Talk:Robert Ludlum

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Contents

[edit] Ludlum's life

what happen to robert Ludlum's life

Maybe theres not a lot of history about him --Transagent 18:59, 28 August 2006 (UTC)Transagent

I would like to know about key events that affected Ludlum's life and people who inspired Robert Ludlum. I couldn't find much info on this myself and I was surprised considering that he is a well-known author. --ChippyBlane

I agree - the article comes up short on his biography. There's quite substantial information here: [1]. The link also gives some references:

Robert Ludlum: A Reader's Checklist and Reference Guide by CheckerBee Publishing (1999); Mystery and Suspense Writers, vol. 1, ed. by Robin W. Winks (1998); Robert Ludlum: A Critical Companion by Gina Macdonald (1997); Contemporary Popular Writers, ed. by David Mote (1997); Bestsellers: Top Writers Tell How by Richard Joseph (1997); St. James Guide to Crime & Mystery Writers, ed. by Jay P. Pederson (1996); World Authors 1980-1985, ed. by Vineta Colby (1991)

Pgr94 14:00, 23 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Posthumous releases

Ludlum died in 2001, yet he continues to release books (albeit co-written). Does anyone know the truth about this? It seems to me that Ludlum has become a trademark, with other writers using his name to write (admittedly good) books. I am reading The Lazarus Vendetta now, and although it is written by Patrick Larkin, his name barely appears on the book. I bought it because it says Robert Ludlum on the cover.--Ezeu 16:21, 19 August 2005 (UTC)

The late Robert Ludlum's name has become a trademark, as The Amber Warning has his name listed as the author but signified as a trade mark. I'd say in that capacity someone is definitely writing for him because the prose and sentence construction is actually better in this book. I never ran into a one sentence paragraph, thought it was evident the "author" was trying to emulate Ludlum. No source, but reader's intuition. I've love to source this though. Gibson Cowboy 16:02, 13 December 2005 (UTC)
The Bourne Legacy is included in the list of books written by Ludlum himself, but it appears that it was published in 2004. Should it be moved to the list of posthumous books? 69.140.173.15 07:57, 24 December 2006 (UTC)


"Ludlum died in 2001, reportedly leaving behind several unpublished manuscripts and rough outlines, which continue to be dusted off and published with the help of ghostwriters." - This seems inconsistent: REPORTEDLY but then TO BE - If they are only reported to exist, how can Wik also say they ARE ("continue to be") [being published] ? 211.225.34.163 04:13, 30 September 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ludlum's credentials

Recently read "Bourne Identity", now reading the Supremacy and have been amused by the flaws in descriptions/choices of weapons - such as talking about a .38 automatic (the only .38 autos are extremely expensive target pistols, not likely choices for professional killers - not just cost, but identifiability), revolvers with safeties (unknown in the United States, the largest market for revolvers), concealed .357 Magnum automatics (the only .357 Magnum automatics weigh more than 4 pounds, hardly concealable) - such errors aren't uncommon in the genre, but they lead me to wonder - what other technical devices - economic or whatever - are similarly wrong or misused? Has anyone actually sat down and compiled an analysis of the technical errors in Ludlum's books? I guessing the list would be quite long.... good thing he's wordy and boring... oh, wait - that's not a good thing, is it? Readers certainly must have gotten desperate while I wasn't looking - where have all the Donald Hamiltons gone? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 66.103.246.168 (talk • contribs) 9 April 2006.

with over 210m pieces, 'some' people are enjoying the works of the late Mr Ludlum, his books are amongst the few that I would categorise as hard to put down, in more ways than one! I have read and enjoyed all of his works, not to critisise but to escape into, toast to absent friends. Tim S
Which leads to the inevitable question, who cares? This is Wikipedia, not an academic review of the accuracy and validity of an author's piece of fiction.—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 12.220.83.63 (talk • contribs) 15 May 2006.
You do have a point, but it's not as if this is a textbook on how to be an assassin. They're just vehicles to move the plot around, nothing more. You two should also sign your posts, too. Shadowrun 02:15, 15 May 2006 (UTC)

I was speaking of the probability of conspiracy charges against institutional element into american intelligence, on the topic of 9-11, it seems that ludlum is the exemple that is drawn to discredit secret inquiry regarding the neocons. samuel champagne —Preceding unsigned comment added by 65.94.23.30 (talk • contribs) 16:19 UTC, 13 June 2006

Please sign you comments by typing four tildes (~~~~), or by clicking the signature icon (Image:Signature_icon.png), as a courtesy to others as it makes it easier to follow the discussion (ie. who wrote what, when). --Ezeu 16:37, 13 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Covert-One

Does anyone want to help me with the Covert-One page. I changed the title to "Covert-One Series", and it is really in bad shape. So I need some help with the introduction and adding the rest of the books.-Transagent


[edit] Ludlums Late entry to publishing

I understand that Ludlum didnt write/publish his first book until he was forty years old. If true that would be worthy of a mention. Can anyone confirm/deny that? Adam777 15:01, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] " first wrote the thriller in the modern style" ???

"However, it was Ludlum who first wrote the thriller in the modern style that one recognises today ... "

Frankly this seems nonsense. What is the 'modern' style of the thriller? Certainly, for example, The Day of the Jackal, which is arguably the most celebrated thriller ever written, would be a better claim. It was published in 1971 - in other words before all Ludlum's novel except 'Scarlatti Inheritance', also 1971, and this latter was hardly a ground-breaking novel. Macgruder 16:38, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Accepted as fact?

He popularized the notion of American and Soviet intelligence operatives working together, and the CIA conducting illegal operations on American soil. Both premises, once derided as being fictional, are now accepted as fact.

What evidence is there that both premises are accepted facts? This seems ridiculous! Invasion10 02:56, 14 May 2007 (UTC)

The evidence of keeping up with the news. --IceHunter 01:17, 17 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fair use rationale for Image:The Scarlatti Inheritance.jpg

Image:The Scarlatti Inheritance.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 06:45, 6 June 2007 (UTC)

It's used to illustrate the mans work - what the hell did you think. --IceHunter 01:29, 17 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Fixed titling pattern

Ludlum has also received criticism for using the same fixed titling pattern, "The [Proper noun] [Noun]", for most of his books. The bibliography below contains evidence of this. (It is popularly believed that "Trevayne" was written under a pen name in order for Ludlum to continue his obsessive titling style.)

While the naming is worth mentioning, this needs a citation for the "criticism" and is somewhat false, at least with Ludlum's intent. In "The Ludlum Identity" documentary included with The Jason Bourne Collection DVD, Ludlum and his publicist both comment on how this pattern came about "purely by accident". Cable Tortugas! was the original title for The Rhinemann Exchange, but they received phone calls stating that "it wasn't a 'Robert Ludlum title'". Ludlum goes on to describe it as "six grown men crying" that he couldn't do that to them by publishing something that wasn't a three word title, and that the NY Times had said that Ludlum had "brought back the three word title", so they ran with it ever since. Djnafai (talk)