Clive Cussler Books in Order: Complete Book & Series List

This Clive Cussler books in order guide covers his major adventure series, children’s books, nonfiction, and other meaningful releases. The series can be read independently, so you can choose the characters that interest you and follow that series in order.

Cussler is best known for Dirk Pitt, but his work also includes the NUMA Files, the Oregon Files, the Isaac Bell adventures, and the Fargo Adventures. Several writers collaborated with him and now continue the series he created.

Jump to:

• Clive Cussler Books in Order by Series
• Clive Cussler Children’s Books
• Clive Cussler Nonfiction Books
• Clive Cussler Edited Anthology
• Clive Cussler Book-to-Screen Adaptations
• Who is Clive Cussler?

Clive Cussler Books in Order by Series

Dirk Pitt Books

Dirk Pitt is Clive Cussler’s flagship hero, and Dirk Cussler continues the series. Read the books in publication order below. Pacific Vortex! takes place before The Mediterranean Caper, which was also published in the United Kingdom as Mayday! For the full chronology and more series details, see my Dirk Pitt books in order guide.

1. The Mediterranean Caper (1973)
2. Iceberg (1975)
3. Raise the Titanic! (1976)
4. Vixen 03 (1978)
5. Night Probe! (1981)
6. Pacific Vortex! (1983)
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. The Devil’s Sea (2021)
27. The Corsican Shadow (2023)
28. Obsidian Sky (2026)

NUMA Files Series

The NUMA Files follows Kurt Austin and Joe Zavala as they take on dangerous missions for the National Underwater and Marine Agency. Paul Kemprecos collaborated on the earlier novels, and Graham Brown writes the continuing books.

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 Pharaoh’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. Dark Vector (2022)
20. Condor’s Fury (2023)
21. Desolation Code (2024)
22. Cold Fire (2026)

Oregon Files Books

The Oregon Files follows Juan Cabrillo and the Corporation, a covert team operating from the disguised high-tech ship Oregon. Craig Dirgo, Jack Du Brul, and Boyd Morrison collaborated on different parts of the series, and Mike Maden writes the continuing novels.

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. Hellburner (2022)
17. Fire Strike (2023)
18. Ghost Soldier (2024)
19. Quantum Tempest (2025)

Isaac Bell Books

Isaac Bell is a detective with the Van Dorn Detective Agency who pursues criminals across early-twentieth-century America. Justin Scott collaborated on the earlier novels, and Jack Du Brul writes the continuing books.

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. The Sea Wolves (2022)
14. The Heist (2024)
15. The Iron Storm (2025)

Fargo Adventures Books

Sam and Remi Fargo are married treasure hunters who travel the world solving historical mysteries and searching for lost artifacts. Grant Blackwood, Thomas Perry, Russell Blake, and Robin Burcell have contributed to the series, with Burcell writing the continuing adventures.

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. The Serpent’s Eye (2027)

Clive Cussler Children’s Books

1. The Adventures of Vin Fiz (2006)
2. The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy (2010)

Clive Cussler Nonfiction Books

Cussler’s nonfiction draws on his shipwreck expeditions and his interest in classic automobiles. The companion book about Dirk Pitt also includes original fiction and background material from the series.

1. The Sea Hunters: True Adventures with Famous Shipwrecks (1996).
2. Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed (1998). Includes the original Dirk Pitt short story “The Reunion.”
3. The Sea Hunters II: More True Adventures with Famous Shipwrecks (2002).
4. Built for Adventure: The Classic Automobiles of Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt (2011).
5. Built to Thrill: More Classic Automobiles from Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt (2016).

Clive Cussler Edited Anthology

Cussler also edited a collection of original thriller stories from writers across the genre.

1. Thriller 2: Stories You Just Can’t Put Down (2009)

Clive Cussler Book-to-Screen Adaptations

Two Dirk Pitt novels became feature films, and Cussler’s real-world shipwreck work also inspired a documentary series. Neither movie led to a continuing Dirk Pitt film franchise.

Raise the Titanic!

Raise the Titanic! adapted the 1976 Dirk Pitt novel in 1980. Jerry Jameson directed the film, which stars Jason Robards, Richard Jordan, Anne Archer, Alec Guinness, and David Selby. It keeps the central Cold War search for a rare mineral aboard the Titanic, but compresses the story and changes several characters. Cussler strongly disliked the adaptation, and the film was a commercial disappointment.

Sahara

Sahara adapted the 1992 Dirk Pitt novel in 2005. Breck Eisner directed the film, which stars Matthew McConaughey as Dirk Pitt, Steve Zahn as Al Giordino, and Penélope Cruz as Dr. Eva Rojas. It keeps the lost Civil War ironclad and West African setting but changes much of the novel’s plot. Cussler and the production company later fought a long legal dispute involving script approval, contractual control, and representations about book sales.

The Sea Hunters

The Sea Hunters was a documentary television series inspired by Cussler’s nonfiction shipwreck work. The series ran from 2001 through 2006 on National Geographic and History Television. It followed Cussler, Mike Fletcher, archaeologist James Delgado, and the expedition team as they investigated historic wrecks and maritime mysteries.

Who is Clive Cussler?

Clive Eric Cussler was born in Aurora, Illinois, on July 15, 1931, and grew up in Alhambra, California. He attended Pasadena City College and served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. After leaving the military, he worked in advertising before turning to adventure fiction. He died on February 24, 2020.

Cussler’s stories combine maritime mysteries, historical puzzles, technology, and fast-moving adventure. He also founded a real-world organization called the National Underwater and Marine Agency, which searches for historically important shipwrecks. His interest in classic automobiles appears throughout the Dirk Pitt novels and in his nonfiction books.

Looking for more books in order?

If you want more thriller authors and reading-order guides like this one, start with my Thriller Books in Order index.

• Books in Order (Full Index)
• James Rollins Books in Order
• Steve Berry Books in Order
• Matthew Reilly Books in Order