Treasure was published by Simon & Schuster in 1988. The novel’s historical premise is irresistible: the great Library of Alexandria, before its destruction, was secretly emptied by Roman soldiers who transported its contents — scrolls containing the accumulated knowledge of the ancient world — across the Atlantic to a hiding place in the Americas. The evidence surfaces when Pitt discovers clues pointing to the library’s survival in a wrecked ship off Greenland.
The modern plot involves Akhmad Yazid, a charismatic extremist who plans to unite North Africa under Islamic fundamentalism and use a hijacked cruise ship as leverage for his demands. Pitt’s investigation of the library’s location intersects with the counter-terrorism operation, creating the characteristic Cussler structure: two seemingly unrelated plotlines that converge in a climactic sequence where ancient treasure and modern geopolitics collide.
The Library of Alexandria plot reflects Cussler’s genuine passion for historical mysteries — the destruction of the library is one of antiquity’s great tragedies, and the possibility that some portion of its contents survived has fascinated scholars for centuries. Cussler’s fictional solution, while fanciful, is grounded in enough real history (Roman trade routes, Viking exploration of North America) to satisfy the adventure reader who wants plausibility without demanding it.
Collecting Treasure
First edition (Simon & Schuster, New York, 1988): Cloth binding, dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $20–$50
- Very good/very good: $8–$20
- Signed: $40–$100