Are you curious about the best Clive Cussler books? If so, take a look at a few options below, and consider adding them to your reading list.
There are a lot of amazing authors out there, and one of the most popular contemporary writers is Clive Cussler. He wrote 85 books that sold more than 100 million copies during his prolific literary career. He was a famous underwater explorer who went on several adventures in his own right, using his experiences to redefine a genre, leaving his mark on modern literature.
For more recommendations, you might also enjoy exploring authors like Harlan Coben, authors like Gillian Flynn, best detective novel series.
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Popular Clive Cussler Books
Take a look at a few of the top titles you should not overlook.
1. Pacific Vortex!
Pacific Vortex! is one of Cussler’s most popular books, published in 1983. One of his most famous characters, Dirk Pitt, takes center stage in this book. The story begins with him relaxing on the beaches of Hawaii, only to realize that something is floating in the ocean. There, he realizes that it is a communication capsule that used to belong to a United States Navy nuclear submarine.
Of course, similar to Cussler himself, Pitt is an avid adventurer, and he goes on a mission to find the missing submarine. Pitt finds out that it is a nuclear submarine with a nuclear arsenal, and the story only grows from there. This thrilling adventure is filled with twists and turns that have captivated people for nearly four decades.
2. Raise The Titanic
In 1976’s Raise the Titanic, a top-secret Pentagon program is working hard to advance technology quickly to give the United States the upper hand. It turns out that the secret to all of this is a rare mineral called Byzantium. The only twist is that it was located off the coast of the Soviet Union, which represents some apparent challenges.
So, what does the Titanic have to do with all of this? It turns out that the first crew that was sent to access this rare mineral was on the RMS Titanic, which sunk during its maiden voyage. Pitt has to deal with a conflict that makes for a thrilling adventure that everyone will love.
3. Deep Six
Deep Six is another one of Cussler’s most popular works. This 1984 release is about the President of the United States going missing when a natural disaster occurs in Alaska.
It seems like everything in this part of the country is dying, and it turns out that there is a synthetic poison that was never destroyed as it was supposed to. Now, it is being used as a weapon, killing countless people.
Pitt is sent to explore what is going on, but unfortunately, one of his team members is exposed to the poison. The plot focuses on a series of notable events in the United States, the Soviet Union, and a mysterious Asian company. It remains to be seen whether this is simply a conflagration of terrible events or if there is a conspiracy theory lurking underneath the surface.
4. Night Probe!
Night Probe! was published in 1981, and the name comes from an old diving term. This story takes place deep under the ocean waves, and people use “night probe” to describe what it is like to explore underwater caves.
Of course, Pitt is going to take center stage once again. This time, the adventure focuses not only on underwater exploration but also on the financial difficulties of the United States.
It all comes down to oil; the oil reserves of the United States are being significantly impacted. A massive trap contains millions of oil barrels found on underwater ocean floors. Now, the US is on the verge of losing everything, and there will be a lot of conflicts that arise to ameliorate a lot of the issues.
5. Iceberg
Iceberg is another thriller novel about Pitt. In this story, released in 1975, Pitt starts on vacation in California. Then, a coast guard plane discovers the remains of a missing yacht. In a frozen twist, it is locked in an iceberg.
It turns out the yacht was on a top-secret meeting. Now, it appears to be suspended in a frozen grave. Pitt goes off to try to solve another significant mystery.
6. Sahara
Sahara is a book published in 1992 that was later adapted for the big screen in 2005. The story begins in 1931 with a lady flying over the Saharan Desert; she runs into a sandstorm that throws her off her journey. Even though she landed on the ground alive, she is never found.
Flash forward to 1996, and a group of tourists comes to a deserted village. Unfortunately, they are attacked by cannibals hungry for human flesh, and only the tour guide can get away. Of course, this story will include Pitt, located somewhere in Egypt, going on a treasure hunt on the Nile River; he is subsequently sent to this village to investigate what is going on.
7. Inca Gold
Inca Gold is another popular thriller novel by Cussler. This story was initially set in 1532 and was published in 1994. A fleet of ships has landed on a mysterious island located in the middle of the sea. Supposedly, this treasure is worth more than anything else on Earth. Unfortunately, this fleet of ships has vanished into history, and countless people have tried to find it but have been unsuccessful.
Then in 1998, in the Andes Mountains of Peru, a team of archaeologists mysteriously disappeared on an exploratory mission. It just so happens that Pitt is on an expedition in the local area.
8. Treasure
Treasure is another adventure that focuses on Pitt. This time, instead of focusing on the Atlantic or the Pacific Ocean, this 1988 story takes place near the Library of Alexandria. Pitt discovers many lost treasures in the library, but he runs into a dictator ravaging international relations.
Furthermore, the Secretary-General of the United Nations is also on the run from a terrorist cell in the Middle East. This problem has been designed explicitly for Pitt and his team. Even though Pitt is distracted by the fantastic historical treasures discovered at the library, he understands that there are more important things that he needs to focus on.
