A former member of the United States Marine Corps, American author Robert Ludlum wrote 27 thriller novels between 1971 and 2001, selling between 290 and 500 million copies of his work. Many of Ludlum’s books feature a heroic male protagonist who battles against corrupt governments, unethical global organizations, and military conspiracies. The author also incorporated his background as an actor and producer in his writing, using action and energy to capture his audience’s attention. In a well-known remark, he once noted that he associated suspense with good theater.
Many of his most popular texts were made into movies, including The Bourne trilogy, starring Matt Damon. While the film version of The Bourne Ultimatum went on to win three Academy Awards, the screen adaptation’s plot varied significantly from the story line in Ludlum’s novel.