Ludlum has been hailed as the virtual originator of the Superthriller, and with these three books, it is difficult to aruge that fact. I'll review these books individually:

#1 The Holcroft Covenant takes the 'Nazi Conspiracy' to the next level. Although dated (just a bit) this novel sweeps you up after a slow beginning, but when the wheels finally hits the pavement, make sure to be belted in, 'cuz this is a fantastic ride. In the closing days of WWII the Nazi's forge a desperate plan which plants the seed of the rise of the Fourth Reich sometime in the 70's, and will be put into motion unwittingly, by a pawn who despises everything the Nazi's ever stood for. Scary and well worth the effort, 'the Holcroft Covenant' is one of Ludlum's best.

#2 The Materese Circle was my 1st Ludlum novel way back in the early 80's, and is still one of my all-time favorite novels. During the Cold War nobody -- NOBODY could write a more compelling spy story, and this one easily ranks (for me) as Ludlums all-time best spy story. But it is much more than just spy vs spy...in this novel, Ludlum pits rival spy vs. rival spy working together to take on an ancient Mob which is alive and well and ready to launch the unthinkable. Do NOT think that the sequel (the Materese Countdown) even comes CLOSE to this masterpice, 'cuz it just plain falls flat by comparison.

#3 The Bourne Identity has to be one of the most clever plot-driven stories that ANYONE has come up with in the past century.

An unknown man is fished out of the Mediterranean Sea riddled with bullets, barely alive. Nursed back to health by an alcoholic doctor, who notices that this mysterious man has had plastic surgery to alter his looks, has a small micro-film hidden under his skin and has also noted that he has NO IDEA who he is. Using the micro-film to guide him, he ends up in Switzerland where he is recognized by an angry man waving a gun in absolute fright claiming that he had been killed...and our poor protagonist begins the flight of his life fleeing from assassins who want him dead, but still suffering from amnesia, he can't understand the WHY...nor does he accept all the evidence that points to him as an international professional hired killer. Top notch entertainment and believe it or not, Ludlum's 2nd Bourne novel was just as good (if not a little better).

All in all these are three exceptional examples of Robert Ludlum at his absolute best...and for anyone who knows this author, you KNOW that Ludlum at his best puts all the rest to shame. While it is true that since the end of the Cold War Ludlum's novels have been, shall we say, less than up to his usual excellence, but his final two novels have been MUCH better (The Prometheus Deception & The Sigma Protocol). We who admire and love Ludlum so much realize that when he passed away, so did one of the finest authors of the 20th Century. He WILL be missed, especially when I pick up another spy novel and invariably compare it to the Master, who will no doubt surpass everything yet to come.

To combine three great novels by one great writer, what a treat! The Holcraft Covenant, is about an young American architect with German bloodline lured back to Germany by Neo-Nazis to claim the secret fund left by Nazi for their new world order purpose. Highly tensified book! The Materese Circle is a even better treat. Double Action packed and played by two top agents from Russia and America. Very very good. The Bourne Identity is also a great book about an American agent trying very hard to get his memory and identity and finding his true love during the struggle. Very very good!

En Français: le grand livre un du meilleur de sa sorte personne écrivent si bon aujourd'hui. un classique moderne en effet.

I just finished reading the e-Book. I found it to be one of Ludlum's best books lately. He is back to his old form. The story held my attention and interest with all the twists and turns. The action is great. I highly recomment this book for anyone who has read Ludlum before and for anyone who wouold like to try him for the first time.

This book was one of the best I've read of Ludlum's since the Matarese Countdown. I must say that although I liked the Bourne trilogy (especially 'Identity'), that this novel tops the finale of that triology. Ludlum fans will enjoy this; newcomers to his work will enjoy starting with a book like this.

In this book he uses a character by the name of Bergeron and says he`s related to the Bergeron family from Flint,Michigan, That is not a common name in this area, I was just wondering if any one knows how he came about relating it a family in Flint, Michigan.

This is another classic Robert Ludlum thriller with all his hallmarks - unexpected twists, flashes of imagination, action and suspense and well-researched characters, locations and politics! IN this one, Michael Havelock, a former CIA/VKR(Russian special intelligence) double agent witnesses his girlfriend Jenna Karras murdered on Spain's Costa Brava. Then some time later, on a field assignment in Rome, he spots her at a railway station and decides impulsively and obsessively to track her down. The trail leads to France and a secret airbase near the Italian border where he sees Jenna again in the hands of some cold-blooded terrorists. His search reaches the US where a top-secret government operation is forming that could change the balance of world power as we know it for ever . . . who is behind this operation? Often very similar to THE POWER and THIS UNITED STATE by Colin Forbes, the villain is surprising . . .and who is the manipulative PARSIFAL character, the final piece in the jigsaw puzzle, or mosiac if you will! Well worth reading, but be warned, it is very long! But hard to fault!