9. Valhalla Rising
2001’s Valhalla Rising begins with a luxury cruise ship on a voyage with novel technology. Unfortunately, it catches fire and sinks on its first trip. Supposedly, none of its technology worked as it was supposed to. The sprinkler system did not respond, the alarm system did not work as it should, and the only sign that something was wrong with the smoke billowing from the ship when it caught fire.
When a team is sent to investigate, they are shocked at what they find. There is a tremendous amount of technology, history, and foul play involved, but what exactly is Pitt going to discover?
10. Dragon
Dragon is a story published in 1990 that focuses on nuclear war and potential blackmail. In 1945, the United States won World War II by dropping two atomic bombs on the Japanese home Islands. In this story, one of the bombers carrying the nuclear bomb was shot down on its way to Japan.
In 1993, a Japanese cargo ship headed to the United States was destroyed. This incident served as a pretext for the Japanese to conduct an underwater salvage mission. Now, multiple conspiracy theories are coming together.
11. The Chase
The Chase is a book that takes place in 1906. The western United States is still being developed, and the wild west is still very much alive. Unfortunately, this part of the country is also being terrorized by many bank robberies that do not exactly leave a lot of witnesses behind. Furthermore, the culprit continuously disappears, making it difficult to track them.
That is where a new character, Isaac Bell, enters the picture. He is an unparalleled detective, and it is his job to find the culprit and make sure the crimes are solved. Of course, he will run into a few problems, one of which is an earthquake that makes his job much harder.
12. Corsair
Corsair is a 2009 novel focused on Juan Cabrillo, the leader of a mysterious entity known as the Corporation. This is a private military company that is focused on modern technology while combining it with old freighters. Eventually, this company was assigned to locate the US Secretary of State, who was abducted while she was trying to broker peace in Libya.
Along the way, there are a lot of dangers this group encounters. They are looking for a mysterious, ancient ship that supposedly can bring peace to the Middle East. Do you
13. The Kingdom
The Kingdom is a fairly recent Cussler book from 2011 that focuses on the stories of professional treasure hunters; Sam and Remi Fargo. They are looking for a sacred object that is supposedly as large as a human being.
Of course, they are not the only people on the hunt for this unique treasure. Several business tycoons, including a wealthy oil baron, are after the historical item for nefarious purposes.
14. The Adventures Of Vin Fiz
The Adventures of Vin Fiz is one of the author’s most underrated works. This is a story that focuses on Lacey and Casey. The only dream they have is to fly; at the beginning of the book, they are approached by a mysterious person who can bring toys to life.
Eventually, the kids can make their dreams come true. They use the powers of this book to fly across the country to New York; however, they encounter a lot of danger along the way.
Their courage is put to the test, and they are discovered what they are truly made of. Even though this is meant to be a children’s book, older people will enjoy it.
15. White Death
White Death is the fourth book in the popular NUMA Files series. This 2003 book focuses on the tale of Kurt Austin, who teams up with the NUMA team to tackle a new adventure. Together, they form the Special Assignments Team, and he tackles the threat of a dangerous radical environmentalist group.
They find out that the group has trapped a ship full of people, but after they conduct a daring underwater rescue, they make a shocking discovery that something more nefarious is at work. They uncover evidence of a sea harvesting operation that threatens to disrupt the balance of political power and a unique ecosystem.
As the story unfolds, Kurt Austin comes into contact with Nazis, Basque separatists, and various other extremist groups that he has to fight against to save the day.
Clive Cussler Books in Order
Clive Cussler built five main adventure series, and each is best read in its own publication order rather than mixed together. The lists below cover every novel in each series in publication order, verified against Book Series in Order and Order of Books. Titles from 2004 onward increasingly carry a co-author, and since Cussler’s death in 2020 the series have been continued by those collaborators and by his son, Dirk Cussler.
