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Oregon Files #5
Plague Ship
"For four novels, Clive Cussler has charted the exploits of the Oregon, a covert ship completely dilapidated on the outside but on the inside packed with sophisticated weaponry and intelligence-gathering equipment. Captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo and manned by a crew of former military and spy personnel, it is a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it - and now Cussler sends the Oregon on its most extraordinary mission yet."
The crew has just completed a top secret mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf when they come across a cruise ship adrift at sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck, and, as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner's sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself plunged into a mystery as intricate - and as perilous - as any he has ever known and pitted against a cult with monstrously lethal plans for the human race ... plans he may already be too late to stop.
The crew has just completed a top secret mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf when they come across a cruise ship adrift at sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck, and, as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner's sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself plunged into a mystery as intricate - and as perilous - as any he has ever known and pitted against a cult with monstrously lethal plans for the human race ... plans he may already be too late to stop.
515 pages, Hardcover
First published June 3, 2008
About the author
Clive Cussler
509 books8,116 followersCussler began writing novels in 1965 and published his first work featuring his continuous series hero, Dirk Pitt, in 1973. His first non-fiction, The Sea Hunters, was released in 1996. The Board of Governors of the Maritime College, State University of New York, considered The Sea Hunters in lieu of a Ph.D. thesis and awarded Cussler a Doctor of Letters degree in May, 1997. It was the first time since the College was founded in 1874 that such a degree was bestowed.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
Cussler was an internationally recognized authority on shipwrecks and the founder of the National Underwater and Marine Agency, (NUMA) a 501C3 non-profit organization (named after the fictional Federal agency in his novels) that dedicates itself to preserving American maritime and naval history. He and his crew of marine experts and NUMA volunteers discovered more than 60 historically significant underwater wreck sites including the first submarine to sink a ship in battle, the Confederacy's Hunley, and its victim, the Union's Housatonic; the U-20, the U-boat that sank the Lusitania; the Cumberland, which was sunk by the famous ironclad, Merrimack; the renowned Confederate raider Florida; the Navy airship, Akron, the Republic of Texas Navy warship, Zavala, found under a parking lot in Galveston, and the Carpathia, which sank almost six years to-the-day after plucking Titanic's survivors from the sea.
In addition to being the Chairman of NUMA, Cussler was also a fellow in both the Explorers Club of New York and the Royal Geographic Society in London. He was honored with the Lowell Thomas Award for outstanding underwater exploration.
Cussler's books have been published in more than 40 languages in more than 100 countries. His past international bestsellers include Pacific Vortex, Mediterranean Caper, Iceberg, Raise the Titanic, Vixen 03, Night Probe, Deep Six, Cyclops, Treasure, Dragon, Sahara, Inca Gold, Shock Wave, Flood Tide, Atlantis Found, Valhalla Rising, Trojan Odyssey and Black Wind (this last with his son, Dirk Cussler); the nonfiction books The Sea Hunters, The Sea Hunters II and Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed; the NUMA® Files novels Serpent, Blue Gold, Fire Ice, White Death and Lost City (written with Paul Kemprecos); and the Oregon Files novels Sacred Stone and Golden Buddha (written with Craig Dirgo) and Dark Watch (written with Jack Du Brul).
Clive Cussler died at his home in Scottsdale, Arizona on February 24, 2020.
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February 9, 2023
Cussler's star rises again!
The Corporation is a mercenary private enterprise for hire by any government agency that can afford its fees. Juan Cabrillo, the Chairman, runs his black ops from a ship called "The Oregon". Disguised as an overused, out of date, non-descript mercantile vessel that's destined for the scrap yard, the Oregon is actually a state of the art war vessel packed with high-tech intelligence gathering equipment, powerful weaponry and a fully muscled set of magnetohydrodynamic engines that, pushed to flank speed, will give virtually any ship on the high seas a run for its money. If you've read any Clive Cussler novels at all, it won't be a surprise to hear that Cabrillo is right over the top - an entirely unbelievable lead character (think Mr Phelps from Mission Impossible on steroids) leading an equally unbelievable crew with uncanny intelligence and virtually superhuman strength and endurance. The missions they accept in Cussler's Oregon Files series are typically of the "save the world from domination by a nefarious lunatic" variety.
When I reviewed GOLDEN BUDDHA, the first in the Oregon Files series, I gave it a grudging single star and swore that I would likely never read another Cussler novel again. Frankly, it was just awful! I abstained for two years but, perhaps it was my past fondness for Cussler's earliest novels that made me relent and pick up PLAGUE SHIP for another try at Cussler's work.
OK, OK ... nice job, Mr Cussler! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
This time out, Cabrillo and his team of merry men (and women) are pitted against a cult-like organization called The Responsivists who believe in stern birth control measures and a rigid, disciplined reduction in the world birth rate. In marked contrast to its public pacifist exterior, however, the Responsivist leaders are not willing to sit back and simply wring their hands over the world's burgeoning population problem. They intend to do something about it by releasing a virus that will make the Ebola and Marburg viruses look like a case of weekend sniffles. Bio-terrorism is a frightening, timely topic and this time out, Cussler did his fans proud with a well-written high speed thriller that is easily the equal of his earliest Dirk Pitt novels!
