Blue Gold : A Novel from the NUMA Files

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Reading a Clive Cussler novel is like watching several movies at once. He's a master of the jump cut, moving the action from one continent to another with an entirely different cast of characters, good guys and bad, in each place. He always manages to pull the various characters, plots, and counterplots together, though, and the heroes always triumph in the end after saving the world from eco-terrorists, megalomaniacs with their ambitions primed for world domination, and a few regular old criminals thrown in for good measure. In this new adventure from the National Underwater & Marine Agency (NUMA) files, Kurt Austin and his partner Joe Zavala nearly die during a powerboat race when a pod of dead, bloated gray whales bobs to the surface and obstructs the race course. Attempting to discover what killed the whales, Kurt and Joe track their migratory route to a mysterious underwater laboratory on the Baja Peninsula. Once again they narrowly miss death when the lab explodes, destroying their minisubmarine and almost poaching them alive. What seemed like a simple scientific investigation turns into something very different: a confrontation with a 7-foot Valkyrie who's bent on taking over the earth's depleted freshwater reserves. In order to thwart her plans, Austin and Zavala venture deep into the jungle of the Venezuelan rain forest to find a supposedly mythical tribal goddess (one with a Ph.D. in science, of course) whose secret formula to desalinate seawater can put the kibosh on the Valkyrie's plans. Helped by a husband-wife NUMA team who've already made the goddess's acquaintance, plus the always fascinating techno-toys so beloved of superheroes, Kurt and Joe save the day. But before they do, there's plenty of heart-stopping action, random acts of murder and mutilation, and even a little romance. Great pacing, plenty of gadgets, a strong narrative, and bigger-than-life heroes and villains. If you've run out of summer action flicks already, make your own popcorn and curl up with Blue Gold instead. --Jane Adams

Book Description

A Kurt Austin Adventure

In Serpent, his New York Times bestseller, Clive Cussler introduced Kurt Austin, a hero for the new millennium, and "created a new bunch of NUMA supersleuths who infused his work with a...jolt of energy" (The Denver Post). Now Austin and his crew slake their thirst for action as they attempt to drown an eco-extortionist's plan to control the world's freshwater supply.

BLUE GOLD

A Novel from the NUMA Files

From deep within the Venezuelan rain forest emanates the legend of a white goddess and a mysterious tribe with startling technical accomplishments. Few believe the tribe exists -- and even fewer suspect its deity may hold knowledge that can change the course of history.

For National Underwater & Marine Agency crew leader Kurt Austin, an investigation into the sudden deaths of rare whales leads him to the Mexican coast, where someone tries to put him and his mini-sub permanently out of commission. Meanwhile, in South America's lush hills, a specially assigned NUMA crew turns up the white-goddess legend -- and a murderous cadre of bio-pirates intent on stealing medicinal secrets worth millions. Soon Austin and his crew realize they're working the opposite ends of the same grand scheme. A billionaire California tycoon is poised to rise to power by monopolizing the earth's vastly depleted freshwater reserves and ultimately dominate the world.

Austin has a hunch Venezuela's mythical tribal goddess has some real roots in science, and may be the key to locating a secret formula that could turn vast amounts of seawater into fresh. But with each step into the bush, he and his NUMA team feel like fish out of water -- and must fight a deadly, twisting trail of enemies through a dense jungle of treachery, blackmail, and murder.

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In last season's trade paperback original Serpent, Clive Cussler introduced a new series, the NUMA Files, and a hero for the next millennium, Kurt Austin. Serpent was an immediate success -- it spent six weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and hit lists across the country as well. Now, in Cussler's latest NUMA Files adventure, Kurt Austin returns to slake his fans' thirst for action, and drown the plans of nefarious extortionists.

Earth is a paradox -- a fertile world three-quarters covered with water, yet in danger of running dry. Overuse and pollution have drained most of its fresh water, and scientist Francesca Carval's brilliant formula for desalination (a process to convert salt water into fresh) has vanished with her plane over South America. But when Kurt Austin and his NUMA team come across a pod of dead whales, their investigation takes them from the open oceans to the Venezuelan jungle -- where a hunt for Carval places them in the direct line of fire of a cadre bent on controlling the world's supply of fresh water.

With more than 100 million copies of his books sold worldwide, perennial bestselling author Clive Cussler is a publishing phenomenon. A world-class collector of classic automobiles, he has discovered more than sixty lost ships of historic significance with his own NUMA (National Underwater Marine Agency) crew of volunteers. He divides his time between Arizona and Colorado.

