I have just started reading Night Probe and although I am enjoying it I believe it is a hard book to read. I feel this way because there are too many characters and it makes it hard to follow. To be honest I am not good with names in real life (and even when reading) so I have a hard time remember who is who if there are a few pages or chapters between appearances.

What does everyone else think?

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LOL.............if you think Night Probe has alot of characters wait till you get to Atlantis Found or Shock Wave........
Don't let that scare you though.

I agree with you that there are quite a few characters in NP but it's one of Clive's best stories and he's said himself that it's his best book.

Keep with it Brandon it's got a great ending

Thanks Rob - I am really enjoying the book as I read it. I think one thing that hurts is that I cannot sit down and read it everyday and I have a few days between readings and I am not that smart.

I just got to the part where it's disclosed the US bought Canada. I was ready to put it down for the night and go to bed but once I read that I stayed up for another 20 some pages.

I think when I get to the books you mention I may keep a legal pad with me and write down all the characters.

Thanks again.

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Brandon,

Get a copy of Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Reveiled. It is a glossary of every book up until Atlantis Found. It contains character, location, and technical infomation for the major parts of the story. It is very helpful.

Thanks for the information. I will make sure to get that one on my next order in a couple of weeks.

Something like that would be very helpful.

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Finished Night Probe last night. I stayed up until 2:30 am to finish it. It was awesome.

I take back everything about it being confusing because once the book got going CC got to the point where (I believe) he only used the appropriate characters. There were a bunch of them but he didn't clutter the best part of the book with them.

GREAT BOOK!

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As with all Clive novels, it mixes true history with fiction. Many of these characters were real except some of the fictional vilians.

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I cant believe how far ahead of his time CC was! Also, I was actually inside the underground limestone quarries he describes. South of Kingston, NY they were converted into a giant mushroom farm. But 50 years ago we RPI spelunkers found a back entrance.Crystal clear water filled huge sloping channels, and a crawlwy led into stacks of mushroom trays. Weird!

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"I cant believe how far ahead of his time CC was! Also, I was actually inside the underground limestone quarries he describes. South of Kingston, NY they were converted into a giant mushroom farm. But 50 years ago we RPI spelunkers found a back entrance.Crystal clear water filled huge sloping channels, and a crawlwy led into stacks of mushroom trays. Weird!"


You found DiPaolo's mushroom farm,RT 32,Kingston, NY,growers of the locally famous "Snowball" mushroom,available at Sunfrost farms and other fine food outlets. Please be careful,the Depaola's take their mushrooms seriously and don't like trespassers.


Drive up RT 28 towards Ellenville and find the tuber's
train. Those tracks are where Dirk finds the so-called "phantom train."

But what does that mean,you can't believe how far ahead of his time Cussler was?? What did he do ? Those places have been here for generations and the DiPaolo's have been in the mushroom business since the 40's.

Which one is it Nick?
DiPaolo or Depaola?
You'll learn to spell one day mate.....

The family has two sanctions--Dipaolo is the grandfather's name and is used as the business name. One of the sons had a falling out with the father,and for a while,left the company,and spelled his name with an "e",
as a sign of independence. When they reconciled, the son kept the spelling and the two spellings have been growing mushrooms ever since. Italians do that do but I wouldn't expect you to understand,but that's the story.

Sorry I didn't explain the DiPaolo family name spelling difference,Rob,old mate,but everyone seemed so transfixed on the notion that,for some unknown reason,Cussler was "ahead of his time' with NIGHT PROBE. So I didn't think anyone would notice. But nothing gets by you,Rob,except the purpose of a dictionary.

Just like I said before and I apologise for being repetitive, but Nightprobe is up with the best of Clive's books.
I've read all the older books and still enjoy Nightprobe everytime I re-read it.
If, and that's probably a big if, a new film is made then they should film this one. They could even take only the train part and it will sill make sense.

As Nick has said this was in a period when Clive's books had an edge to them - Deep Six included.

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Question Was Brian Shaw AKA James Bond?

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"Question Was Brian Shaw AKA James Bond?"

Yes,without a doubt....