Firstoff, I am a huge Ludlum fan. I was one of the first people to write a review of his latest novel "The Matarese Countdown" which I really enjoyed. Sadly though many people did not agree with my assessment and I even received email inquiring about my mental state! While I certainly believe that people are entitled to their opinions it really bothers me when people talk about giving up on an author just because they haven't enjoyed their latest effort(s). By doing that they seemingly have forgotten why they chose to read that same author in the first place. To anyone who read "Matarese Countdown" or "Apocalypse Watch" and then couldn't bear to read anymore I beg you to reconsider and before giving up on of the best authors of escapist thillers take a chance with this book or one of his other earlier works (Aquitaine Progression, Chancellor Manuscript, or the Bourne Trilogy). Years ago, when I had discovered Ludlum and was in the process of reading all his books I earmarked this one for the grand finale, hoping to close out the collection with a BANG! I was not let down one bit! In fact I was astonished by how great it was!! From the opening scene on the Costa Brava to the climax in the woods of Pennsylvania this book is filled with vivid characterizations, exotic locales, and shocking twists of fate which helped to earn Ludlum his reputation as the "Unsurpassed Master of the Superthriller"! It's probably true that no one will ever mistake Ludlum's work for "literature", if that's what you look for in espionage novels try Johm LeCarre or Frederick Forsyth(Both of whom I also throughly enjoy!) but if you are looking for action and escape a la Clive Cussler, David Morrell, or the lesser known but equally as exciting David Hagberg and Jon Land then by all means stick with Robert Ludlum!! The way I look at it Ludlum is like a superstar athelete in the twilight of his career...He may not be able to do everything he used to in his prime, but he is still capable of providing some highlights and I'm still willing to pay to see(read) him!! END

This book represents Ludlum at his best, bar none!!! My only problem with this book is the dialogue which strikes me as unrealistic. I found myself repeatedly thinking that people do not speak to each other as the characters do in this novel. Having said that, I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot development and, well, just about everything else. In fact, I have read this book at least ten times. For my money, I would strongly recommend this novel and the following: The Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy, Scarlatti Inheritance, Aquitaine Progression, Matarese Circle, The Holcroft Covenant and The Gemini Contenders. Please, PLEASE, avoid the following: The Matarese Countdown, The Road to Omaha, The Scorpio Illusion and The Bourne Ultimatum.

This is one of those can't put it down books. From the very first page the reader is taken on a journey from the Middle Eastern war through the Carribean and the USA.
Robert Ludlum keeps a fever pitched pace as Bajarat weaves her magic dealing out love and death with a cold, calculating terrorist mind, all the while staying just out of reach of commander Hawthorn.
If you like action, romance, intrigue and a little blood doesn't put you off then I recommend this book as it has a double dose of all the above.

being a fan of tom clancy and federick forsyth, i had 2 try a ludlum thriller.after reading the osterman weekend, i was hooked so i tried the scorpio illusion. im still only half way through it but i cant put it down and it is intriguing as hell!!
its basically about a terrorist of amzing intellect, trying to asssassinate the US President to get revenge for her husbands murder...there is good action, romance, thrills and intrigue and i cant w8 for the climax...go out and grab it!!!!!!!!!!

I have not read many of the late Robert Ludlum's novels, but this was a good place to start and I plan to read some more. Terrific action and characters; my only complaint would be that the book is actually overly complex and un-neccesarily so. The movie producers tried to remedy that by removing most of the best characters, such as the doctor in France and the retired general and his traitorous wife. They even took out Carlos and his henchmen and the Treadstone team. The left-over characters would be sufficient for a half dozen sequels and a weekly TV show!

Some would question whether one man could be shot this many times and continue operations but I dont like to worry about anatomical details. Ludlum is clearly a master of this genre, superheroes fighting many shadowy enemies in non-stop action, supported by one-dimensional female love interests, apparently based on 1940's movie stars. Dont look for any political intrigue or thrilling technical information. Ludlum tries to conjure up some international political and financial storylines and then seems to lose interest in them without completion.

Ludlum's true genius shows in the way he reveals the story to us. Bourne has lost most of his memory in one of the many times that he is shot. The reader also steps into the story cold and learns page by page, who is Bourne and how did he get here. The movie does not handle this well, as it is too quick to get to the love interest and the battle with Bourne's former managers.

The Bourne Identity is the only Ludlum book I have read and boy was I impressed. From the get go (literally the first paragraph) Ludlum grabs your attention with his excellent story telling ability.

Jason Bourne doesn't know who he is yet. As he slowly regains parts of his memory he finds confusion, espionage and action around every corner. His journey takes him all over the world in an attempt to work out his own personal riddle.