Customer Reviews:

Fun to read.......2007-08-02

This is not by any means a brain stormer - it are fun to read action packed stories with just enough dialog to keep things going. I compare Clive's books to a movie that doesn't tax the brain or require 3 1/2 hours of your life. It is not "epic" or historically(but you can def tell he likes his planes and guns, accurate details) important, its just fun. That is enough in this case.

More Cussler like than the recent Dirk Pitt novels.......2006-12-01

In all actuality I would probably give this book 3.5 stars as it is a fast paced and enjoyable read and employs all the trademarks of Clive Cussler's most successful works and few of the detraction's of his recent novels.

This is the second novel from the NUMA files featuring Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala. Their adventure begins when they are almost killed while racing speedboats they literally almost run into a pod of dead grey whales that have died from oxygen deprivation. Along the way Kurt and Joe manage to encounter a sociopathic blond Valkyrie, a mythical white goddess and escape numerous perils and traps set by the evil opposition.

What sets this novel apart (and above) the recent Dirk Pitt novels is that this novel has a more gritty, realistic approach. Even though the adventures are fantastic Kurt and Joe deal with them in a fashion that seems far more realistic and sensible than the characters in the recent Dirk Pitt novels. That and it is refreshing to see Clive Cussler and Paul Kemprecos design a plot that is as much about marine biology as it is the quest for world domination by the bad guys. In the early Dirk Pitt novels this was one of the strengths of Clive Cussler's work (that is the science and history behind the novel) and it seems that he has gotten away from those concepts and stretched the limits of plausibility to their furthest limit. It was refreshing to read a novel where the science and history once again seemed to blend effortlessly into the plot line instead of being forced. Blue Gold succeeds as a wonderful escapism novel because the authors stuck to doing what they do best

Excelent, as always.......2006-11-06

This book was an awsome read. The author has come to the top of his profession and is staying there!

Great Environmental Subjects and Actions.......2006-10-16

This is the second of Mr. Cussler's series on NUMA, with main protagonists: Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala. Similar to Clive Cussler's voyages and adventures novels with Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino, here Austin was tandemed again with Zavala.

Being one of Cussler's fan, I found that Blue Gold is a much better novel compared to his disastrous first effort on NUMA, titled "Serpent." Blue Gold emphasized a lot on environmental issues and the usual Cussler's thrills. I found during these last few years, Cussler's novels have became more "unrealistic". Blue Gold surpassed my expectations of a three star read, being finally rated by me as a four-star thriller, action and adventure read. It is a story about a megalomaniac (in this case, a seven-foot female) trying to conquer the world.

It is a real treat to have the Alaskan adventure, in-flight struggle of Dr. Cabral, the Venezuelan encounter, the Chulos, not to mention the Tahoe incident. Great adventures by Great Cussler!

One of his weakest books.......2006-04-03

Whatever it is but something is "wrong" with this book. It might be that I already read too many of Cussler's books before (15?) and therefore the stories and the course of events seem to repeat themselves. The reason could also be that the main characters are not Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino but Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala - even if they are nothing than younger and bigger than life versions of Dirk and Giordino. It might also be the slight change in writing style since Cussler teams up with Paul Kemprecos.

I cannot really put my finger on the reason why I was not thrilled by the book at all. The story is ok but quite simple and the heroes solve the riddles too easily and way too quickly.

For the non-native English speakers the book will be easy to read but it won't keep you glued to it all night long to finish it. It is not really boring but also nothing special.

Maybe you like the book better if this is your first Clive Cussler novel. But on the other hand there are a lot better books that can be recommended if you want to read one of his books!

Missing from Action: Vanishing Manhood in America

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Are men missing from action? YES!

Missing from Action: Vanishing Manhood in America
M. Weldon Hardenbrook
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0840731434

Customer Reviews:

Are men missing from action? YES!.......2002-06-06

What can be said about this book other than it is great. All men need to read it. Find out why we are so wimpy. Find out the truth about prohibition, for instance. Why is the church weak in America? Has manhood disappeared since the 60's or has it been in decline for a long period of time? And if the decline is not recent then why and how did it happen? Weldon Hardenbrook has created a masterpiece that answers these questions and many more. Better yet, he offers solutions to the problem of vanishing manhood. This is a must read for all men, it will explain a lot about yourself and your male friends. Other great authors on the topic of the American Male are George Grant and Gary DeMar. Oh, and add George Gilder's Sexual Suicide to the list.