And, I confess I particularly enjoy a thriller that is spotted with info-dump sidebars of a technical nature that enhance the thriller without distracting from the pacing of the plot. There was lots of these goodies to enjoy along the way - the physics of ELF (Extremely Long Frequency) radio transmission and reception; the translation of cuneiform and the possible origins of mythological flood stories; the philosophies of cults and de-programming; left over high tech weaponry from the US-Soviet Cold War era; and the use of north-south satellite orbits for space based weaponry as opposed to geosynchronous orbits for weather or communication satellites!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
The Corporation is a mercenary private enterprise for hire by any government agency that can afford its fees. Juan Cabrillo, the Chairman, runs his black ops from a ship called "The Oregon". Disguised as an overused, out of date, non-descript mercantile vessel that's destined for the scrap yard, the Oregon is actually a state of the art war vessel packed with high-tech intelligence gathering equipment, powerful weaponry and a fully muscled set of magnetohydrodynamic engines that, pushed to flank speed, will give virtually any ship on the high seas a run for its money. If you've read any Clive Cussler novels at all, it won't be a surprise to hear that Cabrillo is right over the top - an entirely unbelievable lead character (think Mr Phelps from Mission Impossible on steroids) leading an equally unbelievable crew with uncanny intelligence and virtually superhuman strength and endurance. The missions they accept in Cussler's Oregon Files series are typically of the "save the world from domination by a nefarious lunatic" variety.
When I reviewed GOLDEN BUDDHA, the first in the Oregon Files series, I gave it a grudging single star and swore that I would likely never read another Cussler novel again. Frankly, it was just awful! I abstained for two years but, perhaps it was my past fondness for Cussler's earliest novels that made me relent and pick up PLAGUE SHIP for another try at Cussler's work.
OK, OK ... nice job, Mr Cussler! I thoroughly enjoyed it!
This time out, Cabrillo and his team of merry men (and women) are pitted against a cult-like organization called The Responsivists who believe in stern birth control measures and a rigid, disciplined reduction in the world birth rate. In marked contrast to its public pacifist exterior, however, the Responsivist leaders are not willing to sit back and simply wring their hands over the world's burgeoning population problem. They intend to do something about it by releasing a virus that will make the Ebola and Marburg viruses look like a case of weekend sniffles. Bio-terrorism is a frightening, timely topic and this time out, Cussler did his fans proud with a well-written high speed thriller that is easily the equal of his earliest Dirk Pitt novels!
And, I confess I particularly enjoy a thriller that is spotted with info-dump sidebars of a technical nature that enhance the thriller without distracting from the pacing of the plot. There was lots of these goodies to enjoy along the way - the physics of ELF (Extremely Long Frequency) radio transmission and reception; the translation of cuneiform and the possible origins of mythological flood stories; the philosophies of cults and de-programming; left over high tech weaponry from the US-Soviet Cold War era; and the use of north-south satellite orbits for space based weaponry as opposed to geosynchronous orbits for weather or communication satellites!
Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
May 12, 2020
I'll give the authors 2 stars for their effort, but at just under 600 pages, this book was way too long. I have really enjoyed Cussler's early books with Dirk Pitt and his NUMA team. Later he started working with co-authors and then the quality of the stories declined in my opinion. So I thought I would try a new series with new characters hoping it would make for rejuvenated stories. Wrong. This started out with promise, but petered out quickly.
October 19, 2020
No deep, insightful review. I just love Clive Cussler books! I don't look for character development or inconsistencies like so many reviewers do. My sole criteria is did I enjoy it? I very rarely have difficulty immersing myself in Clive Cussler's books and have immensely enjoyed each of his series of books, including how they sometimes "run into each other."
In case you didn't figure it out, I loved the book. The action was great & had me holding my breath most of the time. I enjoy escaping into the realms of these stories and don't try to figure out whether or not the plots, characters, or their motives are realistc. I read for relaxation and to set aside the "real"world for a short time.
This book, once again pulled me in from the beginning and had it not been for the fact I had borrowed another book from a friend & had to interrupt my reading this one, I could have finished this one weeks ago. Now I can pick up where I left off on "The Spy!" :-)
In case you didn't figure it out, I loved the book. The action was great & had me holding my breath most of the time. I enjoy escaping into the realms of these stories and don't try to figure out whether or not the plots, characters, or their motives are realistc. I read for relaxation and to set aside the "real"world for a short time.
This book, once again pulled me in from the beginning and had it not been for the fact I had borrowed another book from a friend & had to interrupt my reading this one, I could have finished this one weeks ago. Now I can pick up where I left off on "The Spy!" :-)
December 10, 2015
Rating 2* out of 5. Abandoned on page 367. I just cannot be bothered anymore. This is an ordinary run-of-the-mill thriller with lots of action and no character development. It's not terrible, it just feels irrelevant. Why should I spend time on a book that is clearly written to serve no other purpose than making the author richer?
The plot I could discern is as follows. The crew of the spy vessel (or whatever) Oregon, an amazing war ship disguised as a rusty old freighter, find a cruise ship floating around. All the passangers are dead except one. It turns out that some sect is intent on ridding earth of most of its population and are trying out stuff on their own people. *yawn*
The plot I could discern is as follows. The crew of the spy vessel (or whatever) Oregon, an amazing war ship disguised as a rusty old freighter, find a cruise ship floating around. All the passangers are dead except one. It turns out that some sect is intent on ridding earth of most of its population and are trying out stuff on their own people. *yawn*
February 7, 2017
The fifth book in the Oregon Files series finds Captain Juan Cabrillo and his high tech crew boarding a cruise ship called the Golden Dawn. Their reconnaissance has indicated the entire crew and all the passenger, except one, have been killed by some sort of hemorrhagic virus. The ship had been leased by a group known as the Responsivists. This group publicly promotes population control and they are secretly planning to use a virus to kill and sterilize most of the population. The crew of the Oregon need to piece together all the information they can before the virus is released on the rest of the world.
