The Oregon Files
Encyclopedia
The Oregon Files are a group of novels written by author Clive Cussler
and co-author Craig Dirgo
and later co-author Jack Du Brul
. The books follow the mysterious "Corporation" and its leader Juan Cabrillo. The "Oregon Files" come from the name of the ship on which the Corporation is based, the Oregon. The ship's name is based on the current State University of New York Maritime College
training ship the TS Empire State VI. Its original name was the SS Oregon.
. The main Oregon Files series is:
The Oregon is a high tech ship owned by a private secret service organization called 'the Corporation'. It is disguised as a rusty old tramp steamer. It mounts five cranes - three fore, two aft - only two of which are operational, one each fore and aft. To add to its appearance of authenticity, this disguise is highly detailed. This includes a fake mess hall, and a captain's cabin specially designed to be utterly repulsive, with features including specially designed chemicals to keep people away, a dysfunctional toilet, and depressing paintings of clowns on black velvet. In reality it is an extraordinarily sophisticated intelligence-gathering vessel with luxury facilities and top of the line technical capabilities. It is equipped with a moon pool for launching two minisubs, an olympic swimming pool (in one of its ballast tanks), state-of-the-art medical facilities, and powered by a pair of revolutionary magnetohydrodynamic drive
s. It also uses an array of underwater vectored-thrusters to give it unparalleled maneuverability for a ship of its size - Dark Watch gives its dimensions as 560 feet long, with a 75-foot beam and a gross weight of 11,585 tons. The Oregon is also equipped with a suite of armaments that rivals most military capital ships, including: French-built Exocet
anti-ship missiles, two torpedo tubes below the waterline(firing Russian-made TEST-71 torpedoes according to Plague Ship
, though Cabrillo has stated he would have preferred American Mk48 ADCAP
), 20mm multibarrel Gatling guns mounted behind steel plates on its hull, an array of .30-caliber machine guns concealed in dummy oil barrels on her deck, as well as Russian-built cruise missiles of an unspecified type, and at least one 120mm cannon of a similar type to that of the M1A1 Abrams
tank. Most novels talk about the 120mm in the singular, however Dark Watch states that it has two - one on each side of the hull.
The ship's control center, located deep within its hull, is said to have the feel of the starship Enterprise, including a large, central command chair in which Cabrillo sits when on the bridge, which is colloquially referred to as "The Kirk Chair".
Clive Cussler
Clive Eric Cussler is an American adventure novelist and marine archaeologist. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have reached The New York Times fiction best-seller list more than seventeen times...
and co-author Craig Dirgo
Craig Dirgo
Craig Dirgo is an American author of techno thrillers and adventure novels, as well as non-fiction. He started off co-authoring with Clive Cussler on his non-fiction work. He soon moved to his own novels starring his character, John Taft, an agent of a fictitious US spy agency, the National...
and later co-author Jack Du Brul
Jack Du Brul
Jack Du Brul is a New York Times Best-Selling Author from Vermont who writes Techno-thrillers.-Early life:...
. The books follow the mysterious "Corporation" and its leader Juan Cabrillo. The "Oregon Files" come from the name of the ship on which the Corporation is based, the Oregon. The ship's name is based on the current State University of New York Maritime College
State University of New York Maritime College
SUNY Maritime College is a maritime college located in the Bronx, New York City in historic Fort Schuyler on the Throggs Neck peninsula where the East River meets Long Island Sound...
training ship the TS Empire State VI. Its original name was the SS Oregon.
Books
The crew of the Oregon first appeared in Flood TideFlood Tide
Flood Tide is an adventure novel by Clive Cussler. This is the 14th book featuring the author’s primary protagonist, Dirk Pitt. He must rescue illegal immigrants from a Chinese tycoon and locate the bones of the Peking Man, the famous lost example of Homo erectus...
. The main Oregon Files series is:
- Golden Buddha (2004)
- Sacred StoneSacred StoneSacred Stone is the second book in The Oregon Files series of novels by best-selling author Clive Cussler and Craig Dirgo. It was released on October 5, 2004 by Berkley....
(2004) - Dark WatchDark WatchDark Watch is a novel by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul. It was published in 2005 and is the third installment in The Oregon Files series....
(2005) - Skeleton CoastSkeleton Coast (novel)Skeleton Coast is the 4th installment of the The Oregon Files by Clive Cussler & Jack B. Du Brul. It involves Juan Cabrillo and his crew of concerned mercenaries, as they attempt to quell a revolution, support and spark another and save the East Coast of America from widespread infection and...
(2006) - Plague ShipPlague Ship (Cussler novel)Plague Ship is the 5th installment of the The Oregon Files by Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul. It is based around a series of violent viral attacks on cruise ships by extremists who want to make half the worlds population sterile.- Plot :...
(2008) - CorsairCorsair (Cussler novel)Corsair is the 6th novel in The Oregon Files by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul. The book follows the corporation team's mission to recover the US Secretary of State, Fiona Katamora, before the upcoming peace summit. They discover that all is not as it seems and that the plane crash that brought her...