Leave No Man Behind: Bill Bell and the Search for American POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War

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Americans in Vietnam
Bill Bell has a grip on the truth
The Author Is A Hero!
A cause, a vocation, a career?

Leave No Man Behind: Bill Bell and the Search for American POW/MIAs from the Vietnam War
Garnett "Bill" Bell , and George J. Veith
Manufacturer: Goblin Fern Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0964766345

Book Description

"Leave No Man Behind" is the powerful story of Garnett "Bill" Bell's quest, at great personal cost, to find and bring home the POWs and MIAs of the Vietnam War. With his encyclopedic knowledge of the Vietnamese Communists and his fluency in various regional dialects, he penetrated the system the Communists had created to exploit American POWs for diplomatic concessions, or their remains and personnal effects for financial rewards. In this book, Bell shares his perspective as a witness to history as it unfolded.

Customer Reviews:

Americans in Vietnam.......2007-02-08

It was fascinating to read and learn from this author, who is multi-lingual and deeply immersed in Vietnamese culture and history, as
well as American military experience. While the writing was not always as interesting as the subject matter, this book really brought home the passion and commitment of the author in finding out what happened to the many missing soldiers from the Vietnam War.

Bill Bell has a grip on the truth.......2006-01-30

Leave No Man Behind had me griting me teeth and cussing. The stonewall that Bill Bell runs into time after time, yet keeps getting up for more is remakable. I've always knew the MIA / POW issue hasn't been dealth with directly and honorably by the ones having the power to do so. Bill Bell breaks it down in an intelligent way for the rest of us, he's been there, done that. From the Vietnamese using our missing troops to ferther their agenda and look like the innocent, to our own people covering their ass with a smile, Leave No Man Behind connects the dots for me and gives hope that all the soldiers lost in Viet Nam will be found.

The Author Is A Hero!.......2004-12-19

"Leave No Man Behind" is the true guidepost to the painful saga of resolving the search for POWs and MIAs in Indochina. It should be required for anyone interested in the details and history of the quest. The author, a genuine hero, spent most of 20 years, 1973-1993, interviewing refugees, battling U.S. bureaucrats (military and civilian) and wrestling with Communist officials in Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. He was also this country's senior field investigator, searching remote crash and burial sites for remains of U.S. military. Along the way he was actively involved in the final evacuation from Saigon in 1975. He learned several distinct Vietnamese dialects, the better to communicate/negotiate with the adversary. Few Americans would be that conscientious. Those of us who have followed and supported the search for POWs/MIAs all these years know how venally, dishonestly and even cruelly the Vietnamese have acted. They deny storing remains and then repatriate bodies with obvious evidence of chemical storage. They allow us to "investigate" crash sites that have been clearly sanitized in advance. Bodies are dug up, moved and reinterred. After payment of search fees, permits, excavation fees and other "costs", remains are found! And so it goes, on and on, year after frustrating year. But when Vietnamese act that way, they are being themselves! How can we explain or describe American officials, civilian and military, who descend to the same level? Mr.Bell makes it perfectly clear that a POW assignment was all too often a just soft "REMF" job. These guys did not want too many POWs being repatriated all at once. How would that look? The longer the searches went on, the longer the comfortable gigs. In the words of a previous reviewer, the whole deal was nothing more than a meal ticket. This reviewer has always suspected that we were own worst enemy and the list of "usual suspects" is long and sickening. There is no doubt in this quarter that these quislings would never want any American MIA found alive. They would be too frightened to explain the reappearance! One specific suspect on the list of lowlife Americans is President Carter, who tried very hard to underfund the original search efforts and nip them in the very bud. Another is not President Clinton but John Kerry. He was so in love with normalizing relations with North Vietnam that his so-called Senate Select Committee swept whitewashed the entire POW/MIA effort. All so his family owned company received exclusive American rights to real estate deals in North Vietnam. How Mr. Bell kept his calm and perspective dealing with so man cowardly and selfish Americans is a mystery. This review could continue at great length, but I'm sure my amazon friends have the picture clearly. In a review of Bernard Fall's "Street Without Joy", this observer closed by writing that the author would be "a great guy to have a few beers with". I feel the same about Mr. Bell except that he would not have to pay for a round. The author is a true American hero. I'll conclude this review by restating that "Leave No Man Behind" is required reading for anyone concerned with the resolution of the 1,845 men still missing in Indochina.