As you turn the pages faster and faster towards the climatic end, you almost feel cheated that the book has roller coastered too fast.

A suspensful, action packed novel that I really enjoyed. I highly recommend it and hope you like it too!

WOW! Even today, this novel is one you will not be able to put down, even though it was written in 1980 during the Cold War era. But this only reflects slightly on the narrative. The story concerns Jason Bourne, who is shot and thrown overboard in the Mediterranean Sea, only to be washed ashore and discovered by a Dr Washburn. And this is only the start - he is suffering amnesia and Washburn finds a microfilm detailing a Swiss bank account of four million dollars surgically implanted in his hip! Bourne travels to Zurich and discovers people out to kill him, and so let the chase begin! Marie St Jacques is an unwilling hostage who develops a bond with Bourne - she's a Canadian diplomat with a secret. What is the secret as well of Treadstone Seventy-One, and why are the authorities trying to use Bourne as a pawn against Carlos Sanchez, famous assassin extraordinaire? The action does not stop for over five hundred pages, it grabs you from the start and never lets go until the final pages. Very typically, there are numerous surprises and unexpected twists - what is Bourne's connection with clandestine activity during the Vietnam War which keeps haunting him, stirring up lost memories? The locations, particularly Paris and its environs and Zurich are well-described and easy to relate to having been there myself. I remember reading and loving this book at the age of fifteen, and it will always be an all-time favourite. Recommended!

The Gemini Contenders by Robert Ludlum was a great novel that kept the pages turning. It was a story about a man by the name of Vittorio Fontini-Christi who is part of an influential Italian family. He is involved in concealing a religious artifact that could tear the Christian world apart at its seams,but he doesn't know it. He is smuggled out of Italy by a British spy agency, and is sent throughout Europe to disrupt business interactions. All the while he is trying to figure out how he was involved in an event that he had never heard of. Meanwhile the British spy agency is in touch with him trying desperately to find where the artifact was hidden. They know that in the wrong hands, namely those of the Nazi's, it could be used as a weapon against the allied forces. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a novel that is going to challenge their minds and think through this maze of spy tactics and seemingly unrelated events. Being a teenager that typically does not enjoy reading, I could not put this book down. The detail in the book was so amazing that I felt that I was with the characters sneaking around the shores of Italy, and sitting with a group of high commanders in a secret room in London. I highly recommend this book. People from their teenage years to those who want a good book to latch onto their imagination and let it run wild, all will enjoy it.

I thought I had read everything Ludlum had ever written, but came across this in a backpacker hostel. What a find! This book made me remember what it was I loved about Ludlum's writing, and reminded me that his older writings are better than all this stuff they're finding now that he's gone.
Vittorio Fontini-Cristi is the eldest son of a wealthy Italian industrialist. His father's involvement in the hiding of a vault containing powerful religious documents leads to Vittorio's becoming enmeshed in events he doesn't fully understand. With World War II as a backdrop, he is hunted by many who want the vault's contents and protected by some who believe he will lead them to the vault as his life is transformed. He is never to escape this legacy, and before he dies, must pass it on to his twin sons--the Geminis who have both become involved in wars of their own. One son is career army with a Vietnam background, the other a peace loving war protester. They must cast aside their mutual dislike to once and for all solve the mystery that has always been part of their heritage.
The book leads you through twists and turns, and the plot is classic Ludlum. He doesn't keep the story moving with useless dialogue and the characters are believable. The power contained within the hidden vault motivates many to devote their lives to it's discovery. You've got to wonder what it could possibly contain to drive people this way.
This book is Ludlum at his best, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller.

This has to be one of the top Robert Ludlum books that I have ever read. This book tells about an order of monks transporting a vault to a secret hiding place out of the reach of the Nazis. The head of the Fontini-Christi family,Savarone is actually the one who hides the vault with it's secrets. Ludlum's book tells of Savarone's son's trials and tribulations that he has to face as a result of the hidden vault.This book also shows the vault's influences on the lives of Savarone's grandsons. This book is an interesting fiction history of the secret vault. The ending of this book is also exceptional. Read this book. It is easily one of Ludlum's finest writings ever.

Ihe plot is quite outstanding --- two countries exchanging critical resources when they are at war! Intrigue, action, deception, and at the center of all this is our man from Lisbon, David Spaulding --- sauve, cool , and professional. The book is a classic, old-fashioned, fast paced thriller-driller. Yet, somehow it lacks the punch, maybe partly because we know right from the beginning that Spaulding survives the Exchange.

This was the first Ludlum book I read, and I think the best. It has a good plot, easy to understand characters and none of the confusing plots and paranoia that were so evident in his later books. This is a great read, a thriller up there with the Ipcress file and others of that genre.

Sex, Intrigue, Adventure . A thriller that has everything! Great reading by him.