Robert Ludlum (May 25, 1927 – March 12, 2001) was an American author of 27

thriller Thriller may refer to: * Thriller (genre), a broad genre of literature, film and television ** Thriller film, a film genre under the general thriller genre Comics * ''Thriller'' (DC Comics), a comic book series published 1983–84 by DC Comics i ...

novels, best known as the creator of Jason Bourne from the original '' The Bourne Trilogy'' series. The number of copies of his books in print is estimated between 300 million and 500 million. They have been published in 33 languages and 40 countries. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.

Life and career

Early life and education

Ludlum was born in New York City, the son of Margaret (née Wadsworth) and George Hartford Ludlum. He was educated at the

Rectory School The Rectory School is an independent, coeducational, junior boarding (5–9) and day school (K–9) in Pomfret, Connecticut. The school was founded by the Rev. Frank H. Bigelow in 1920. It has expanded to , 26 buildings, 250 students, and 65 facu ...

then

Cheshire Academy Cheshire Academy is a selective, co-educational college preparatory school located in Cheshire, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1794 as the Episcopal Academy of Connecticut, it is currently the eleventh oldest boarding school in the United ...

and Wesleyan University in

Middletown, Connecticut Middletown is a city located in Middlesex County, Connecticut, United States, Located along the Connecticut River, in the central part of the state, it is south of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. In 1650, it was incorporated by English settler ...

, where he earned a B.A. in Drama in 1951.

Career

Prior to becoming an author, he had been a

United States Marine The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through combi ...

, a theatrical actor and producer. In the 1950s, he produced shows at the Grant Lee theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey. From 1960 to 1970, he managed and produced shows at the Playhouse on the Mall at Bergen Mall in Paramus, New Jersey. His theatrical experience may have contributed to his understanding of the energy, escapism and action that the public wanted in a novel. He once remarked: "I equate suspense and good theater in a very similar way. I think it's all suspense and what-happens-next. From that point of view, yes, I guess, I am theatrical." Many of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including ''

The Osterman Weekend ''The Osterman Weekend'' is a thriller novel by Robert Ludlum. First published in 1972, it was the author's second book. The novel was the basis for the film of the same title. Plot John Tanner, Director of News of a US TV network, is convinc ...

'', ''

The Holcroft Covenant ''The Holcroft Covenant'' is a 1978 novel by Robert Ludlum. In 1985 it was made into a film of the same name. Plot The novel concerns Noel Holcroft, New York City architect and secretly the son of Heinrich Clausen, chief economic adviser to the ...

'', '' The Apocalypse Watch'', '' The Bourne Identity'', ''

The Bourne Supremacy ''The Bourne Supremacy'' is the second Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum, first published in 1986. It is the sequel to Ludlum's bestseller '' The Bourne Identity'' (1980) and precedes Ludlum's final Bourne novel, '' The Bourne Ultima ...

'' and ''

The Bourne Ultimatum ''The Bourne Ultimatum'' is the third Jason Bourne novel written by Robert Ludlum and a sequel to ''The Bourne Supremacy'' (1986). First published in 1990, it was the last Bourne novel to be written by Ludlum himself. Eric Van Lustbader wrote a ...

''. '' Covert One: The Hades Factor'', a book co-written with Gayle Lynds, was originally conceived as a mini-series; the book evolved from a short treatment Ludlum wrote for NBC. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (''The Bourne Ultimatum'' won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material. During the 1970s, Ludlum lived in

Leonia, New Jersey Leonia is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States census, the borough's population was 8,937,Naples, Florida, while recovering from severe burns caused by a mysterious fire which occurred on February 10, 2001. In 2005, the company which held all merchandising for Ludlum's works via the Ludlum's estate, Ludlum Entertainment, inked an agreement with

Vivendi Universal Games Vivendi Games was an American video game publisher and holding company based in Los Angeles. It was founded in 1996 as CUC Software, the publishing subsidiary of CUC International, after the latter acquired video game companies Davidson & Associ ...

to handle video game rights to the games for a 10-year agreement. The license expired in 2008. On November 20, 2008, the Ludlum estate inked a deal with Universal Pictures to develop feature films based on the works of Robert Ludlum. On February 2, 2009, Ludlum transferred video game rights to his work to Electronic Arts after Activision took over Vivendi Games' assets.

