Clive Cussler Books in Order

Clive Cussler was an American adventure thriller author and real-life underwater explorer, best known for his Dirk Pitt series, which began in 1973 and ran to 27 novels. He appeared on the New York Times bestseller list more than 20 times and received the ITW ThrillerMaster award in 2006, the Strand Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017, and the Naval Heritage Award from the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation in 2002 for his work in marine exploration. He passed away in February 2020 at age 88.

This page lists all Clive Cussler books in order across his five main series: Dirk Pitt, the NUMA Files, the Oregon Files, Isaac Bell Adventures, and the Sam and Remi Fargo Adventures. All series are still active, continued by the co-authors who worked with Cussler before his death, including his son Dirk Cussler.

Latest Clive Cussler Books

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Dirk Pitt Series (Books in Order)

The Dirk Pitt series follows marine engineer and special projects director for NUMA (the National Underwater and Marine Agency) Dirk Pitt, who gets pulled into various global crises that involve lost ships, sunken treasure, and global threats to civilization. The series is a mix of high adventure, historical mysteries, and outlandish plots, which makes it closer in feel to James Bond or Indiana Jones than to conventional thrillers. The first two books are relatively straightforward maritime thrillers; from Raise the Titanic! (1976) onward, the series moves into its signature mix of sunken history, evil megalomaniacs, and Dirk Pitt’s ever-growing collection of classic cars.

Starting with Black Wind, the series was co-authored with Dirk Cussler, who continued it after his father’s death in 2020.

Reading Order

1. Pacific Vortex!, 1983
2. The Mediterranean Caper, 1973 (also titled Mayday)
3. Iceberg, 1975
4. Raise The Titanic!, 1976
5. Vixen 03, 1978
6. Night Probe!, 1981
7. Deep Six, 1984
8. Cyclops, 1986
9. Treasure, 1988
10. Dragon, 1990
11. Sahara, 1992
12. Inca Gold, 1994
13. Shock Wave, 1996
14. Flood Tide, 1997
15. Atlantis Found, 1999
16. Valhalla Rising, 2001
17. Trojan Odyssey, 2003
18. Black Wind, 2004
19. Treasure of Khan, 2006
20. Arctic Drift, 2008
21. Crescent Dawn, 2010
22. Poseidon’s Arrow, 2012
23. Havana Storm, 2014
24. Odessa Sea, 2016
25. Celtic Empire, 2019
26. Clive Cussler’s The Devil’s Sea, 2021
27. Clive Cussler’s The Corsican Shadow, 2023

Other Dirk Pitt Books

• Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed, 1998

NUMA Files Series (Books in Order)

The NUMA Files series follows Kurt Austin, leader of NUMA’s Special Assignments Team, and his partner Joe Zavala who deal with threats to the world’s oceans and natural resources in fast-paced, missions around the world. The series has characters and setting from Dirk Pitt, since Pitt himself appears in several books, but Austin is a separate protagonist with his own style and supporting cast.

Co-authored with Paul Kemprecos (books 1–8) and Graham Brown (books 9 onward).

Reading Order

1. Serpent, 1999
2. Blue Gold, 2000
3. Fire Ice, 2002
4. White Death, 2003
5. Lost City, 2004
6. Polar Shift, 2005
7. The Navigator, 2007
8. Medusa, 2009
9. Devil’s Gate, 2011
10. The Storm, 2012
11. Zero Hour, 2013
12. Ghost Ship, 2014
13. The Pharao’s Secret, 2015
14. Nighthawk, 2017
15. The Rising Sea, 2018
16. Sea of Greed, 2018
17. Journey of the Pharaohs, 2020
18. Fast Ice, 2021
19. Clive Cussler’s Dark Vector, 2022
20. Clive Cussler’s Condor’s Fury, 2023
21. Clive Cussler’s Desolation’s Code, 2024
22. Clive Cussler’s Cold Fire, 2026

The Oregon Files Series (Books in Order)

The Oregon Files series follows Juan Cabrillo, the chairman of a private mercenary organization called the Corporation, which operates from a covert ship called the Oregon, a battered-looking freighter which in fact hides state-of-the-art weapons, technology, and intelligence equipment inside. The series is all about the difference between the Oregon’s shabby exterior and what it can actually do, and the missions Cabrillo and his crew take on for the highest bidder, usually involving the need to combat global-scale threats.

Co-authored with Craig Dirgo (books 1–2), Jack Du Brul (books 3–9), Boyd Morrison (books 10–15), and Mike Maden (books 16 onward).

Reading Order

1. Golden Buddha, 2003
2. Sacred Stone, 2004
3. Dark Watch, 2005
4. Skeleton Coast, 2006
5. Plague Ship, 2008
6. Corsair, 2009
7. The Silent Sea, 2010
8. The Jungle, 2011
9. Mirage, 2013
10. Piranha, 2015
11. The Emperor’s Revenge, 2016
12. Typhoon Fury, 2017
13. Shadow Tyrants, 2018
14. Final Option, 2019
15. Marauder, 2020
16. Clive Cussler’s Hellburner, 2022
17. Clive Cussler’s Fire Strike, 2023
18. Clive Cussler’s Ghost Soldier, 2024
19. Quantum Tempest, 2025

Isaac Bell Adventures Series (Books in Order)

The Isaac Bell series follows detective Isaac Bell, a tall, sharp-dressed detective working for the Van Dorn Detective Agency in early 20th century America. Each book throws Bell into a different period and setting, be it a railroad saboteur in 1907, spies in 1908 Europe, or a transcontinental air race in 1910.

