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The Ambler Warning
"Welcome to Robert Ludlum's world...fast pacing, tight plotting, international intrigue." --Cleveland Plain Dealer
On Parrish Island, a restricted island off the coast of Virginia, there is a little known and never visited psychiatric facility. There, far from prying eyes, the government stores former intelligence employees whose psychiatric state make them a...more
Audio CD, 0 pages
Published
October 18th 2005
by Audio Renaissance
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This is one of the four novels that Robert Ludlum (1927-2001) left unfinished when he died. This is my second attempt to read a novel written by him. My first attempt was in the late 80's when I tried reading The Bourne Identity after watching its movie adaptation starring then still young Matt Damon. I did not finish the book because it was not as good as the film.
But this one, The Ambler Warning is different. Not completely different though because Hal Ambler here is also a man who...more
But this one, The Ambler Warning is different. Not completely different though because Hal Ambler here is also a man who...more
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I had never read a Robert Ludlum novel before and maybe chose badly in starting with one that he never finished and was somehow prepared for publication by his heirs/estate. There were episodes where rightly or wrongly I felt a rather heavy handed editor had tried to fill in the gaps - not always successfully.
Anyway, it is an entertaining action read - just don't expect something like the Jason Bourne films because a lot has been added and improved by screenwriters and directors the...more
Anyway, it is an entertaining action read - just don't expect something like the Jason Bourne films because a lot has been added and improved by screenwriters and directors the...more
For the most part I enjoyed this book. It is the story of a man who has been "converted" through a combination of wierd science, powerful drugs, and abhorent psychology. As most of his adult life was spent as a covert black ops agent, Ambler is a person who has had all of his pre-hospitilization life somehow erased. His escape from a high tech medical facility has many chasing after him from both within and outside of the US as he tries to recover his past amongst the sordid worldly ch...more
I read this book because someone I met recommended Robert Ludlum novels. I was disappointed to discover after I had started the book that it was a work he had left as an unfinished manuscript when he died. A ghost writer was hired to finish it, so I don't know how much of this book was written by Ludlum.
The book starts out in a mental hospital that is designed to handle cases of agents with knowledge of national secrets who have become security risks due to their mental illnesses. ...more
The book starts out in a mental hospital that is designed to handle cases of agents with knowledge of national secrets who have become security risks due to their mental illnesses. ...more
It takes 2 weeks to reach the end page. In brief, this novel conveys a story of Harrison Ambler - A CIA special agent who lost his memory (psychiatrist's diagnosis was dissociative disorder and retrograde amnesia). He was sequestered in a jail-like rehabilitation center, specialized for secret agents who possessed a lot of evidence about highly secured government properties. He was managed to escape and begin his enquiries about who he actually is.
This novel is crisp regarding the pl...more
This novel is crisp regarding the pl...more
Long book and relatively predictable (guessed it about 1/3 of the way through). However, it was still a very good, exciting book. If you are a fan of the Jason Bourne series, this has a lot of the same elements. If you tired of the Jason Bourne series, then you'll most likely get about 2/3 of the way through this book and struggle to stay focused on completing it. This has a lot of the same elements of the Jason Bourne idea... man without a clear memory of the past, trying to find himself an...more
Who am I? Where am I? And why are they constantly drugging me? That's pretty much the starting point of this book about Hal Ambler. A spy novel from Robert Ludlum extremely well written with a relatively simple plot and an ending that you're not going to expect.
Once our main character clears from the drugged haze and remembers bits and pieces of his former life as a spy--and he remembers his name, he finds that the entire world has no record of him existing and no one knows him. His ...more
Once our main character clears from the drugged haze and remembers bits and pieces of his former life as a spy--and he remembers his name, he finds that the entire world has no record of him existing and no one knows him. His ...more
I was desperate for reading material while exhausted from walking all over Rome. Found this book in the hotel lobby.
Not the genre I particularly care for, but the bit about Ambler being able to read people's facial expressions was interesting. Big hole in plot though for me was that he hadn't had problem with ALL the people he'd ever been sent to assassinate. You're going to tell me that every person except for the Taiwanese politician was exactly the monster the CIA had said they we...more
Not the genre I particularly care for, but the bit about Ambler being able to read people's facial expressions was interesting. Big hole in plot though for me was that he hadn't had problem with ALL the people he'd ever been sent to assassinate. You're going to tell me that every person except for the Taiwanese politician was exactly the monster the CIA had said they we...more
My first Robert Ludlum book. I found it whilst clearing out my library and I don't know where it came from, but I am very glad that I started it. I just hope that governments don't behave in reality in the way that they do in this book. It's like the TV series "24' or MI5, where you sit there and hope that it really couldn't happen.