Dirk Pitt series
| # | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1973 | The Mediterranean Caper (also: Mayday!) |
| 2 | 1974 | Iceberg |
| 3 | 1976 | Raise the Titanic! |
| 4 | 1978 | Vixen 03 |
| 5 | 1981 | Night Probe! |
| 6 | 1983 | Pacific Vortex! |
| 7 | 1984 | Deep Six |
| 8 | 1986 | Cyclops |
| 9 | 1988 | Treasure |
| 10 | 1990 | Dragon |
| 11 | 1992 | Sahara |
| 12 | 1994 | Inca Gold |
| 13 | 1996 | Shock Wave |
| 14 | 1997 | Flood Tide |
| 15 | 1999 | Atlantis Found |
| 16 | 2001 | Valhalla Rising |
| 17 | 2003 | Trojan Odyssey |
| 18 | 2004 | Black Wind (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 19 | 2006 | Treasure of Khan (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 20 | 2008 | Arctic Drift (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 21 | 2010 | Crescent Dawn (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 22 | 2012 | Poseidon’s Arrow (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 23 | 2014 | Havana Storm (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 24 | 2016 | Odessa Sea (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 25 | 2018 | Celtic Empire (with Dirk Cussler) |
| 26 | 2021 | The Devil’s Sea (by Dirk Cussler) |
| 27 | 2023 | The Corsican Shadow (by Dirk Cussler) |
NUMA Files series
| # | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1999 | Serpent (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 2 | 2000 | Blue Gold (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 3 | 2002 | Fire Ice (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 4 | 2003 | White Death (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 5 | 2004 | Lost City (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 6 | 2005 | Polar Shift (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 7 | 2007 | The Navigator (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 8 | 2009 | Medusa (with Paul Kemprecos) |
| 9 | 2011 | Devil’s Gate (with Graham Brown) |
| 10 | 2012 | The Storm (with Graham Brown) |
| 11 | 2013 | Zero Hour (with Graham Brown) |
| 12 | 2014 | Ghost Ship (with Graham Brown) |
| 13 | 2015 | The Pharaoh’s Secret (with Graham Brown) |
| 14 | 2017 | Nighthawk (with Graham Brown) |
| 15 | 2018 | The Rising Sea (with Graham Brown) |
| 16 | 2019 | Sea of Greed (with Graham Brown) |
| 17 | 2020 | Journey of the Pharaohs (with Graham Brown) |
| 18 | 2021 | Fast Ice (with Graham Brown) |
| 19 | 2022 | Dark Vector (by Graham Brown) |
| 20 | 2023 | Condor’s Fury (by Graham Brown) |
| 21 | 2024 | Desolation Code (by Graham Brown) |
Oregon Files series
| # | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2003 | Golden Buddha (with Craig Dirgo) |
| 2 | 2004 | Sacred Stone (with Craig Dirgo) |
| 3 | 2005 | Dark Watch (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 4 | 2006 | Skeleton Coast (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 5 | 2008 | Plague Ship (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 6 | 2009 | Corsair (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 7 | 2010 | The Silent Sea (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 8 | 2011 | The Jungle (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 9 | 2013 | Mirage (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 10 | 2015 | Piranha (with Boyd Morrison) |
| 11 | 2016 | The Emperor’s Revenge (with Boyd Morrison) |
| 12 | 2017 | Typhoon Fury (with Boyd Morrison) |
| 13 | 2018 | Shadow Tyrants (with Boyd Morrison) |
| 14 | 2019 | Final Option (with Boyd Morrison) |
| 15 | 2020 | Marauder (with Boyd Morrison) |
| 16 | 2022 | Hellburner (by Mike Maden) |
| 17 | 2023 | Fire Strike (by Mike Maden) |
| 18 | 2024 | Ghost Soldier (by Mike Maden) |
| 19 | 2025 | Quantum Tempest (by Mike Maden) |
Isaac Bell Adventures
| # | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2007 | The Chase |
| 2 | 2009 | The Wrecker (with Justin Scott) |
| 3 | 2010 | The Spy (with Justin Scott) |
| 4 | 2011 | The Race (with Justin Scott) |
| 5 | 2012 | The Thief (with Justin Scott) |
| 6 | 2013 | The Striker (with Justin Scott) |
| 7 | 2014 | The Bootlegger (with Justin Scott) |
| 8 | 2015 | The Assassin (with Justin Scott) |
| 9 | 2016 | The Gangster (with Justin Scott) |
| 10 | 2017 | The Cutthroat (with Justin Scott) |
| 11 | 2019 | The Titanic Secret (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 12 | 2021 | The Saboteurs (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 13 | 2022 | The Sea Wolves (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 14 | 2024 | The Heist (with Jack Du Brul) |
| 15 | 2025 | The Iron Storm (with Jack Du Brul) |
Fargo Adventures
| # | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2009 | Spartan Gold (with Grant Blackwood) |
| 2 | 2010 | Lost Empire (with Grant Blackwood) |
| 3 | 2011 | The Kingdom (with Grant Blackwood) |
| 4 | 2012 | The Tombs (with Thomas Perry) |
| 5 | 2013 | The Mayan Secrets (with Thomas Perry) |
| 6 | 2014 | The Eye of Heaven (with Russell Blake) |
| 7 | 2015 | The Solomon Curse (with Russell Blake) |
| 8 | 2016 | Pirate (with Robin Burcell) |
| 9 | 2017 | The Romanov Ransom (with Robin Burcell) |
| 10 | 2018 | The Gray Ghost (with Robin Burcell) |
| 11 | 2019 | The Oracle (with Robin Burcell) |
| 12 | 2020 | Wrath of Poseidon (with Robin Burcell) |
The Fargo Adventures follow married treasure-hunting couple Sam and Remi Fargo. Several of Cussler’s series continue to receive new posthumous entries beyond the titles listed above.
The Final Word On The Best Clive Cussler Books
These are just a few of the many adventure books that this famous American author published. If you are looking for a Pitt adventure, do not hesitate to check out the National Underwater and Marine Agency.
Every Pitt novel is excellent, with many of them landing on the New York Times bestseller list. At the same time, do not overlook the Fargo adventures, as they are unique. Both The Numa Files and The Oregon Files are worth exploring too.
