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Dirk Pitt

 

Dirk Pitt, a blend of Indiana Jones (no hat and whip) and James Bond (without Martini and gun), is Clive Cussler's hero in many exciting and entertaining novels. The 1.86 tall, lean and muscular Pitt attended the Air Force Academy and holds the rank of Major. Professionally, he is the director of special projects for NUMA, the National Underwater and Marine Agency, an organization that seeks historic shipwrecks for exploration and maintenance.

 

Pitt’s weathered skin reveals that he is mostly out in the fresh air and is rarely spending time in the office. Because of his activities, he is in excellent physical condition. With his dark green eyes, his superior manners and his entire nature, he also knows how to attract women. Dirk Pitt is a person with high social skills.

 

Through his love of adventure, he is repeatedly exposed to horrifying dangers, sometimes completely innocently. According to Al Giordino, Pitt's best friend, Pitt is motivated by a desire to unravel the past.

 

When Dirk Pitt is not on a ship of NUMA in a remote corner of the earth traveling, he lives in an old hangar in a remote corner of the Washington Airport. This hangar looks old and rundown from the outside, but is backed up with a first class alarm system.

 

The enthusiastic old timer fan has placed an old three-engine aircraft and a Ford-iron bathtub with an outboard motor in this hangar next to his collection of vintage cars. On the mezzanine floor of the hangar is Pitt's comfortable apartment. His favourite drinks are dry martini with Bombay rum and Jack Daniels.

 

Clive Cussler, author of the Dirk Pitt series, has described the main character of his novels in great detail and at length, where Pitt can certainly be described as Cussler’s alter ego, except that he was not born in Newport Beach, California, the place where Cussler wrote the first two novels on his series hero.

 

Pitt received his first name from Cussler’s very young son, Dirk. Pitt's second first name is Eric, the same as Clive Cussler’s, and his father's first name was also Eric. Just like Cussler, Dirk Pitt also collects classic cars with a passion.

 

Features

One of the running gags of the books, is that Clive Cussler takes on small roles in each of his books. He had initially planned it as little joke but decided to keep this tradition alive, after it was met with great enthusiasm by his fans. Also a running gag is that Dirk Pitt wonders every time where he could possibly know Cussler from. Only he's not sure where he would have gotten to know him so well.

 

In the book Sahara, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino meet Clive Cassler, "The Kid", who states that is a gold hunter looking for a shipwreck.

In the book Inca Gold, he owns a pub named "Box Car Cafe", opened in an old saloon car.

In The Sign of the Vikings, Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino swim in the sea and are rescued by Clive Cussler, who comes straight with his catamaran.

In Black Wind, Cussler saves Dirk Pitt's son and his sister with his Chinese junk.

In the book Treasure of Khan, Cussler plays a school bus driver who gives Dirk Pitt and Al Giordino a ride.

In one of the books, Cussler is even standing right in front of Pitt's hangar to see his classic car collection. These are just some examples of how the author knows how to act as a small supporting role in his books.

 

 

 

Other Characters

Al Giordino, Best Friend

Al Giordino is quite small - only about 1.62 - but wears shoe size 45. His shoulders are massive and wide. He has inherited his dark wavy hair from his Italian ancestors. He has a dry sense of humour and is a constant and reliable companion and friend. In NUMA, he is Giordino Assistant Project Director.

 

For years, Al has been stealing weekly two expensive cigars from his friend and boss Admiral James Sandecker. He smokes cigars in his presence and always explains to him that he had bought these cigars in a small shop, whose name just slipped. Not even Dirk Pitt knows how Al Giordino can steal these cigars.

 

Hiram Yaeger, Computer Expert for the NUMA

Hiram Yaeger is the Head of Communication and Information Department of the NUMA and was headhunted by Admiral Sandecker, head of NUMA, from a company in Silicon Valley. Hiram Yaeger maintains a digital library in his department, where all the articles and books that were ever written can be retrieved.

 

Yaeger has the face of a troll and wears his straight blond hair tied back in a ponytail. He also has a beard with long ringlets. The man with the round wire-rimmed glasses usually runs around dressed very sloppily, but his work is regarded as quite ingenious.

 

Admiral James Sandecker, Head of NUMA

The rather small and slender Admiral Sandecker is the leader of NUMA and therefore superior of Pitt, Giordino and Yaeger. He moves with fast, high-energy steps, his motion being similar to a cat. Sandecker has mahogany red hair and wears a neatly trimmed Van Dyke beard. He is always properly dressed and wears a gold watch with an ivory dial.

 

Admiral Sandecker smokes expensive cigars brand Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur. Each week two of them disappear and it drives him mad not knowing how Al Giordino does it. This banter has been going on for a long time and has not hurt the friendship between the two men.

 

St. Julien Perlmutter, Ship Expert

A friend of Dirk Pitt, whom he visits regularly if he believes that the cosy ship expert could assist in addressing a question.

 

The Adventures of Dirk Pitt

Pacific Vortex! (1983)

The Mediterranean Caper

Iceberg (1975)

Raise the Titanic! (1976)

Vixen 03 (1978)

Night Probe! (1981)

Deep Six (1984)

Cyclops (1986)

Treasure (1988)

Dragon (1990)

Sahara (1992)

Inca Gold (1994)

Shock Wave (1996)

Flood Tide (1997)

Atlantis Found (1999)

Valhalla Rising (2001)

Trojan Odyssey (2003)

Black Wind (2004)

Treasure of Khan (2006)

Arctic Drift (2008)

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