Mayday!

Written by Clive Cussler

Narrated by Scott Brick

Major Dirk Pitt picked up the frantic distress call as he cruised his lumbering amphibious plane over the islands of the Aegean. Brady Air Force base was under fire, its entire force of jets destroyed on the ground . . . by just one First World War bi-plane!

A psychotic ex-Nazi, a bloodthirsty Greek strongman and a beautiful double agent set Pitt on the trail of the warped mastermind behind a devastating sabotage plot. And on that trail, danger and death are never far behind . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Little, Brown (Hachette UK) Audio
• Release date: Sep 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781405538725

Clive Cussler

Clive Cussler (1931–2020) was the author or coauthor of over eighty books in five bestselling series, including DIRK PITT®, THE NUMA FILES®, THE OREGON FILES ®, AN ISAAC BELL ADVENTURE ®, A SAM AND REMI FARGO ADVENTURE ®, and A KURT AUSTIN ADVENTURE ®. His nonfiction works include Built for Adventure: The Classic Automobiles of Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt, Built to Thrill: More Classic Automobiles from Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt, The Sea Hunters, and The Sea Hunters II; these describe the true adventures of the real NUMA, which, led by Cussler, searches for lost ships of historic significance. With his crew of volunteers, Cussler discovered more than sixty ships, including the long-lost Civil War submarine Hunley. 

Reviews for Mayday!

[bxwretlind · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Very predictable and dated, but I can't fault the book for being out of touch with 2012...since it was written in 1973. In that respect, it was actually rather entertaining.

[sjh4255 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick read with a very different and more "rough around the edges" Dirk.. A great first shot at Dirk Pitt written eon's ago.. interesting how he's changed over the years... only thing I didn't like was the fact that the bad guy had umpteen chances to off Dirk and get away, but instead decided on a lengthy dialogue or leaving Dirk on the chance that he will die on his own... kind of reminded me of Austin Powers at one point....

[karlstar_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The one that started it all! I love the WW2 tie-ins and the location. Great action and well written.

[edwinkort · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Dirk Pitt is een ***hole.

Onze held Dirk Pitt slaat een huilende vrouw, want ze is nog steeds verdrietig over de dood van haar man. Vervolgens verteld hij deze vrouw dat ze eigenlijk over de knie zou moeten omdat ze nog steeds rouwt. Daarna heeft hij seks met deze vrouw.
Dit alles binnen zes minuten nadat hij deze vrouw ontmoette.

Het verhaal begint leuk, met een vliegtuig uit de Eerste Wereldoorlog, die het gemunt heeft op de basis van de Amerikaanse luchtmacht in Griekenland. In een paar minuten tijd heeft dit antieke toestel de hele luchtvloot op die basis vernietigd.

[jeffome · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

St. Barts 2019 #2 - So, I decided to take a break from the NUMA FIles book series where i starteed with Cussler and go back to the beginning of Cussler and do the Dirk Pitt series....and of course, i grabbed the earliest published of them to take on my Caribbean vacation, only to find out that it really is No.2.....but be that as it may......i enjoyed this and flew through it, although early on, I kind of felt like Dirk Pitt was a bit of jerk....not quite as classy as the Kurt Austin I know and respect.....but being that this was written a very long time before what i have read thus far of Cussler, I guess it is perfectly understandable that his characters grow more refined over time as does the author spinning his craft. This was pretty much 'in your face' writing.....i just sort of felt like Dirk Pitt barged in on an event not of his choosing and immediately took command of the whole program.....incredible insight....tough talk to everyone, including his partners in whatever it is they are supposed to be doing.....and a wee bit more edgy that seemed realistic to me.....but compared to what i could write??...pretty damned good! (But right now, I'd rather hang with Kurt Austin than Dirk Pitt.....but we just met!) This may take time. I very much appreciate the comparison i now have from early Cussler work to later work....and i look forward to 'stepping back' one volume and 're-starting' from the 'beginning!'

