Sahara was published by Simon & Schuster in 1992 and became one of Cussler’s biggest bestsellers. The novel weaves together three storylines: the search for the CSS Texas, a Confederate ironclad that vanished after the Civil War and is believed to have crossed the Atlantic carrying a fortune in Confederate gold and a cache of Abraham Lincoln’s private papers; a World Health Organization investigation into a mysterious plague killing people along the Niger River; and a French industrialist’s illegal toxic waste disposal operation in the Malian desert.
Pitt and his partner Al Giordino follow the trail through West Africa — from the Atlantic coast up the Niger, across the desert to abandoned Foreign Legion forts and ancient Tuareg trade routes. The set pieces are characteristically spectacular: Pitt pilots an antique aircraft through a sandstorm, navigates underground rivers, and survives a trek across the open desert that would kill a less fictional character.
The historical component — the idea that a Confederate warship could have crossed the ocean and sailed deep into Africa — is vintage Cussler: just implausible enough to be irresistible and researched just thoroughly enough to create doubt. The 2005 film adaptation, starring Matthew McConaughey and Penelope Cruz, was a commercial disappointment and led to a public lawsuit between Cussler and the production company over creative control.
Collecting Sahara
First edition (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1992): Cloth binding, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $20–$50
- Very good/very good: $8–$20
- Signed: $40–$100