A cause, a vocation, a career?.......2004-07-03

Whether or not a reader has the same take on the history of the POW-MIA issue as Bill Bell, most will be able to acknowledge that he took the issue to heart in a very active way. His commitment to the study of the languages of the region set him head and shoulders above the vast majority of NCOs and certainly all of the officers who were assigned to work the issue, and those linguistic skills for the most part served him very very well. Unfortunately, by the time Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia began to open up and the many years of almost hopeless interviews in refugee camps came to an end, the "issue" had devolved into a series of highly-publicized scams and silly bureaucratic turf struggles between bureaucracies with no missions, and inevitably was exploited by the odd politician or three. We ended up not serving the missing or their families as well as the naive among us would have expected. What was once a sacred cause degenerated into a comfortable meal ticket for many of those "involved," but in spite of all that, Bill often took stances which he knew would bring him his fair share of abuse. If anyone made an honest effort for an extended period of years, Bill did. Those that have hung on for decades sitting idle at the trough have much to answer for. Bill Bell was active in the pursuit of his life-defining mission, and that alone makes his writing worth our time and our respect.

Missing from Action: A Powerful Historical Response to the Crisis Among American Men

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Wonderful Guide to Christian Manhood

Missing from Action: A Powerful Historical Response to the Crisis Among American Men
Weldon Hardenbrook , and Terry Somerville
Manufacturer: Conciliar Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Guide to Christian Manhood.......1999-10-07

This is one of the best books I have ever read. Hardenbrook deals like no other author with the feminized male in American society. He offers good, solid solutions to the crisis among American males in historic Orthodox Christianity. A must-read for every Christian man.

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Missing from action: Vanishing manhood in America
Weldon M Hardenbrook
Manufacturer: T. Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Case of the Cat with the Missing Ear: From the notebooks of Edward R. Smithfield, D.V.M. (The Adventures of Samuel Blackthorne, Book One)

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Doggone Good Yarn
Excellent!
Fantastic!
A delightful mystery is intended for young adult readers
A fun read for all ages

The Case of the Cat with the Missing Ear: From the notebooks of Edward R. Smithfield, D.V.M. (The Adventures of Samuel Blackthorne, Book One)
Scott Emerson
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Guy Wire (Guy Series)

ASIN: 0689858612

Book Description

"And if I'm not mistaken," said Blackthorne, peering into the microscope, "we can narrow down our list of Mr. Kirkpatrick's visitors to a dalmatian, a Sussex spaniel, a poodle, a weimaraner..." -- Blackthorne looked up from the microscope -- "and an orange-haired cat."

Samuel Blackthorne, a Yorkshire terrier, is a master of observation and a genius of deductive reasoning who earns his living by unraveling mysteries and solving crimes.

When Molly Kirkpatrick, a sleek greyhound, comes to Blackthorne for help in finding her missing brother Patrick, a quiet accountant, it seems like a simple enough case. But the trail leads Blackthorne and his colleague, Smithfield, to the docks, the dog track, casinos, and all kinds of roguish characters. They are caught up in an increasingly convoluted web of deceit that involves the highest-ranking officials in the city -- and a mysterious, possibly deadly, cat with just one ear.

In this witty mystery Scott Emerson recounts the amazing adventures of Mr. Samuel Blackthorne, as revealed in the notebooks of Dr. Edward R. Smithfield.

Customer Reviews:

Doggone Good Yarn.......2007-05-28

I have a couple of issues about this book which prevent me from giving it an altogether hearty endorsement. First, it seems the casino-owner knows about the shanghaing before anyone tells him that's what happened. Next, the ending isn't as tidy as I would like. The criminal is still at large, even though his career as a politician is ruined, and he was not proven to be the murderer. Still, it was a lovely book with a Sherlock Holmes flavor. I agree with the others who claim that it doesn't patronize kids. When are we going to see sequels?

Excellent!.......2003-12-24

Set in late nineteenth century San Francisco, The Case of the Cat with the Missing Ear, from the very first page captured my attention and held it throughout. Mr. Emerson has written an intelligent and thoroughly gripping and rather humorous mystery with a cast of curious canine (and feline) characters. Samuel Blackthorn, a clever, cunning, and courageous Yorkie dogdetective, makes many friends and deals with canines a zillion times larger than himself -- which, after all, is to be expected in a town populated by pooches of every description. The imagery, such as the vivid description of the fog rolling down into the city at twilight, is truly fascinating! Wit and whimsey abound in this Sherlock Holmesian narrative, which I highly recommend to readers both young and old. I can hardly wait for the next adventure in the series! A very good read, indeed!