[mattries37315 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A lazy Sunday afternoon at a U.S Air Force base on a quiet Greek island is shattered when a WWI-era German fighter attacks and then finds itself in a dogfight with a WWII-era seaplane. The Mediterranean Caper by Clive Cussler was the first published book featuring Dirk Pitt and started off a four decade long series of books that sold millions of books and multiple times on the bestseller list.Dirk Pitt and his best friend Al Giordino, heading to the Greek island of Thasos on a special assignment to a NUMA vessel, fight off a WWI German fighter attacking a nearby U.S. Air Force base in a WWII-era seaplane. The next morning Dirk takes an early morning swim and meets Teri von Till, niece of a reclusive shipping magnate who lives on the island. After meeting with the NUMA vessel’s captain, Pitt goes to meet Teri’s uncle Bruno for dinner and finds out he was a German pilot in World War I with a model submarine in his study. Von Till attempts to kill Pitt with his dog, but Pitt escapes and the next day with Giordino invade von Till’s mansion and kidnap Teri only to be detained by a member of an INTERPOL drug task force. Pitt and Giordino learn that von Till is a suspected drug smuggler and are ordered by the NUMA director to aid INTERPOL in stopping a massive shipment of heroin from reaching the U.S. After boarding the suspected cargo ship with the heroin, Pitt figures out how von Till hasn’t been caught. Pitt then leads a group of scientists to look for and find a massive cave in which they find several submarines, though caught by von Till and a mole from the INTERPOL task force it’s an elaborate trap as Giordino, several INTERPOL agents, and military personnel had raided von Till’s mansion and listened in on Pitt explaining to von Till everything he had figured out including that he was actually a Nazi war criminal which von Till didn’t deny.This is a quick pacing book and has numerous cliché elements that one would expect to find in an early 1970s adventure novel with the main character notably inspired by James Bond. While I could knock the disjointed narrative flow or the weak character development of some of the other characters given the time period it was to be expected, the biggest eyesore is Dirk Pitt himself. The term “jerk” is a cleaned up way to describe Pitt’s interacting with anyone in the book including his best friend, Al, and his way to make a woman interested in him, slapping her for still mourning her late husband. This is not the same Pitt that appears in Pacific Vortex! or later in the series and would be a definite turn off for anyone encountering the character for the first time.The Mediterranean Caper is a quick adventure that is sometimes fun, but today has a lot of problems. Though Clive Cussler’s portrayal of Dirk Pitt has improved over the last four decades, I would not recommend this book for those either interested in reading or listening to a Dirk Pitt novel. If you have read or listened to later books then be warned this is not the same Dirk that you’ve encountered.

[michel.cloutier · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoy the Dirk Pitt adventures and this one is fun to read mostly because it’s his first in the series. If I’m correct, he never intended it to be published. In any case, comparing it to the others I read I give it a 4.

[jbarringer-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's not as much science or history in Cussler's earlier novels, but they still are fun adventures and draw on history and science without detracting from the story.

[yvonne.sevignykaiser · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Just what I needed after reading several heavy reads a light fun adventure with a man's man saving the day and not mincing words while saving the world or at least the mission at hand.

I picked up a Hardcover 40th Anniversary Edition from the Poisoned Pen Bookstore in Scottsdale, AZ

