Corsair (The Oregon Files)

I have noticed several reviews which acknowledge Clive Cussler's writing on Corsair--but I would like to clear something up: the Oregon Files books are NOT written by Cussler...NONE of them were. The first couple were written by Craig Dirgo (and were abysmal btw), and the rest have been authored by Jack DuBrul. Sure, Clive comes up with the story outline and makes suggestions here and there, but the ACTUAL novel is written by DuBrul.

Okay--enough of that...on to the review: Jack has outdone himself here with Corsair. This is one of those books where you either like it or not (for the most part anyway). Face it, some people have a talent for accepting a story, whether outlandish or not, and some want 100% authenticity throughout or it borders on pure drivel. While I'll admit that there are some places where authenticity are stretched a bit thin--but honestly, I don't CARE. Cussler has written several novels that border on outright science fiction (the base on the moon comes to mind...) and yet nobody seems too concerned with that...so perspective, folks...perspective.

DuBrul is a great writer and I've said for quite some time now that I've felt that if ANYONE in the action/adventure arena has the writing chops to de-throne Cussler, it's him...and I'd say Corsair goes a LONG way towards proving my point. Paul Kemprecos has managed to mirror Cussler's writing style MUCH better than Clive's son has in the last several Dirk Pitt stories. Reading the NUMA Files books are (for ME anyway) as close to reading a Cussler novel the way he USED to write back in the day as you can find. DuBrul's style is certainly every bit as cinematic as Clive's but also quite different. He places his own imprint on each story making it as unique to him as the earlier Pitt novels are to Cussler.

Again, the story is well told if not a bit far-fetched in a few places, but for THIS reader, that did NOTHING to alter my pure enjoyment of the latest Oregon Files tale. DuBrul really IS one of my favorite authors writing today and while I really, REALLY like his books with Cussler, I'm waiting to read another thriller featuring Phillip Mercer and his elderly half-drunken sidekick. Please tell me I won't have to wait much longer...???

Jack: WELL done! Now GET BUSY and bring back Mercer, dangit!

Most authors strive to make their plots believable. Not Clive Cussler. In the Oregon series, he and his co-authors can almost be seen inventing one fantastic thing after another as they sketched out the plot for "Corsair".

And "Corsair" by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul is just plain fun because of it. There isn't even the barest attempt at making the plot plausible - and that makes it all the more fun. "Corsair" is pure fantasy, pure action adventure.

As often is the case with a Cussler novel, it opens with a flashback, this time to the Muslim pirates of the Barbery Coast and a naval battle in which an American sailor first shoots and then saves the life of a Muslim captain. The American officer, supposedly spends two years with the Muslim, Sulieman Al-Jama, a former Iman turned pirate and infidel killer.

Flash forward two hundred or so years and the United States Secretary of State Fiona Katamoro is winging her way toward Tripoli, Libya where a momentous peace conference is to get underway. The hopes of the world are raised because of the wondrous intelligence, skills, experience and beauty of the Secretary of State - all of Cussler's heroes are more or less better than perfect examples of humanity.

Well Secretary of State Katamoro has a little difficulty getting to her destination: her aircraft has apparently crashed and she is not be found.

Just before this, a familiar character in Cussler's Dirk Pitt and Oregon series, St. Julian Perlmutter, gourmand, intellectual, bon vivant and maritime historian, browses the letters of Henry Lafayette, the man who save and then lived with Sulieman Al-Jama so long ago. According to the long ignored letters of Lafayette, Al-Jama had recanted his belief that all infidels must be killed or enslaved and instead came to believe that Islam and Christianity should and must co-exist.

This would be handy because of the peace conference and because a modern day Muslim terrorist has adopted the name of Sulieman Al-Jama and is making regular video appearances beheading infidels.

Now at last to the Oregon. The Oregon appears to be a dilapidated 534' long freighter. But the old wreck really disguises a fantastic ship inside called the Oregon. The Oregon is an advanced intelligence, oceanographic, combat and everything else vessel captained by Captain Juan Cabrillo, dashing man about the world's oceans, former CIA operative, brilliant strategist, tactician, judge of fine cigars, wine and women. He also has but one leg. The Oregon is fitted with a revolutionary = and purely imaginary - propulsion system. It also bristles with more armaments than most modern warships, more electronics than the NSA and is crewed by the most brilliant men and women in the world, all of whom are great scientists, technologists, doctors, engineers, helicopter pilots, what have you. The men are all handsome and the women beautiful. Cussler is not one for understatement - ever.

When Katamoro's plane disappears, there is an archaeological dig going on in Tunisia for Roman ruins - but four of the team members are actually looking for Sulieman Al-Jama's testament of peace.

Now to cap it all, Libya has a new foreign minister who shot from obscurity only months earlier.

Bear in mind, this is just the background.

Events start moving fast and furiously. Whenever Cabrillo or one of the Oregon appears to be any danger, Cussler and Du Brul pull another rabbit out of the hat. And another. And another and then some more. The two of them are storytellers of the kind who will invent on the spot just to keep their listeners enthralled.

And the result is an action packed novel, filled with entirely unbelievable characters, unbelievable plot twists, unbelievable action. In a word, it's great!

Things roll along quickly and although you know Cabrillo will triumph in the end, just as they have in the five prior novels, Cussler and Du Brul still manage to keep the tension high.

