LOS ANGELES, Feb 27, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Bestselling US author and keen
underwater adventurer Clive Cussler has died aged 88, his family said
Wednesday.
Cussler was the prolific writer of more than 80 books, mainly fast-paced
action thrillers such as “Sahara” and “Raise the Titanic!”, which
collectively sold tens of millions of copies.
“It is with a heavy heart that I want to share the sad news that my
husband, Clive passed away on Monday,” his wife Janet Horvath wrote on
Facebook.
“I want to thank you, his fans and friends for all the support, for all the
good times and all the adventures you have shared with him,” she added.
The cause of death was not disclosed. He reportedly passed at his home in
Arizona.
According to Cussler’s website, his books were published in more than 40
languages in more than 100 countries.
Many featured the same, larger-than-life hero Dirk Pitt, who was named
after Cussler’s own son.
Like his creator, Pitt collected classic cars and embarked on deep-sea
adventures.
In real life, Cussler said his National Underwater and Marine Agency, a
non-profit group, had discovered more than 60 submerged shipwrecks.
These included the Carpathia, which rescued survivors from the stricken
Titanic, and the U-boat that sparked America’s entry into World War I by
sinking the Lusitania.
Born in Illinois in 1931, Cussler was raised in California and served as a
mechanic in the US Air Force during the Korean War.
After working at a gas station, Cussler rose up in the advertising business
before getting his first novel published in 1973.
Success swiftly followed with “Raise the Titanic!” in 1976, described by
Kirkus as “overabundantly plotted” and with “a readership which won’t stop to
come up for air.”
Cussler went on to compile a fortune worth an estimated $80 million,
according to the New York Times.
He is survived by second wife Horvath, along with his three children, four
grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.