(2009) - The Silent Sea (2010)
- The Jungle (2011)
Overview
The MV Oregon is the name of a (seagoing) ship in various Clive Cussler novels including an eponymous series of novels, The Oregon Files. It made its first appearance in the novel Flood Tide (although the Oregon in Flood Tide was scrapped due to battle damage so the ship in the later books was actually its replacement), and the said series is based on it and its crew. The series was written by author Clive Cussler, co-author Craig Dirgo, and later another co-author, Jack Du Brul.The Oregon is a high tech ship owned by a private secret service organization called 'the Corporation'. It is disguised as a rusty old tramp steamer. It mounts five cranes - three fore, two aft - only two of which are operational, one each fore and aft. To add to its appearance of authenticity, this disguise is highly detailed. This includes a fake mess hall, and a captain's cabin specially designed to be utterly repulsive, with features including specially designed chemicals to keep people away, a dysfunctional toilet, and depressing paintings of clowns on black velvet. In reality it is an extraordinarily sophisticated intelligence-gathering vessel with luxury facilities and top of the line technical capabilities. It is equipped with a moon pool for launching two minisubs, an olympic swimming pool (in one of its ballast tanks), state-of-the-art medical facilities, and powered by a pair of revolutionary magnetohydrodynamic drive
Magnetohydrodynamic drive
A magnetohydrodynamic drive or MHD propulsor is a method for propelling seagoing vessels using only electric and magnetic fields with no moving parts, using magnetohydrodynamics. The working principle involves electrification of the propellant which can then be directed by a magnetic field,...
s. It also uses an array of underwater vectored-thrusters to give it unparalleled maneuverability for a ship of its size - Dark Watch gives its dimensions as 560 feet long, with a 75-foot beam and a gross weight of 11,585 tons. The Oregon is also equipped with a suite of armaments that rivals most military capital ships, including: French-built Exocet
Exocet
The Exocet is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed wing aircraft. Hundreds were fired in combat during the 1980s.-Etymology:...
anti-ship missiles, two torpedo tubes below the waterline(firing Russian-made TEST-71 torpedoes according to Plague Ship
Plague Ship (Cussler novel)
Plague Ship is the 5th installment of the The Oregon Files by Clive Cussler & Jack Du Brul. It is based around a series of violent viral attacks on cruise ships by extremists who want to make half the worlds population sterile.- Plot :...
, though Cabrillo has stated he would have preferred American Mk48 ADCAP
Mark 48 torpedo
The Mark 48 and its improved ADCAP variant are heavyweight submarine-launched torpedoes. They were designed to sink fast, deep-diving nuclear-powered submarines and high-performance surface ships.-History:...
), 20mm multibarrel Gatling guns mounted behind steel plates on its hull, an array of .30-caliber machine guns concealed in dummy oil barrels on her deck, as well as Russian-built cruise missiles of an unspecified type, and at least one 120mm cannon of a similar type to that of the M1A1 Abrams
M1 Abrams
The M1 Abrams is a third-generation main battle tank produced in the United States. It is named after General Creighton Abrams, former Army Chief of Staff and Commander of US military forces in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972. The M1 is a well armed, heavily armored, and highly mobile tank designed for...
tank. Most novels talk about the 120mm in the singular, however Dark Watch states that it has two - one on each side of the hull.
The ship's control center, located deep within its hull, is said to have the feel of the starship Enterprise, including a large, central command chair in which Cabrillo sits when on the bridge, which is colloquially referred to as "The Kirk Chair".
Characters
- Juan Cabrillo - Chairman of the Corporation
- Max Hanley - President of the Corporation
- Richard 'Dick' Truitt - Vice President of the Corporation (Retired between Book 2 and 3)
- Linda Ross - Vice President of the Corporation (as of Book 3 formerly Security and Surveillance)
Corporation Team (Operatives)
- George 'Gomez' Adams - Helicopter Pilot
- Rick Barrett - Assistant Chef
- Monica Crabtree - Supply and Logistics Coordinator
- Carl Gannon - General Operations (Retired)
- Chuck 'Tiny' Gunderson - Chief Pilot Fixed-Wing
- Michael Halpert - Finance and Accounting
- Cliff Hornsby - General Operations
- Julia Huxley - Medical Officer
- Pete Jones - General Operations
- Hali Kasim - General Operations - Communications
- Larry King - Sniper
- Franklin 'Linc' Lincoln - General Operations
- Bob Meadows - General Operations (Retired)
- Judy Michaels - Pilot
- Mark Murphy - Weapons Control
- Kevin Nixon - Magic Shop Specialist
- Tracy Pilston - Pilot(amphibious plane)
- Sam Pryor - Propulsion Engineer
- Maurice - Chief Steward
- Jerry Pulaski - General Operations (Killed in The Silent Sea.)
- Gunther Reinholt - Propulsion Engineer
- Tom Reyes - General Operations (Retired)
- Eddie Seng - Director of Shore Operations
- Eric Stone - Helm Control
- Mike Trono - General Operations
- Marion MacDougall Lawless III ("MacD") - General Operations (Joined the team in The Jungle)
External links
- The Oregon Files official website