Writing analysis and criticism

Ludlum's novels typically feature one heroic man, or a small group of crusading individuals, in a struggle against powerful adversaries whose intentions and motivations are evil and who are capable of using political and economic mechanisms in frightening ways. The world in his writings is one where global corporations, shadowy military forces and government organizations all conspired to preserve (if it was evil) or undermine (if it was law-abiding) the status quo. Ludlum's novels were often inspired by conspiracy theories, both historical and contemporary. He wrote that ''

The Matarese Circle ''The Matarese Circle'' (1979) is a novel by Robert Ludlum. Story On Christmas Eve in 1978, General Anthony Blackburn, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is killed in a New York brothel. Some time later, Soviet nuclear physicist Dmitri Yuri Y ...

'' was inspired by rumors about the Trilateral Commission, and it was published only a few years after the commission was founded. His depictions of terrorism in books such as ''

'' and ''The Matarese Circle'' reflected the theory that terrorists, rather than being merely isolated bands of ideologically or politically motivated extremists, are actually pawns of governments or private organizations who are using them to facilitate the establishment of authoritarian rule.

Bibliography

Filmography

Many of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and miniseries, although the storylines might depart significantly from the source material. In general, a miniseries is more faithful to the original novel on which it is based. Adaptations of Ludlum's works are published under the trademark Treadstone, which is held by the executor of the Robert Ludlum estate. *1977 – ''The Rhinemann Exchange'' — miniseries — Stephen Collins as David Spaulding,

Lauren Hutton Lauren Hutton (born Mary Laurence Hutton; November 17, 1943) is an American model and actress. Born and raised in the southern United States, Hutton relocated to New York City in her early adulthood to begin a modeling career. Though she was ini ...

as Leslie Jenner Hawkewood *1983 – ''

'' — film — Rutger Hauer as John Tanner, Sam Peckinpah directed *1985 – ''

'' — film — Michael Caine as Noel Holcroft *1988 – '' The Bourne Identity'' — miniseries — Richard Chamberlain as Jason Bourne, Jaclyn Smith as Marie St. Jacques *1997 – ''The Apocalypse Watch'' — miniseries — Patrick Bergin as Drew Latham *2002 – '' The Bourne Identity'' — film — Matt Damon as Jason Bourne and Franka Potente as Marie Helena Kreutz *2004 – ''

'' — film — Matt Damon as Jason Bourne *2006 – '' Covert One: The Hades Factor'' — miniseries — Stephen Dorff as Jon Smith *2007 – ''

'' — film — Matt Damon as Jason Bourne *2012 – '' The Bourne Legacy'' — film — starring

Jeremy Renner Jeremy Lee Renner (born January 7, 1971) is an American actor and musician. He began his career by appearing in independent films such as '' Dahmer'' (2002) and ''Neo Ned'' (2005), then supporting roles in bigger films, such as ''S.W.A.T.'' (2 ...

, Rachel Weisz and Edward Norton *2016 – '' Jason Bourne'' — film — Matt Damon as Jason Bourne *TBA – ''

The Chancellor Manuscript ''The Chancellor Manuscript'' is a 1977 novel, by American writer Robert Ludlum, about the alleged secret files of J. Edgar Hoover and how they disappeared after his death, and how they possibly could be used to force people in high places to do ...

'' — film — Leonardo DiCaprio as Peter Chancellor¹ *TBA – ''

The Janson Directive ''The Janson Directive'' is a novel by Robert Ludlum. The posthumous novel was published in 2002, a year after Ludlum's death. Plot Paul Janson is an ex-Navy SEAL and former member of a U.S. government covert agency called Consular Operations. ...

'' — film — John Cena as Paul Janson¹ ¹ announced/in development

References

External links

Official Robert Ludlum website
*
Robert Ludlum
at the Internet Book List * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ludlum, Robert 1927 births 2001 deaths 20th-century American novelists American male novelists American spy fiction writers American thriller writers People from Leonia, New Jersey United States Marines Wesleyan University alumni Writers from New York City Postmodern writers Novelists from New York (state) Cheshire Academy alumni United States Marine Corps personnel of World War II 20th-century American male writers