These are two master storytellers at work and they don't miss a beat. This is just a plain, fun read. Suspend your need for credibility - and just enjoy the action.

Jerry

Once again Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul have collaborated on a terrific book. I enjoy the Dirk Pitt novels, but the Oregon Files definitely give them a run for their money. St. Julian Perlmutter is the cross-over character that sets the modern-day plot of this story in motion. Unlike NUMA, the Oregon crew tackles some really gritty assignmnents on both land and sea. The action is fast paced and there are numerous allusions to Pitt, NUMA, and previous story lines. The authors also tip their hats to Coleridge, Doyle, Indiana Jones, and the long-defunct "E" ticket at Disneyland. All in the spirit of good fun. It's the kind of book that you don't want to see come to an end. When will we see Juan Cabrillo and company again?

Jack Du Brul mentioned in one of the blogs on his website that friends have told him this is the best book he has ever written. I would have to say that is very close to true. His Philip Mercer series is to me, the best series ever written behind Dirk Pitt. This book is so good I cannot wait until he releases the next book in his own series. His writing has improved so much with each book I cannot wait. He started writing at such a level it seems like so long a wait until his next entry. This was a book I could not put down; I only did because I have to make a living.

I read in an interview, at one time, that when Clive Cussler brought on Paul Kemprecos as a coauthor he wrote the outline, and Paul wrote the actual book. I don't claim to know the process, but I would be willing to bet it is close to the same with Jack. The writing style is undeniably Jack. I believe that one day, forbid, Jack will overcome Clive as the King of Action-Adventure. No disrespect to Clive, he is my favorite author of all time and Jack is obviously heavily influenced by him, but I believe Jack will carry on the torch for him.

Okay, enough of the doting, let's get to the book. There will not be any spoilers here; you can read the synopsis on the jacket of the book. What a better plot device than pirates, past and present? The plot is historic, present, and progressive. You have lots of action, much over the top, but what else do you expect from a Clive Cussler book. Any Clive Cussler or Jack Du Brul fan will definitely not be disappointed; it may even add a lot of new fans.

I highly recommend this book, and Jack Du Brul I anxiously await your next Philip Mercer novel, your releases are marked on my calendar.

I have gotten 1/3 of the way through this book and cannot imagine I will finish it. The characters are so busy trying to save the lives of murderers and feeling sorry for those they kill, even after watching them murder children, that it makes me want to puke. This attitude is what paints targets on the backs of Americans and on America, all over the world. Scum bags feel they can attack us and we will respond by telling them we are so sorry for causing them trouble. Murderers and pirates should be dealt with quickly and with brutal finality... ALL of them!

During the days of the Barbary pirates, a brave soldier was washed overboard with the pirate leader Suleiman al Jama, who hated all Christians. The soldier saved the pirate's life, and they wound up not only living in peace, but becoming great friends. After the experience, Al Jama, who was also a Muslim religious leader, wrote about how Christians and Muslims could live together in harmony, but his writings were lost over time.

In the present day, there is a new pirate terrorizing the seas, also calling himself Suleiman al Jama, and he's got big plans that will do anything but make peace. His people kidnap the Secretary of State of the United States, and al Jama plots to destroy a peace conference slated to occur in Libya. It's just his bad luck that he's in the sights of Juan Cabrillo. Juan is captain of the Oregon, a state-of-the-art research and warship that is often for hire to the government of the United States when there's a job that's just too delicate or tricky to be handled by ordinary means. Cabrillo and company not only unravel al Jama's plans to murder the Secretary of State and plunge the world into warfare, they also manage to solve an old mystery and restore political balance in Libya.

I read a lot of action thrillers, but I still can't quite put my finger on why Clive Cussler novels are so much better than everything else. They just are. The action is nonstop as our heroes dodge bullets, fire rockets, and solve ancient mysteries, yet they are not constantly on the run. They take the time to stop and think things through, and while not invincible, they do fight their battles from a position of power. Any book with Cussler on the cover is a guaranteed good read, and these days, the Oregon Files are the best action books on the shelves.

I have read everything Clive Cussler has authored. My overwhelming disappointment in the recently released literary failure, Arctic Drift, has been sidelined by the enthusiastic success of CORSAIR! A great page-turner from the opening paragraph to the very last word. Welcome back Juan Cabrillo and the Oregon dream team! This was a completely enjoyable read and my only criticism is that I finished it too fast because I couldnt put it down! Five-Star recommendation!

No writer does heroes with the flair that Cussler unapologetically delivers. In the ninth Oregon files novel, Corsair, Cussler (with co-author Jack Du Brul) presents protagonist and hero Juan Cabrillo as a ship's captain who, like Stephen Decatur before him, challenges and defeats Barbary pirates. Cabrillo is cool, especially when under fire. Corsair is filled with tension, high energy, toys and tricks that provide jolly reading entertainment. The real-life exploits of Somali pirates add to the timeliness of Corsair.

Rating: Three-star (Recommended)

This was a very fast moving and enjoyable book. It was typical of the action packed Oregon Files books series.

As of today, I have read all but 3 of the works from Clive Cussler. Outstanding author, his books are hard to put down once you start. His research and writing style are hard to match. Buying used books through Amazon.com is the way to build a library of your favorite author.