Unlike the other Cussler series, Isaac Bell has a distinct internal chronology that does not match publication order. The books were written out of sequence: The Striker is set in 1902 and The Assassin in 1905, but both came out years after The Chase, which is set in 1906. Reading in publication order works fine for most readers, as the internal timeline has no major spoilers.

Co-authored with Justin Scott (books 2–10) and Jack Du Brul (books 11 onward).

Reading Order

1. The Chase, 2007
2. The Wrecker, 2009
3. The Spy, 2010
4. The Race, 2011
5. The Thief, 2012
6. The Striker, 2013
7. The Bootlegger, 2014
8. The Assassin, 2015
9. The Gangster, 2016
10. The Cutthroat, 2017
11. The Titanic Secret, 2019
12. The Saboteurs, 2021
13. Clive Cussler’s The Sea Wolves, 2022
14. Clive Cussler’s The Heist, 2024
15. Clive Cussler’s The Iron Storm, 2025

Reading note: The Isaac Bell books are each set in a specific year of the early 1900s but were not written in that internal order. The Chase, published in 2007 is the starting point and is set in 1906; The Striker, published in 2013 is set in 1902 but came out sixth. Publication order is the recommended reading order.

Sam and Remi Fargo Adventures

The Fargo Adventures series follows professional treasure hunters Sam and Remi Fargo, a married couple who, being multimillionaires, fund and run their own expeditions around the world using their private foundation. Sam is a former DARPA engineer turned entrepreneur and Remi is a researcher and expert in history and languages. The two travel the world to track down lost artifacts and historical mysteries, which they usually donate to governments or various museums. They work independently, with no government backing.

Co-authored with Grant Blackwood (books 1–3), Thomas Perry (books 4–5), Russell Blake (books 6–7), and Robin Burcell (books 8 onward).

1. Spartan Gold, 2009
2. Lost Empire, 2010
3. The Kingdom, 2011
4. The Tombs, 2012
5. The Mayan Secrets, 2013
6. The Eye of Heaven, 2014
7. The Solomon Curse, 2015
8. Pirate, 2016
9. The Romanov Ransom, 2017
10. The Gray Ghost, 2018
11. The Oracle, 2019
12. Wrath of Poseidon, 2020
13. Clive Cussler’s The Serpent’s Eye, 2026

Children’s Books

• The Adventures of Vin Fiz, 2006
• The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy, 2010

Short Story Anthologies

• Suspense Magazine, April 2010, 2010
• Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can’t Put Down, 2009

Non-Fiction Books

• The Sea Hunters, 1996
• The Sea Hunters II: More True Adventures with Famous Shipwrecks, 2002
• Built for Adventure: The Classic Automobiles of Clive Cussler, 2011
• Built to Thrill: More Classic Automobiles from Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt, 2016

Clive Cussler Biography

Clive Eric Cussler (July 15, 1931 – February 24, 2020) was an American adventure thriller author whose five fiction series, Dirk Pitt, the NUMA Files, the Oregon Files, Isaac Bell, and the Sam and Remi Fargo Adventures, collectively had more than 20 titles on the New York Times bestseller list, including eleven at number one.
Official website: cusslerbooks.com

Born in Aurora, Illinois, and raised in Alhambra, California, Clive Cussler attended Pasadena City College before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War, where he worked as an aircraft mechanic and flight engineer. It was during this time that he discovered scuba diving and his passion for it, one that would stay with him throughout his entire life. After his discharge, he started working in advertising as a copywriter and then creative director at two major agencies, creating commercials that won awards at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. He began writing in 1965 and published his debut novel, The Mediterranean Caper, in 1973. The book was titled Mayday in the UK and Australia.

Clive Cussler founded the real-world National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) in 1979, a nonprofit dedicated to maritime and naval history. Under his leadership, NUMA located more than 60 historically important shipwrecks, including the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley. He received an honorary Doctor of Letters from SUNY Maritime College in 1997 for his non-fiction book The Sea Hunters, the Naval Heritage Award from the U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation in 2002, and the ITW ThrillerMaster award in 2006.

Strand Magazine presented him with its Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. He was a fellow of the Explorers Club of New York, the Royal Geographical Society in London, and the American Society of Oceanographers.

Clive Cussler died in Paradise Valley, Arizona, in February 2020 at age 88.

Clive Cussler Book Adaptations

• Raise the Titanic! – adapted into the feature film Raise the Titanic! (1980)
• Sahara – adapted into the feature film Sahara (2005), starring Matthew McConaughey as Dirk Pitt
• The Sea Hunters – adapted into the documentary television series The Sea Hunters (2002–2006)

Clive Cussler Awards and Honors

Awards

• Honorary Doctor of Letters, SUNY Maritime College (1997)
• Naval Heritage Award, U.S. Navy Memorial Foundation (2002)
• Lowell Thomas Award (date varies by source)
• NOGI Award
• ITW ThrillerMaster Award (2006)
• Strand Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award (2017)

Nominations and Shortlists

• The Mediterranean Caper – Edgar Award for Best Paperback Original (1974)
• Skeleton Coast – ITW Award for Best Paperback original (2007)

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