[bridgey_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Mediterranean Caper - Clive Cussler ****I'm relatively new to Clive Cussler, but decided to read his books as there seemed to be a fair similarity to Ian Fleming and Jack Higgins. This is my second book by the author, and it definitely will not' be my last. This was also published under the title 'Mayday'.What is it about?Although this is the first published book in the Dirk Pitt adventure series, it was actually the second written (Pacific Vortex being the first). The novel opens with a WW 1 plane attacking an American base on the Greek island of Theros. The conning tower issues a mayday warning requesting immediate assistance; luckily Dirk is flying nearby and answers the call of distress. Although successful in stopping the assault it is not without cost and he has to land for repairs at the same base. Kirks original destination is 'The First Attempt' a marine research vessel anchored just off shore from where the attack took place. Unfortunately they have also been having issues with some accidents that have hindered their research in trying to find a fish that is believed to have been extinct for millions of years. Is there any connection between the unexpected visitor and the constants mishaps? Can Pitt use his wits to figure out the reason for the plane’s actions? And who is the mysterious German millionaire Von Till? What did I like? Action books have always been my favourite genre, and picking up a Cussler book seems to be the next logical step after exhausting practically all of Jack Higgins catalogue. The book is full of action and the pages just seem to melt away. Dirk Pitt is a typical man’s man, strong, womanising, hard drinking, and even harder hitting. This is a man that gets shot in the leg and looks down as if an ant has nipped him and carries on with the task at hand. The plot is totally unrealistic, but that just adds to the charm (escapism at its finest). Some readers may be put off by the apparent sexism, but I think you have to read it within the context of the era it was written (1973) and the subject matter involved, for me it just adds to the atmosphere and cements Pitt as a Bond like character. The book seems very well researched and Cussler’s enthusiasm for technology and science really does start to shine through.What didn’t I like?The only thing I can put my finger on, and the reason for the 4 stars instead of five, was the ending. Although not written in the first person, the majority of the book features Pitt and his surroundings, because of this were are allowed to see and feel most things as they happen. The ending seemed to just disregard this and in order to tie up the loose ends it added to previous scenes, for example if Pitt sent a telegram earlier in the novel and received a reply, the reply was kept secret until now, when surely we should have found out the same time as him.Would I recommend?Definitely. Although from reading other reviews it seems that this is one of the weaker Dirk Pitt novels, I always find it best to start at the beginning of a series rather than midway. If you like the ‘Boys own’ style of adventure then give it a try. Cussler is unlikely to win the Nobel literature prize, but if you take his books at face value, I’m sure you will have a good time.

[jessica_reads · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

0n the remote Greek Island of Thasos, a German Albatros, a vintage World War I fighter plane, has swooped out of the blazing blue sky to attack a modern U.S. Air Force base, nearly destroying its fleet of F-105 Starfire jets. Thirty miles offshore, piloting a Catalina en route to the American scientific research vessel First Attempt, Dirk Pitt hears and responds to the Brady Field emergency call. He blows the Albatros back into the oblivion from which it came, ripping open a mammoth half-century-old conspiracy in the process.

Dirk Pitt is back as is Jordino, and they're still great together with their banter and camaraderie. Still a little on edge a year after all that happened in The Pacific Vortex, Dirk is moving forward with his life. Now in the Aegean, he's trying to help find a mysterious fish. After a crazy attack, he meets a seductively beautiful Teri who invites him for dinner. Everything goes downhill from there until the fast paced action takes you to a fast paced ending.

I do have a few drawbacks with the character Dirk, and that this story is almost a twin to the first. I still like the dialogue, the mystery, and the fact that it's a light, no-brainer read. But Dirk is highly sexist, and doesn't have any qualms about airing his low opinion of women at every possible turn. I'm not overly offended in the least, but it does make his character more unlikeable which is probably why I'm always happy when Jordino is around to make the dialogue more fun.

[kerrikins · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not nearly as involving and well thought out as Cussler's later books... And the sexism is incredibly obvious! Not one I would reread.

[davevanl_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

After having read quite a few Cussler novels, this one felt like a trip back in time. It's easy to see how his style has grown and changed over time, while his base instinct has stayed the same.

