Spartan Gold

Good story for the most part.I wont describe the story as other reviewers do, I never understood that. Anyway.The characters are a little too perfect for me but these characters sell books. So.This story was a little too long towards the end and was a so so ending. Maybe I was getting tired of reading it so I was kind of ready to be finished.I only read for a few minutes a day (bedtime). So that said, an avid reader that could just crank right through it would probably enjoy it more.It has been a long time since I found a really good adventure story/series. I was into Reacher for awhile but the last one really was awful. Not often I toss a book half way through. Where's Clancy when I need him.Sorry I digress.I would probably recommend this book.

Adventurers Sam and Remi Fargo hopscotch around the world seeking a treasure hidden by Xerxes I the Persian King who invaded Greece 480 B.C.E. Napoleon Bonaparte found the treasure. and put together a string of clues, that he hoped his son, Napoleon II, would follow, but Napoleon Jr. for whatever reason didn’t follow through. It’s now modern times and besides the Fargos, a Russian mobster searches for the treasure. The Fargos could get killed, and not just because they visit some dangerous places. This is a smart adventure. The clues are clever and putting them together requires a vast knowledge of history. The downside of this book is that some transitions - those from one location to the other and from one danger to another - tend to be boring. The story is sometimes more travel brochure than adventure story.

I'm a big fan of Cussler books. This series is a different direction than most of his other series. What's different?- It's a husband and wife team and not a government backed team or organization.- The villains are not bent on ruling/destroying the world. It's much less grandiose.- It focuses so much on the treasure hunting. Cussler's other series had bits of history and treasure thrown in, but as a sidestory. Now it's THE story.- There's a back-story to the main characters, but basically, it entertains a question everyone in the world asks themselves at one point: What would you do if money was not an issue?What's the same?- It's a page-turner and a great story. Firefights! Explosions! Exploration! Ancient Ruins! Treasure! Bad guys! Travel!- The characters have fairly predictable personalities and are not too deeply developed, but developed enough to make a connection.- It's a great book to have for a long trip where you want some entertainment and don't want to work to hard to get into the story.- This particular story has everything thrown in from Persians and Spartans (duh), to Napoleon and Nazis. Oh, there's also a particularly psychotic villain who has a lot of money and also wants the treasure. BOOM! The story is born and the action begins.This book will be fun for everyone to read. If you're already a fan of Cussler books, this will be just as good.

Clive Cussler is recognized as one of the leading authors in adventure fiction, and in "Spartan Gold", he introduces two new characters: Sam and Remi Fargo.The book starts out in the time of Napoleon. While Napoleon and his army were crossing the Alps, he stumbled upon an amazing discovery. Unable to transport it, he set about devising a unique mapping system on twelve bottles of rare wine. Each bottle contained a unique riddle which would lead to the location of the next, and so on. Upon Napoleon's death, the bottles disappeared...Until now.Fast-forward to present-day. Remi and Sam are hunting for treasure in the Great Pocomoke Swamp in Maryland when they come across the wreckage of a World War II era German midget submarine. Located inside the submarine is one of the bottles of wine. Immediately, Remi and Sam set off in search of the remaining bottles, but, unknown to them, they are not the only ones searching.On the other side of the world, Hadeon Bondaruk, a kingpin in the Russian mafia, is also searching for Napoleon's "Lost Cellar". What is about to begin is a world-wide chase that will pit the Fargos against Bondaruk and his henchmen. There are chases, shoot-em-ups, and riddles to solve thrown in as well.I've read other books by Clive Cussler, and I have enjoyed them all. "Spartan Gold" is full of action and intrigue, and Cussler's new duo of Sam and Remi Fargo are easy to like and root for. Cussler has done a good job of developing these new characters, and I enjoyed the thrilling nature of the story. I did find the story to slow down a little in some parts, but these minor lapses do nothing to take away from the overall story.The Fargos have instantly become favorites of mine, and I'm looking forward to reading their next adventure, "Lost Empire".

I have been reading Clive Cussler for 20 years and he never disappoints. I love reading the adventures of the Fargos, Dirk Pitt, and The Oregon Files. Every author that collaborates with Clive Cussler, creates a great story to read. The Fargos lead me on great adventures that I do not want to end. Love this writer.

Another enjoyable round the world treasure hunt with the Fargos. But this one seemed laced with more trivia about their surroundings than previous Cussler books. I found myself skimming several paragraphs, and then pages, of detail that didn't further the plot so I could stay with the story.Some readers like that level of detail. If you want a description of each course of every meal the hero and heroine eat, this is the book for you. But if you're one of those "less is better" people, you might want to pass up Spartan Gold. .

I have read all of Clive Cussler’s:The Dirk Pitt adventures.NUMA Files.The Oregon Files.In order of creation and am amazed at the quality and quantity of these novels and wish there were more.Clive manages to accurately inform you of the local geography of so many different cities, towns and countries as if you were there. (100% accurate to the locations I have visited.)History is adjusted into to almost believable facts to suit the plots of each adventure and the equipment created and employed, is not beyond belief.Hardly any typos and largely factually correct.Only one error that I have noticed: suggestion that Spanish was spoken in Brazil, when it is of course, Portuguese.A touch of self-deprecating humour is apparent in many of the ‘stories.’WARNING. DO NOT START reading one of these novels if you are hoping to sleep! They are addictive and will captivate you!Captivating Stories.Progressed to Fargo Adventures: No. 1 - Did not disappoint.

Though a great fan of Mr Cussler's work, I must agree with other reviewers about the "Hart to Hart"chief characters and the excessive product placement.The use of English between Russians may help the plot but is not credible.A few quibbles/errors- p.2 "Napoleon was of medium height."At 5'6" he was for his era but would be thought short by modern standards.P.3 "Charlemagne in A.D. 800 returning from his coronation in Rome as the first Holy Roman Emperor.I believe he would have returned to Aachen in 801. his coronation being on 25th December 800.P.456 refers to a journey from Venice to Trieste "There's a flight leaving in two hours" "As it turned out the quickest route was an Alitalia flight from Venice to Rome, then across the Adriatic to Trieste." Trieste is some 120km north east of Venice. For some 10 Euros you can book a 1st class ticket on the hourly train and arrive in 1 hour 50 minutes. This is after all Europe not the U.S.Some other journeys seem to involve similar unlikely routes.P.469 "Then twenty-five hundred years later Napoleon somehow stumbles onto them" The time period is 483 B.C to 1800 A.D, not quite twenty-three hundred.

Another great story from the brain, fingers and pen, of the great Clive Cussler. Be it Dirk Pit .Fargo or Numa, You will not be disappointed, the tales and story lines always flow smoothly and the end never disappoints. Recommended.

I have been a big fan of Clive Cusslers book for a long time, specially the Dirk Pitt series. Now I am reading the “Fargo” series of books and found “Spartan Gold” to be an excellent read.

I am a huge History Nut & The Spartans are some of the most forgotten Soldiers who ever fought on this Planet & Add in the Mix Napoleon Bonaparte turn it into a Book so easy to read a Fantastic Story! Thank you at some point , maybe that strange man, should Go back into "Education" As future