Clive Cussler Collector's Society

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James B. Fleenor

I would like to share the most prized part of my collection. ATLANTIS FOUND is my favorite Cussler novel. This was only my second CC book and I was hooked with my first read, Flood Tide. After reading these two works, I started seeing a pattern in the way Clive worked into his books real historical artifacts. As readers may remember, the Snow Cruiser was the vehicle used by Dirk Pitt to help save the world! I had never heard of Admiral Byrd's SNOW CRUISER before, but after reading about it, I wanted to investigate the validity of its existence, and what a better place than the internet! It was during this investigating that I happened upon the Clive Cussler Collector's Society, and the rest is history!

Pictured here is my autographed First Edition of Atlantis Found. You will also see two fun and rather inexpensive items that compliment the book. On the right is an October '39 Popular Mechanics that features the Snow Cruiser. The article shows a cut-away of the SC and you can almost picture Dirk & Al in action! The other item pictured is a "Postal Cover" of the Snow Cruiser reaching the South Pole. These were carried inside the Snow Cruiser on its voyage and were to be mailed when they arrived. This particular cover came with a signed note from the gentleman I obtained it from stating: "This envelope was taken from the Snow Cruiser while I was on the 1946-47 "Operation Highjump" expedition to the South Pole... When we got there in 1946, it was buried in ice and snow... We dug a deep tunnel from near our camp where I retrieved this envelope." I also had this autographed by Clive (I'm sure destroying all historical integrity, but HEY, it's MY collection!).

For anyone looking for either of these items, they are pretty readily available on eBay and should be able to be obtained for under or around $10.00 each. By the way, there is also a Popular Science (or Popular Mechanics) highlighting the S.S. United States, the ship featured in Flood Tide. I can research the month & year if anyone would be interested.

Thank you,

Jim Fleenor (#56)
Maplestr5@ameritech.net
Mentor, Ohio

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