Fantastic!.......2003-10-23

The best book I've read in the last few years. There aren't many books between the reading level of Harry Potter and To Kill a Mockingbird. This is it. It's funny but doesn't treat kids like they aren't as smart as adults. This is a book for kids who love to read but have run out of good books. Although it says ages 8-12, I'm 40 and I loved it. Dog lovers of all ages will love it too.

A delightful mystery is intended for young adult readers.......2003-09-15

This delightful mystery is intended for young adult readers but is reviewed here for its ability to interest all age groups. Take a Yorkshire terrier investigator who is a master of deductive reasoning ala Sherlock Holmes, add some animals who come to him for help, and throw in a complex tale of deceit which involves high-ranking city officials and you have Adventures Of Samuel Blackthorne, a satisfyingly different and witty mystery.

A fun read for all ages.......2003-09-12

As I opened the book and read the first few pages, I knew I wouldn't be able to put it down until I had finshed the entire story! Mr. Emerson does an exceptional job of bringing story, location, and most importantly characters to life right in front of your eyes! This is a book to be enjoyed by readers of any age, and I anxiously await Mr. Emerson's next literary offering. A well earned 5 stars!!!

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Escape from Chi Minh (A Geneva book)
Tom Deptula
Manufacturer: Carlton Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Vietnam War | Military | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0806235152

Last Seen Alive: The Search for Missing Pows from the Korean War

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TOPS
Political science? Activist conscience! A must read!

Last Seen Alive: The Search for Missing Pows from the Korean War
Laurence Jolidon
Manufacturer: Ink-Slinger Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 096469820X

Customer Reviews:

TOPS.......1999-05-04

AS A FORMER KOREAN P.O.W IN 1951 IT MAKES ME GLAD I AM HOME. IT IS TOO BAD THE OUR GOVERMENT KEEPS STILL. I WAS CAPTURED WITH COL EDGAR TREACY JR. IN FACT IT IS A LINK OFF MY WEB PAGE CALLED CRAZY AS A FOX. THIS MAN SHOULD HAD RECEIVED THE C.M.O.H. http://www.fn.net/~sgt/

I picked my book up at Fort Hood Tx. and told others about it.

Political science? Activist conscience! A must read!.......1999-02-07

My brother is a casualty of the Korean War. He came back alive. He was never wounded, never captured. His patriotism was the casualty and his government the instrument of its death. What happened and how it happened will accompany him to his grave. Only the "why" can be understood from reading a book as good as Last Seen Alive.

What John M.G. Brown did in Moscow Bound with only 144 references, Jolidon expands here with photographs, maps and transcripts of official documents, including a list of 510 names of American POWs taken into the Former Soviet Union-given to Senator Bob Smith (R-NH) by the Russian Federation officials in February 1992.

The number of declassified documents unseen by POW activist and families continues to decline. In a year or two, as more is known, another edition of Last Seen Alive could be in order.

A trickle of South Korean soldiers coming out today-in their 60s and 70s-is proof that it is possible for American POWs to survive the most brutal environments of North Korea and China. Soon, let us pray, an American will come out of the Siberian gulags of the FSU as a Japanese WWII veteran did in April 1998.

"The best use of the truth about the events dealt with here is to light the dark pathways of the past, so that we can better see the future," Jolidon writes. What he is going for here is vital for our brave volunteers today and tomorrow.

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The Color of Credit: Mortgage Discrimination, Research Methodology, and Fair-Lending Enforcement.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Economic Issues
Reynold F. Nesiba
Manufacturer: Association for Evolutionary Economics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008DK8EW
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Economic Issues, published by Association for Evolutionary Economics on September 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1199 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Color of Credit: Mortgage Discrimination, Research Methodology, and Fair-Lending Enforcement.(Book Review)
Author: Reynold F. Nesiba
Publication: Journal of Economic Issues (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2003
Publisher: Association for Evolutionary Economics
Volume: 37 Issue: 3 Page: 813(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Journal of Stephen Reynolds

Manufacturer: Peabody Essex Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0914916807

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