydrodynamic flow over it during ascent and the steep angle of the deck would drown all of the occupants anyway given their semi conscious state and just a mere 18 inches of air gap while on an even keel - just daft.

I know that such novels require a degree of leeway but this just goes too far. Even the rationale behind one character eluded me given he went insane for no reason I could really fathom. His actions were just odd to me as well as his wife who one minute was desperate to save their marriage and the next was off jumping into bed with the alpha male in this story who, by the way, managed to make use of a bed "once the rot was wiped off it" within the old reclaimed wreck .... what, are you kidding me?

I'm sure when first released this book may have been better suited to the audience at that time but it doesn't stand the test of time at all. As I recall and my memory is rather vague on this, I actually enjoyed the movie version of this more as it seemed to shift the real focus on raising the Titanic rather than have it as a book selling sub plot.

Suffice it to say that if this is one of Clive Cusslers best novels then I shall not be bothering to read any more of them.

1 person found this helpful

At last

I read this book as a child before the titanic was discovered and wondered if the titanic could be raised
As we know it will never be raised but this does not detract from the storyline which flows at a steady pace with lots of history and action
This has to be in every Clive Cussler collection I still have the original hardback edition but loves this book which the narrator brings the book to life

1 person found this helpful

One of my favorite books.

I have read this book many times and now can listen to it as often as I want to as well. Although it is dated it is still fun to read or listen to and one of my favorite Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt novels.

Probably better in 1976! - but still a good listen

Armed with a good amount of suspension of disbelief this is an enjoyable yarn. The cold war plot element more than anything reveals the age of the story. That's OK. This is a popular action adventure fiction story after all. And a competently woven story it is.

Today I probably would have enjoyed it more if the ship was a fictitious ocean liner and not the Titanic, but hey - in 1976 when the book was written it packed a punch. So yes, I liked it.

Skott Brick - great narration as usual.

Ok

I remember watching the movie when I was young and loving it. So I said I'd give the book a go when I saw it on audible. The first half was boring but when they raise the titanic it picks up. The book is very very dated. Also it has to be the most sexist book I ever read. Put it this way if you met Dirk Pitt in real life you'd make sure your wife was not with you as he'd probably slip into the toilet and have sext with her 😊. I won't be dipping my toe into Dirk Pity's world again .

Raise the titanic

One of the best books I have ever read in my life. I think this is a great book for all ages. In a nutshell 'U wot M8'

Slow at start

Book started a bit slow and at time was actually a little confusing, it wasn’t until about 3 hours in that it became clear. After that very good. Stick with it

More going on than the film

Brilliant story idea. Lots of twists and turns and more going on than the film version.
After hearing this I have a new found respect for Dirk Pitt adventures.
Obviously since James Cameron and others have found the actual Titanic and photographed it, we know it can never be salvaged, but never the less, this book makes it sound plausible had it not broken in two.
The film is flawed and dated, the book is a lot better, and let's be honest... That's usually the case.