For readers not familiar with the Oregon, it's a high tech, state of the art ship, disguised as a rusty old trawler. It's captained by Juan Cabrillo, chairman of the Corporation, a group of freelance operatives who take on undercover jobs for a number of US agencies, as well as private clients.
This is an action packed novel that also incorporates a lot of detailed information about ships and weapons. It's not necessarily great literature but it does keep you interested, especially if you have read any of the other books in the series. These books can easily be read as standalone, because the authors always provide a lot of backstory during the book. I'm looking forward to continuing this series with the next book, Corsair.
February 12, 2017
In the fifth book of the Oregon Series, Juan Cabrillo and his crew are in a race against time to stop a disaster of planetary proportions.
After completing a secret mission in the Persian Gulf, the Oregon comes upon a cruise ship adrift with hundreds of people - passengers and crew - dead. While investigating the scene, the ship is wracked by explosions and begins to sink - taking any clues to the bottom of the ocean.
This cruise ship of the dead is simply the beginning. The mastermind behind it is already planning more death on a global level. Juan and his crew must uncover the plot and stop the madman before his plans can come to fruition.
This story was very exciting - lots of action and intrigue. Interesting premise and characters. We also get more background on some of the other members of the Oregon crew. My favorite so far.
Rating: 4 Stars
After completing a secret mission in the Persian Gulf, the Oregon comes upon a cruise ship adrift with hundreds of people - passengers and crew - dead. While investigating the scene, the ship is wracked by explosions and begins to sink - taking any clues to the bottom of the ocean.
This cruise ship of the dead is simply the beginning. The mastermind behind it is already planning more death on a global level. Juan and his crew must uncover the plot and stop the madman before his plans can come to fruition.
This story was very exciting - lots of action and intrigue. Interesting premise and characters. We also get more background on some of the other members of the Oregon crew. My favorite so far.
Rating: 4 Stars
July 10, 2008
AS far as a Clive Cussler book goes it was excellent, as I am sure you are surprised that once again Juan Cabrillo saved the world!!
September 28, 2014
Eli MacColl Plague Ship Mr.Schleifer
By: Clive Cussler
What if you were a member of an elite crew upon the covert ship, the Oregon, sailing around saving the people around you? The Oregon is fully armed with the finest weaponry and technology to help them on their missions. It is also home to a highly trained crew who just got their biggest mission ever. The crew of the Oregon use their training, determination, and teamwork to fight back against their enemies and complete their mission. In Clive Cussler’s novel, Plague Ship, the reader discovers that with determination and the will power to never give up along with working as a team anything can be accomplished.
Whilst on their missions the captain of the Oregon, Juan Cabrillo and his crew members faced many challenges they had to overcome. Their hardships began after returning from their previous mission and they came across a cruise ship called the Golden Dawn, but when they went onboard to investigate they found the deck littered with corpses. The crew then determined that these people were killed by a fast-acting virus. They also knew that it wasn’t like anything found in nature. One example of a challenge they faced was when two of the crew members, Eddie Seng and Max Hanley were tricked, captured and held at gunpoint by members of a cult known as the Responsivists who they believed were responsible for the death of the passengers on the Golden Dawn. Responsivists believed that the human population was out of control and that they had the solution to it even if it was going to cost the majority of humans their lives. In order to escape the Responsivist thugs Max and Eddie had to use their advanced skills, excellent teamwork, and quick thinking. Max caused a distraction allowing Eddie to escape to the balcony making his way down by jumping from balcony to balcony. Eddie’s escape allowed him to report back to the Oregon and update everybody on the situation and whereabouts of their captured crew member, but Max was taken away before they could rescue him. Although this all happened in a brief moment Eddie and Max still showed their bravery, ability to work as a team, and being able to keep hope and not give up even though the situation wasn’t in their favor. Even though this seemed to work out for the Oregon crew, Max was still a prisoner of the Responsivists and being tortured. Although Max had been through a lot the Responsivist torture was the worst he had ever experienced. His time as a Responsivist prisoner was excruciatingly painful, but he refused to give up any information. Throughout his torture Max was determined to retain his information about the Oregon and its mission, which relates to his bravery to do so. He endured horrible torture for his crew, which shows real dedication and his attitude of never giving up. All of these traits truly present how the crew of the Oregon conduct themselves in similar pressured situations. Next we can see more challenges the crew had to face that also includes more intellectual skills, such as piecing everything together to find out the master scheme and figuring out who is behind it all.
An example of a hardship faced by the characters Juan Cabrillo and Frankling Lincoln or Linc happened when they went to the Responsivists Philippine retreat, which they discovered that it was once inhabited by something called Unit 731. Juan recognized it immediately as a sick and twisted death camp run by the Japanese who would expose Philippine prisoners to many viruses known to man. They then used these as weapons and released them on innocent people. Using this information Juan and Linc reached an intellectual challenge where they had to figure out why did the Responsivists use this place as a retreat? Was this virus created here? While trying to put the pieces together Linc and Juan pressed on exploring. Not long after they found tablets with writing on them and almost immediately Juan recognized it as Cuneiform, the oldest writing on earth. Juan had a hunch that this piece of writing held information that would blow the whole case wide open. A while after that they discovered that their only exit was a quarter of a mile away. The problem was they would have to swim the whole way underwater. Both knew it was impossible to do in one breath and starting trying to figure out ways to get out. This is another example of an intellectual hardship where they used their limited supplies to construct an oxygen candle. The way they made an oxygen candle was by collecting iron fillings from the railroad track nearby them and using a jar of “Natrium Chlor” they spotted earlier. Once they got those two items they mixed them together and once they swam halfway down the underwater tunnel they used a detonator pencil to ignite them. The reaction produced iron oxide, sodium chloride, and pure oxygen and provided enough air for both men to take a three minute break. The oxygen candle represents the intellectual skill and the thought process of never giving up even in seemingly hopeless situations.