[jennyrosewriter · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Clive Cussler's Mediterranean Caper is the first Cussler book I picked up to read and I enjoyed it. This is not the first Dirk Pitt story, but it was the first published. Dirk Pitt is a Major transferred from the Air Force to the National Underwater Marine Agency (NUMA). On paper he is the Surface Security Officer. In reality, when an oceanic research project has trouble, Pitt flies in, figures out the problem, fixes it and gets the project back on track. In Mediterranean Caper, the First Attempt research vessel is in the Aegean Sea looking for a missing link fish. Some unusual accidents take place; Dirk Pitt swoops in for the rescue to run into an apparent ghost plane. While sorting out the problems with the research project and an explanation for the ghost plane, Pitt runs into a drug smuggling scheme, undercover agents, and a traitor. I am no expert when it comes to the Air Force or anything military for that matter, so I have no idea about plausibility. For me it was an exciting story filled with twists and turns. The point of view did bounce around a bit, but I did not have trouble following it. Cussler does a good job introducing characters, so I had no trouble keeping track of everybody. I will warn you that Dirk Pitt is very James Bond-esque. In fact the whole story has that feel to it, but since I'm a fan of James Bond, it works. All in all, a fun, entertaining read and I will be looking for another Clive Cussler/Dirk Pitt adventure to read.

[kimberlycox27 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Clive Cussler book that I have read even though my husband has seven or eight of them on the shelf. I found the book entertaining and easy to read. Even though the plot was fairly predictable, it was fast paced and enjoyable. This is a great book to stash in your purse to read on a vacation where you might get a few moments of down time.

[librarymeg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Mediterranean Caper is the kind of book that will appeal to people who are looking for adventure, and a lot of it. The main character, Dirk Pitt, is the kind of self-assured, no-nonsense, take-charge hero that you expect to find in old-Hollywood war movies or James Bond films. The plot gets very complex at times, and so is hard to describe, but here goes: Major Dirk Pitt's services are requested at a scientific research vessel in Greece that's been experiencing acts of sabotage. While Pitt is flying in to visit the vessel, he stumbles across an attack on a U.S. Air Force Base by, of all unlikely things, a World War II biplane. Soon after, he meets the seductive niece of the German shipping guru who promptly tries to murder Pitt. Suffice it to say that these events are all connected. The mystery is in how they're connected, and how Dirk Pitt will survive his investigation. If you're looking for sympathetic, vibrant characters, this is probably not the book for you. The emphasis here is on thrilling action topped with adrenaline served up in the exotic location of the Greek Isles.

[darrol_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Way too much infallible he-man. It went over the top when Pitt discovers the living fossil fish.

[ct4bergeron · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

On a quiet greek Island, an US Air force base has come attack by a World War I fighter plane. Now it's up to Dirk Pitt to root out the elusive truth behind the attack - and find out how it's connected to mysterious acts of sabotage against a scientific expedition, an international smuggling ring, and a dark-haired beauty with some dangerous secrets...

[mendoza_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Clive Cussler IS the Man!Unfortunately, he didn't start out as the man. He really was pretty crummy writer and it definitely shows here in his first effort.BUT, if this is what it took for him to get to where he is at today than I applaud him for hanging in there.Everyone of his adventures shows his growth. He writes extremely likeable characters with history and details that move the story along. And how many other authors can say they sold as many books and is so well liked as Dr Cussler? And he's done it without swearing and sex in his books. He definitely is the man.

[mrslee_1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Ugh. Waste of time. I enjoyed the movie, Sahara, for it's good, clean fun and since Clive Cussler wrote the book, I thought perhaps I would enjoy his books. Wrong! First of all, the emotional responses of the characters don't ring true. They are all over the map for no reason at all. The dialogue is not clever when it is meant to be and not subtle when it should be. The adventure was O.K., but the characters as I say, were bizarre and didn't ring true to the task set before them. On top of all that, the author comes across as sexist (I've cleaned that up from my review at home). His view of women, if the characters in his book are anything to go by, is that they are a meat market good for one purpose only. It's not that he wrote a lot of sex into the book, it's just the way he speaks of it and women is so far away from the godly, lovely event that sex is, that it makes me sick. Guess I'll stick to the movie. It was far better.

[msbeautiful · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Adventure/Thriller, Fun to listen to on tape or cd

[trekbody · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A poor start to a great series that eventually derails.