History Literature / RaiseTheTitanic

* TwentyMinutesIntoTheFutue: The novel is set in a then-future 1987.

Gene Seagram, top scientist for a heavily funded top secret government think-tank, designs a defence system that would make it impossible for Russian missiles to hit any target in the continental United States, rendering the ICBM obsolete and shifting the balance of world power in America's favour. Unfortunately the device will only run on some {{Unobtanium}}, the only known supply of which went to the bottom of the ocean on April 15th, 1912 during the sinking of the ''Titanic''. There's only one thing to be done...

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/raise_the_titanic.jpeg]]

Gene Seagram, top scientist for a heavily funded top secret government think-tank designs a defence system that would make it impossible for Russian missiles to hit any target in the continental United States, rendering the ICBM obsolete and shifting the balance of world power in America's favour. Unfortunately the device will only run on some {{Unobtanium}}, the only known supply of which went to the bottom of the ocean on April 15th, 1912 during the sinking of the Titanic. There's only one thing to be done...

Unfortunately, the Russians have caught wind of the true motivation behind the American's attempt to find and salvage the Titanic, and they're not exactly happy about it. Partly because the ore in question was originally mined in secret from territory that Russia had a claim to at the time, but mostly due to the aforementioned balance of power. They set out to sabotage the operation with the aim of reclaiming the stolen ore, or at least denying possession of it to their enemy.

One of Cussler's last books, "The Titanic Secret" (co-authored with Jack Du Brul) serves as a prequel to the story. Years after his adventure on the Titanic, Dirk Pitt is given a journal written by private detective Isaac Bell (hero of several other Cussler books). It gives details on the discovery of the Byzanium and its connection with the Titanic.

One of Cussler's last books, "The Titanic Secret" (co-authored with Jack Du Brul) serves as a prequel to the story. Years after his adventure on the Titanic, Dirk Pitt is given a journal written by private detective Isaac Bell (hero of several other Cussler books). It gives details on the discovery of the Byzanium and how it ended up on the Titanic.

* DeadPesonImpersonation: It's revealed that [[spoiler: Perlov's aide, Marganin was killed in a tanker explosion three years earlier. A CIA officer was altered to look maimed by the explosion and was "discovered" with an acute case of amnesia. Not only did the Soviets restore his looks but educated him on his "history," brushing off any inconsistent behavior as after-effects of the accident. Perlov himself gives props to how brilliant this was.]]

* SpottingTheThread: A great scene has Pitt expertly explaining how he figured out the various clues to the identities of the Soviet spies on the NUMA team: [[spoiler: He was onto Drummer for a while for always being on his own a lot and that it was when Drummer was on duty whenever a signal was going out. When Drummer was going wild over a submarine being lost, Pitt figured out that his twin was one of the three men on board. Since one was eight years older than Drummer and the other was Mexican, that left Merker.]]

''Raise the Titanic!'' was an early novel by Creator/CliveCussler and his first best seller. The book was published in 1976, a full nine years before the wreck of the ''UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic'' was discovered, and as such, the plot unintentionally takes a few liberties with the plausibility of salvaging the doomed ocean liner (until the wreck was found, [[DatedHistory most experts assumed it remained intact after sinking]] rather than breaking in two).

* GracefulLoser: Although Prevlov loses his cool a few times in the climax, when he finally realizes how badly he's been OutGambitted he accepts it rather gracefully.

* TheMole: [[spoiler:Ben Drummond and Sam Merker]] are actually mercenaries currently under the employ of Soviet intelligence.

''Raise the Titanic!'' was an early novel by Creator/CliveCussler and his first best seller. The book was published in 1976, a full nine years before the wreck of the ''UsefulNotes/RMSTitanic'' was discovered, and as such, the plot unintentionally takes a few liberties with the plausibility of salvaging the doomed ocean liner (until the wreck was found, [[HistoryMarchesOn most experts assumed it remained intact after sinking]] rather than breaking in two).

* HistoryMarchesOn: This story assumes the R.M.S. ''Titanic'' sank as a single piece, remaining intact enough to be salvaged. In Cussler's defense, this was the official position on the sinking until the ship was actually found, which was in 1985, almost 10 years after the book was written.

''Raise the Titanic!'' was an early novel by Creator/CliveCussler and his first best seller. The book was published in 1976, a full nine years before the wreck of the ''RMS Titanic'' was discovered, and as such, the plot unintentionally takes a few liberties with the plausibility of salvaging the doomed ocean liner (until the wreck was found, [[HistoryMarchesOn most experts assumed it remained intact after sinking]] rather than breaking in two).

AxCrazy: [[spoiler:Gene Seagram when he learns the byzanium was never even on the ''Titanic''.]]

''Raise the Titanic!'' was an early novel by CliveCussler and his first best seller. The book was published in 1976, a full nine years before the wreck of the ''RMS Titanic'' was discovered, and as such, the plot unintentionally takes a few liberties with the plausibility of salvaging the doomed ocean liner (until the wreck was found, [[HistoryMarchesOn most experts assumed it remained intact after sinking]] rather than breaking in two).

The book was a notable success, launching Cussler's writing career. There was also a film made which is far more infamous and far less successful. The raising sequence is still worth a look.

The book was a notable success, launching Cussler's writing career. There was also a film made which is far more infamous and far less successful.

Raise the Titanic was an early novel by CliveCussler and his first best seller. The book was published in 1976, a full nine years before the wreck of the ''RMS Titanic'' was discovered, and as such, the plot unintentionally takes a few liberties with the plausibility of salvaging the doomed ocean liner (until the wreck was found, [[HistoryMarchesOn most experts assumed it remained intact after sinking]] rather than breaking in two).