One final obstacle the Oregon crew faced was rescuing Max Hanley from the Responsivists hidden headquarters. They managed to locate it but the problem was there were guards everywhere and they had to count on Max on getting out of his cell to a place he could be rescued from. Max managed to trick his security guard into letting his guard down for just long enough for Max to choke him until he was unconscious. After that Max made his way around the headquarters in secret trying to figure out way he could prevent the Responsivists from releasing the virus and wiping out a majority of the human race. Unable to find an effective way to sabotage it he focused on his escape. Max located and air duct and started crawling through it until coming out under a dock where he was immediately pulled up onto by two guards. Around the same time this as happening to max the Oregon was arriving and sent out a helicopter to retrieve Max. Max knew that his team was coming and tried desperately to stall the two guards. When the helicopter came into view of the guard towers chaos broke out. There were gunshots and explosions as Max was being rushed away. When the helicopter was hovering about the ground Juan jumped out and chased after the men taking away Max in a pickup truck. While Max was being held at gunpoint the chopper flew next to the truck, which distracted the guard giving Max the chance to escape his captor and go with Juan, who was right behind them in his own vehicle. Once Juan had Max they called for the helicopter to pick them up. It was a successful rescue mission that demonstrated the idea of never giving up and believing in your team as Max did for his fellow crew members.
Throughout the book Plague Ship it shows that with determination and the idea of never giving up along with believing in your team and working together there is no limit on what you can accomplish. This information relates to everyone’s life and teaches valuable lessons that apply to many things in life. An example of how the idea of never giving up can relate to almost everything including sports. A specific moment in sports where these traits are represented is in football when you are down by three with two minutes left. Instead of just thinking that since there is so little time what is the point of trying everyone has to rely on each other and work as a team in order to score another touchdown and take the lead. The Oregon crew overcame many hardships in seemingly hopeless situations and fought back against their enemies in order to complete their missions and keep the people around them safe and sound.
By: Clive Cussler
What if you were a member of an elite crew upon the covert ship, the Oregon, sailing around saving the people around you? The Oregon is fully armed with the finest weaponry and technology to help them on their missions. It is also home to a highly trained crew who just got their biggest mission ever. The crew of the Oregon use their training, determination, and teamwork to fight back against their enemies and complete their mission. In Clive Cussler’s novel, Plague Ship, the reader discovers that with determination and the will power to never give up along with working as a team anything can be accomplished.
Whilst on their missions the captain of the Oregon, Juan Cabrillo and his crew members faced many challenges they had to overcome. Their hardships began after returning from their previous mission and they came across a cruise ship called the Golden Dawn, but when they went onboard to investigate they found the deck littered with corpses. The crew then determined that these people were killed by a fast-acting virus. They also knew that it wasn’t like anything found in nature. One example of a challenge they faced was when two of the crew members, Eddie Seng and Max Hanley were tricked, captured and held at gunpoint by members of a cult known as the Responsivists who they believed were responsible for the death of the passengers on the Golden Dawn. Responsivists believed that the human population was out of control and that they had the solution to it even if it was going to cost the majority of humans their lives. In order to escape the Responsivist thugs Max and Eddie had to use their advanced skills, excellent teamwork, and quick thinking. Max caused a distraction allowing Eddie to escape to the balcony making his way down by jumping from balcony to balcony. Eddie’s escape allowed him to report back to the Oregon and update everybody on the situation and whereabouts of their captured crew member, but Max was taken away before they could rescue him. Although this all happened in a brief moment Eddie and Max still showed their bravery, ability to work as a team, and being able to keep hope and not give up even though the situation wasn’t in their favor. Even though this seemed to work out for the Oregon crew, Max was still a prisoner of the Responsivists and being tortured. Although Max had been through a lot the Responsivist torture was the worst he had ever experienced. His time as a Responsivist prisoner was excruciatingly painful, but he refused to give up any information. Throughout his torture Max was determined to retain his information about the Oregon and its mission, which relates to his bravery to do so. He endured horrible torture for his crew, which shows real dedication and his attitude of never giving up. All of these traits truly present how the crew of the Oregon conduct themselves in similar pressured situations. Next we can see more challenges the crew had to face that also includes more intellectual skills, such as piecing everything together to find out the master scheme and figuring out who is behind it all.
An example of a hardship faced by the characters Juan Cabrillo and Frankling Lincoln or Linc happened when they went to the Responsivists Philippine retreat, which they discovered that it was once inhabited by something called Unit 731. Juan recognized it immediately as a sick and twisted death camp run by the Japanese who would expose Philippine prisoners to many viruses known to man. They then used these as weapons and released them on innocent people. Using this information Juan and Linc reached an intellectual challenge where they had to figure out why did the Responsivists use this place as a retreat? Was this virus created here? While trying to put the pieces together Linc and Juan pressed on exploring. Not long after they found tablets with writing on them and almost immediately Juan recognized it as Cuneiform, the oldest writing on earth. Juan had a hunch that this piece of writing held information that would blow the whole case wide open. A while after that they discovered that their only exit was a quarter of a mile away. The problem was they would have to swim the whole way underwater. Both knew it was impossible to do in one breath and starting trying to figure out ways to get out. This is another example of an intellectual hardship where they used their limited supplies to construct an oxygen candle. The way they made an oxygen candle was by collecting iron fillings from the railroad track nearby them and using a jar of “Natrium Chlor” they spotted earlier. Once they got those two items they mixed them together and once they swam halfway down the underwater tunnel they used a detonator pencil to ignite them. The reaction produced iron oxide, sodium chloride, and pure oxygen and provided enough air for both men to take a three minute break. The oxygen candle represents the intellectual skill and the thought process of never giving up even in seemingly hopeless situations.
One final obstacle the Oregon crew faced was rescuing Max Hanley from the Responsivists hidden headquarters. They managed to locate it but the problem was there were guards everywhere and they had to count on Max on getting out of his cell to a place he could be rescued from. Max managed to trick his security guard into letting his guard down for just long enough for Max to choke him until he was unconscious. After that Max made his way around the headquarters in secret trying to figure out way he could prevent the Responsivists from releasing the virus and wiping out a majority of the human race. Unable to find an effective way to sabotage it he focused on his escape. Max located and air duct and started crawling through it until coming out under a dock where he was immediately pulled up onto by two guards. Around the same time this as happening to max the Oregon was arriving and sent out a helicopter to retrieve Max. Max knew that his team was coming and tried desperately to stall the two guards. When the helicopter came into view of the guard towers chaos broke out. There were gunshots and explosions as Max was being rushed away. When the helicopter was hovering about the ground Juan jumped out and chased after the men taking away Max in a pickup truck. While Max was being held at gunpoint the chopper flew next to the truck, which distracted the guard giving Max the chance to escape his captor and go with Juan, who was right behind them in his own vehicle. Once Juan had Max they called for the helicopter to pick them up. It was a successful rescue mission that demonstrated the idea of never giving up and believing in your team as Max did for his fellow crew members.
Throughout the book Plague Ship it shows that with determination and the idea of never giving up along with believing in your team and working together there is no limit on what you can accomplish. This information relates to everyone’s life and teaches valuable lessons that apply to many things in life. An example of how the idea of never giving up can relate to almost everything including sports. A specific moment in sports where these traits are represented is in football when you are down by three with two minutes left. Instead of just thinking that since there is so little time what is the point of trying everyone has to rely on each other and work as a team in order to score another touchdown and take the lead. The Oregon crew overcame many hardships in seemingly hopeless situations and fought back against their enemies in order to complete their missions and keep the people around them safe and sound.
July 27, 2009
Frankly, I've read Clive Cussler books in the past that I didn't care for.....but this is definitely NOT one of them. True, he's really poor at characterization, but OMG what a master storyteller! His ideas and plot are so creative and engaging that it's almost impossible to put this book down. It's just non-stop action all the way! This is the third book in his Oregon Files series, and now I can't wait to read the first two. If you want action, you will NOT be disappointed.
December 5, 2008
So far, this is my favorite of the Oregon Files series. There's plenty of excitement and tension with both male and female heroes finding ways to save themselves and the world using their ingenuity, skills and incredible technical tools. It would make a great serial story because there are so many cliffhangars.
September 20, 2020
Such a great series, can’t wait until the next book. Fast paced and exciting.
February 5, 2017
Plague Ship by Clive Cussler & Jack DuBrul
Oregon File series Book #5
4 Stars
From The Book:
Captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo and manned by a crew of former military and spy personnel, the Oregon is a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it. They've just completed a top secret mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf when they come across a cruise ship adrift at sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck, and, as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner’s sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself plunged into a mystery as intricate – and as perilous – as any he has ever known and pitted against a cult with monstrously lethal plans for the human race . . . plans he may already be too late to stop.
My Thoughts:
Clive Cussler really hit on something when he created Juan Carbrillo and his Oregon crew. They are mercenaries with a conscience and an overwhelming sense of right and wrong. They incapacitate their enemies most of time instead of outright killing them.
I have been a huge fan of this series from the very first book and hope that Cussler and his writing team find enough material to long continue the adventures. This book gives readers an insight into some of the characters that make up the team but often have more of a back seat. As almost all of Clive Cussler's books begin with a look at a historical event...this one is no exception. Readers are presented with a possible discovery of the Ark and from there we are left to wonder how it will fit into the storyline...but it always does.
I highly recommend this series...and for that matter all his others...to any one that loves adventure and intrigue taken to the highest levels.
Oregon File series Book #5
4 Stars
From The Book:
Captained by the rakish, one-legged Juan Cabrillo and manned by a crew of former military and spy personnel, the Oregon is a private enterprise, available for any government agency that can afford it. They've just completed a top secret mission against Iran in the Persian Gulf when they come across a cruise ship adrift at sea. Hundreds of bodies litter its deck, and, as Cabrillo tries to determine what happened, explosions rack the length of the ship. Barely able to escape with his own life and that of the liner’s sole survivor, Cabrillo finds himself plunged into a mystery as intricate – and as perilous – as any he has ever known and pitted against a cult with monstrously lethal plans for the human race . . . plans he may already be too late to stop.
My Thoughts:
Clive Cussler really hit on something when he created Juan Carbrillo and his Oregon crew. They are mercenaries with a conscience and an overwhelming sense of right and wrong. They incapacitate their enemies most of time instead of outright killing them.
I have been a huge fan of this series from the very first book and hope that Cussler and his writing team find enough material to long continue the adventures. This book gives readers an insight into some of the characters that make up the team but often have more of a back seat. As almost all of Clive Cussler's books begin with a look at a historical event...this one is no exception. Readers are presented with a possible discovery of the Ark and from there we are left to wonder how it will fit into the storyline...but it always does.
I highly recommend this series...and for that matter all his others...to any one that loves adventure and intrigue taken to the highest levels.
January 13, 2020
These books are kind of like dessert. They are fun, not necessarily fulfilling, but you keep wanting more. I have to say, I was entertained through most of the book, even though some of the twists were predictable. There had to be a twist and the biggest plot twist was set up a little too obviously. Still, I’ll keep reading these when I need something “sweet” to read.
August 17, 2012
This is a typical Clive Cussler novel. I am starting to decide how much I like his books not by the heros (since they are are pretty much the same), but by how the villian is finally killed. This one is one of the better kills in my opinion. This is why I gave this book 3 stars instead of the typical 2 stars for a Cussler book. You can't beat a 18,000 pound tungsten rod being dropped by a satellite onto an island for a better kill. This is supposed to simulate a nuclear blast, but without the fallout. Then the secondary villian is killed by a sniper shot to the heart just as he thinks he is going to get free. Not to shabby either.
January 21, 2009
I have read a few Clive Cussler books in the past, but this was my first book in the Oregon Files series. The Prologue was not terribly interesting to me, but once I got into the body of the work, I was hooked. Juan Cabrillo, captain of the ship is half human/half action hero. He and his crew appear to be one thing to the outside world--a crew on a derelict ship barely functioning, when in actuality, the ship is a technological wonder that is used for top secret missions. When Juan is around, you know the world will be a safer place!
July 8, 2008
I have enjoyed the Oregon Files series, this one was a little harder to get into than the previous. Overall I enjoyed the book but the different plot lines took a while to come together and were not as easy to follow as other books.
May 23, 2016
What can I say - Another Clive Cussler tale.
February 5, 2017
I like Clive Cussler. Been awhile since I've read one of his adventures. I just like his books, don't have to do anything but enjoy them. And I did enjoy this one.
May 24, 2019
Listened to this one. 3.5
Standard Clive Cussler fare.
Standard Clive Cussler fare.
October 3, 2019
Another great tale with the Oregon crew. I am enjoying getting to know the various members better as Cussler does character development as the series is toodling along. I did think some of the action scenes were a tad to long though. For such fast paced action it seemed to take a LONG time to read.
July 10, 2020
I don’t know how to rate a Clive Cussler novel. They’re just so enjoyable and I love the crew of the Oregon. The way all the moving pieces all end up tying together is !!!!!!!!! I’ll rate it five stars because? What else?? I don’t read these books for any particular soul-shattering narrative, but the depth of care and loyalty between the characters really does shine throughout the entire novel.
May 23, 2021
Kinda reminds me of how we are dealing with the current situation of Covid-19, and how bio-warfare will be in the future. All we can hope for is that there are people who stop it, so that we can live happily.
April 6, 2024
One of the best Oregon Files!
December 6, 2018
I’ve heard it said that Clive Cussler really has very little to do with all of these books that he seems to co-author as of late. This wouldn’t surprise me since there does seem to be an awful lot published material in the past few years. It seems as though there are about four or five people that Cussler regularly co-authors, and the books seem to be released fast and frequently. In some aspects, this process probably works as designed if true. The lesser known co-author gets some notoriety, and book publishers are guaranteed more profits with a well known name on the book jacket (along with an eye catching graphic of some kind of water vessel in turmoil. This one is a great example).
The books by these two joint authors are dubbed “The Oregon Files”. I seem to recall that the Oregon was a ship (not 100% sure, but you get the point) that had a regular “cast of characters” that lead us through the story. The ship’s captain and main character of the story is Juan Cabrillo. Juan is a capable leader. He’s no Dirk Pitt nor Kurt Austin, but I don’t mean that in necessarily a bad way. In other words, he’s not infallible. Also, since most of the story takes place on, or close to the Oregon, all of the supporting characters are close by, and the authors give a lot of page time to the supporting characters. I’m guessing there were about ten or twelve regulars in and out of the pages.
The book starts of with an “intro” that is quite irrelevant to the main story. The Oregon is in Iranian waters trying to steal weapons sold to the Iranians by the Russians. This intro is designed to simply to allow the reader to become assimilated to Cabrillo and his crew. To be honest, it goes on a bit too long. After the escapade, the Oregon stumbles on a plot (sinister, of course) by some misguided barons to obliterate most of the earth’s population. You see, they believe that the earth is just too crowded, and since we don’t have plagues or world wars anymore, there’s nothing to keep the world’s population to expand beyond what it should. So plans are made to initiate a catastrophe obliterating most of the earth’s people, and the crew of the Oregon must move, and move fast to stop such an event.
What happens throughout the rest of the story is pretty much what you would expect from a Cussler story, regardless of whether or not he had a big hand in writing this particular book. It’s the minor details and intricacies that tend to differ significantly. Again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I remember the first time I read one of the “NUMA Files” books, I found it to be a carbon copy of the Dirk Pitt adventures. Juan Cabrillo is much more serious about his work, and doesn’t seem to bleed invincibility like a Dirk Pitt or a Kurt Austin. He also doesn’t have time to seduce any damsels in distress. The problem for me is what details are here, I didn’t find all that interesting. I found myself not really wanting to pick this book up after I was about halfway through. I figured I pretty much knew what was going to happen, and since it wasn’t that interesting, why bother?
But pursue I did, and I did find the latter half more interesting with some slight surprises thrown in for good measure. Would I read another one of the “Oregon” books? Probably. Am I in a rush to do so? Probably not. You can’t help but compare Clive Cussler the “co-author” to Clive Cussler the “author”, and sadly, this is where the story leaves you wanting a bit more.
The books by these two joint authors are dubbed “The Oregon Files”. I seem to recall that the Oregon was a ship (not 100% sure, but you get the point) that had a regular “cast of characters” that lead us through the story. The ship’s captain and main character of the story is Juan Cabrillo. Juan is a capable leader. He’s no Dirk Pitt nor Kurt Austin, but I don’t mean that in necessarily a bad way. In other words, he’s not infallible. Also, since most of the story takes place on, or close to the Oregon, all of the supporting characters are close by, and the authors give a lot of page time to the supporting characters. I’m guessing there were about ten or twelve regulars in and out of the pages.
The book starts of with an “intro” that is quite irrelevant to the main story. The Oregon is in Iranian waters trying to steal weapons sold to the Iranians by the Russians. This intro is designed to simply to allow the reader to become assimilated to Cabrillo and his crew. To be honest, it goes on a bit too long. After the escapade, the Oregon stumbles on a plot (sinister, of course) by some misguided barons to obliterate most of the earth’s population. You see, they believe that the earth is just too crowded, and since we don’t have plagues or world wars anymore, there’s nothing to keep the world’s population to expand beyond what it should. So plans are made to initiate a catastrophe obliterating most of the earth’s people, and the crew of the Oregon must move, and move fast to stop such an event.
What happens throughout the rest of the story is pretty much what you would expect from a Cussler story, regardless of whether or not he had a big hand in writing this particular book. It’s the minor details and intricacies that tend to differ significantly. Again, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I remember the first time I read one of the “NUMA Files” books, I found it to be a carbon copy of the Dirk Pitt adventures. Juan Cabrillo is much more serious about his work, and doesn’t seem to bleed invincibility like a Dirk Pitt or a Kurt Austin. He also doesn’t have time to seduce any damsels in distress. The problem for me is what details are here, I didn’t find all that interesting. I found myself not really wanting to pick this book up after I was about halfway through. I figured I pretty much knew what was going to happen, and since it wasn’t that interesting, why bother?
But pursue I did, and I did find the latter half more interesting with some slight surprises thrown in for good measure. Would I read another one of the “Oregon” books? Probably. Am I in a rush to do so? Probably not. You can’t help but compare Clive Cussler the “co-author” to Clive Cussler the “author”, and sadly, this is where the story leaves you wanting a bit more.
March 2, 2024
This was okay. On the one hand, it does start out a bit slow, but the pace does pick up for a bit. However, the ending of the book feels very abrupt; not that I really wanted the book to go on for any longer, it still felt like the author realized he was running out of pages and wasn't ready to finish, so he opted for a quick-and-easy solution (as it were) to end the book. The character development is so-so; it's hard to develop the main characters so most of the development has to come in the form of the villains or other side characters.
I definitely felt like the book was riffing on Scientology, although I never picked up on Tom Cruise and the elements of the story involving "Cruise" ships - that was a nice tie-in that another reviewer noticed. I also felt like the story was either a bit of a "rip-off" or homage to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (his story involves a group trying to wipe out most of humanity via a plague by introducing the virus at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and the infected spectators removing home to infect the respective populations of their countries and cities).
The story jumps around quite a bit in terms of "time". I will get the impression that "a lot of time has elapsed" and it turns out it is only a single day
There were a couple of moments I did like:
I find myself struggling to rate the book. I am torn between 2-stars and 3-stars (like, 2.5 rounded up), but I find myself disliking how it ended. It felt anticlimactic and frustrating, in some levels (mostly because of the Oregon - such as it surviving the tidal wave and my trying to figure out if other vessels would have been sunk by the wave or not, or how it would have affected the mainland of Turkey, or just how the Oregon was able to get to so many disparate places in such a short amount of time - it felt like the cargo ship was traveling faster than an airplane at times). I just felt like the book was lacking . . . something that would keep it at 3-stars for me (it did slide up from 2- to 3-stars about halfway through the book, and then started sliding back down after Max was captured). I don't know - I'll rate it 2-stars for now. Perhaps if I reread it again, I'll bump it up to 3-stars.
I definitely felt like the book was riffing on Scientology, although I never picked up on Tom Cruise and the elements of the story involving "Cruise" ships - that was a nice tie-in that another reviewer noticed. I also felt like the story was either a bit of a "rip-off" or homage to Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six (his story involves a group trying to wipe out most of humanity via a plague by introducing the virus at the Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, and the infected spectators removing home to infect the respective populations of their countries and cities).
The story jumps around quite a bit in terms of "time". I will get the impression that "a lot of time has elapsed" and it turns out it is only a single day
There were a couple of moments I did like:
I find myself struggling to rate the book. I am torn between 2-stars and 3-stars (like, 2.5 rounded up), but I find myself disliking how it ended. It felt anticlimactic and frustrating, in some levels (mostly because of the Oregon - such as it surviving the tidal wave and my trying to figure out if other vessels would have been sunk by the wave or not, or how it would have affected the mainland of Turkey, or just how the Oregon was able to get to so many disparate places in such a short amount of time - it felt like the cargo ship was traveling faster than an airplane at times). I just felt like the book was lacking . . . something that would keep it at 3-stars for me (it did slide up from 2- to 3-stars about halfway through the book, and then started sliding back down after Max was captured). I don't know - I'll rate it 2-stars for now. Perhaps if I reread it again, I'll bump it up to 3-stars.
November 28, 2012
This book is about a abandoned cruise ship that is discovered by a marine agency ship that does top sercet missions. When they find over 100 dead bodies on the ship deck they decide to check out what happened. They find out that a cult is plotting to sterilize 3 billion people.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was a different plot then what I normally read. Not only was it different it had a lot of action parts and a lot of connections to different parts of the world.
"He would if he'd been vaccinated. By noon, three-quarters of the people on the ship were suffering coldlike symptoms, and, despite precautions, Mark and Linda were included in that group." This quotation is important because it shows how the enemy leader tests his virus on the cruise. It is also important because it represents the smarts of the enemy to have planned the virus and the cure.
The age group for this book is 15-55. I would also say more males would read this book than females. Its infectious disease and action packed book really attracts the guys.
I would recommend this book to guys who like action and adventures in their books. I also recommend this book to people who like books like zombie books. I saw this book on the shelf looking for a zombie book but got something different and enjoyed it.
I gave this book 4 stars because it was a different plot then what I normally read. Not only was it different it had a lot of action parts and a lot of connections to different parts of the world.
"He would if he'd been vaccinated. By noon, three-quarters of the people on the ship were suffering coldlike symptoms, and, despite precautions, Mark and Linda were included in that group." This quotation is important because it shows how the enemy leader tests his virus on the cruise. It is also important because it represents the smarts of the enemy to have planned the virus and the cure.
The age group for this book is 15-55. I would also say more males would read this book than females. Its infectious disease and action packed book really attracts the guys.
I would recommend this book to guys who like action and adventures in their books. I also recommend this book to people who like books like zombie books. I saw this book on the shelf looking for a zombie book but got something different and enjoyed it.
December 28, 2011
This book was sort of fun action, as long as you turn your brain off and don't think too much about many aspects.
The heroes pull off James Bond-like feats of skill on a regular basis, which I can get over. However, many of the details are just plain wrong, and could have been made right with a little research. Many of the historical and linguistic points are wrong, and I'm informed that many of the details of the physics and capabilities of weapons are also wrong.
Sanskrit was never written in cuneiform, and cuneiform was not developed in the Black Sea region and imported to Mesopotamia. The origins of cuneiform are in Mesopotamia. Additionally, a boat could not have been copper-plated in 5500 BCE, and the idea that a descendant of someone exposed to a virus 7500 years ago would retain any resistance after that many generations seems frankly absurd.
The heroes pull off James Bond-like feats of skill on a regular basis, which I can get over. However, many of the details are just plain wrong, and could have been made right with a little research. Many of the historical and linguistic points are wrong, and I'm informed that many of the details of the physics and capabilities of weapons are also wrong.
Sanskrit was never written in cuneiform, and cuneiform was not developed in the Black Sea region and imported to Mesopotamia. The origins of cuneiform are in Mesopotamia. Additionally, a boat could not have been copper-plated in 5500 BCE, and the idea that a descendant of someone exposed to a virus 7500 years ago would retain any resistance after that many generations seems frankly absurd.
June 30, 2008
I always enjoy Clive Cussler. While this is not one of my favorites for him it is still a good read with some interesting twists in the plot. If you have never read a Clive Cussler novel you might want to start with some of the earlier ones so that you get some of the character development before jumping into this book.
While this is a novel it is not hard to catch some of the political and social narrative that drives Clive's thinking. If you want this book will make you think about the "evil" that is residing in each of us and how easy it is for something "intended to be good" (I don't think this society is good, but others might) can go so deeply wrong.
If you want a fun summer read, this could be the ticket.
While this is a novel it is not hard to catch some of the political and social narrative that drives Clive's thinking. If you want this book will make you think about the "evil" that is residing in each of us and how easy it is for something "intended to be good" (I don't think this society is good, but others might) can go so deeply wrong.
If you want a fun summer read, this could be the ticket.
May 26, 2009
The first book of Clive Cussler I have read.
And most likely the last, which is a shame because I have another one of his works "Black Wind" I need to read.
TERRIBLE, it feels like the people who did the dioluge from "Goosebumps" did it, its not intresting, not funny, not action packed.
However, if you like his other works, I am sure this is for you, but I can see this is not for me, and if your like me you wont need to get far into it before you say the same thing.
2/5 (and thats being kind!)
And most likely the last, which is a shame because I have another one of his works "Black Wind" I need to read.
TERRIBLE, it feels like the people who did the dioluge from "Goosebumps" did it, its not intresting, not funny, not action packed.
However, if you like his other works, I am sure this is for you, but I can see this is not for me, and if your like me you wont need to get far into it before you say the same thing.
2/5 (and thats being kind!)
July 13, 2016
Best book in the Oregon Files series thus far.
The Oregon discovers a sinking cruise ship almost everyone is dead except for one sickly young woman. It turns out a doomsday cult is trying to reduce the population to their preferred level. Of course, there is an ancient relic involved.
Lots of twists and turns and a really excellent chase scene make this one stand out. I particularly liked the way that Juan Cabrillo, the head honcho didn't get the girl. Instead we got the two nerds battling it out for the sickly girl's affections, which was much more entertaining.
The Oregon discovers a sinking cruise ship almost everyone is dead except for one sickly young woman. It turns out a doomsday cult is trying to reduce the population to their preferred level. Of course, there is an ancient relic involved.
Lots of twists and turns and a really excellent chase scene make this one stand out. I particularly liked the way that Juan Cabrillo, the head honcho didn't get the girl. Instead we got the two nerds battling it out for the sickly girl's affections, which was much more entertaining.
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