Robert Ludlum had passed away before the publication of this book and there is a little note that there was another author who did some work on th...more
Robert Ludlum had passed away before the publication of this book and there is a little note that there was another author who did some work on th...more
I haven't read Ludlum for quite a few years and found this novel not up to my expectations (I just learned that Ludlum died several years ago and the current books are being completed or written by 'ghost writers). The premise of the plot promises a good thriller, however the plot unfolds through too many unexplained coincidences and red herrings. In addition, the characterization is rather stock and underdeveloped. However, the novel did hold my attention adequately through several flights and...more
It starts out with a bang. Really draws you in. Then the preachey stuff starts. Long paragraphs full of preachey global politics. And sometimes longer descriptions of rooms. I for one don't care about the details of the room when the main character is about to loose his life or come up with some amazing way to get out of the stew. Perhaps I've watched too many action movies and don't appreciate the finer points of holding off the adrenaline but I found myself skipping whole pages to find t...more
This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. And the ending? Oh my gosh, I did NOT see it coming and then it all made sense! I'd only ever seen the Bourne Trilogy and had never read any of Ludlum's work so reading this book was an 'aha!' moment. The movies? Excellent, but they have nothing on his books. You only think that movies have you on the edge of your seat and can deliver those crazy endings, but not so! This book was EXCELLENT if you're looking for a great thriller.
The book is okay but too much of repetition of phrases and situations.
This is the first time Robert Ludlum has included China into the international espionage/counter terrorism scenario in which he usually deals in. Not very convincingly though!
It took almost a week and a lot of patience to complete the reading of the book. I feel I must look for older books by Ludlum. The later ones like this are written by ghost authors trying to cash in on Ludlum's popularity, I suppose.
This is the first time Robert Ludlum has included China into the international espionage/counter terrorism scenario in which he usually deals in. Not very convincingly though!
It took almost a week and a lot of patience to complete the reading of the book. I feel I must look for older books by Ludlum. The later ones like this are written by ghost authors trying to cash in on Ludlum's popularity, I suppose.
The first spy thriller I've read in a long time — not my favorite genre — this one had me turning the pages into the night in some places. After being deeply demoralized by the power and secrecy of American intelligence agencies, the resolution was so simple and thorough — almost à la Tartouffe. Books like this and some current news items make me wonder continually about what happens behind the scenes in our country. This novel came to my list from its brief appearance on the New York Times best...more
Not pure Ludlum - "Since his death, the Estate of ... worked with a carefully selected author ... to prepare and edit this work for publication." No mention if it's Lustbader Eric Van.
The novel itself sees Hal Ambler in a fairly similar premise to The Bourne Identity. That is, he's lost his memory and must fight to work out who and what he is. The differences are that instead of being rescued by some fishermen he's in an, 'off-the-books', psychiatric facility. The patients ar...more
The novel itself sees Hal Ambler in a fairly similar premise to The Bourne Identity. That is, he's lost his memory and must fight to work out who and what he is. The differences are that instead of being rescued by some fishermen he's in an, 'off-the-books', psychiatric facility. The patients ar...more
A fun read. A mystery with psychological overtones. Escapee of a high-security prison realizes (after finding the first mirror he's encountered since being incarcerated) that he doesn't bear any resemblance to whom he thinks he is, and when he starts researching, can't find any traces of himself. It appears his memories are all in error, or he's somehow been erased from the world as he knew it. A good page-turner.
I gotta stop reading these spy thrillers. By the time I get to the end, I can't put it down and stay up until the wee hours of the morning to finish it. This one is about a guy who got locked up in a psych ward and screwed with until he couldn't remember who he was anymore. His job was to figure out who he was and why his mind was erased. Exciting! I don't understand how all these books aren't movies yet.
Not my usual genre, but the idea of someone escaping from a psychiatric facility and not looking like himself and having his identity erased was interesting to me. It was a slow read though. I wanted to find out what happened in the end (I did like the twist at the end, and I was surprised by it) but so many times I had to force myself to keep reading because it just got so long so often.
This book started out promising, but I became quickly indifferent. While the plot was intriguing, the follow through was not. I had difficulty reading the pages (because of boredom) and had to stop often and ask myself, "What did I just read?"
However, the last hundred pages or so did pick up and the twist is unexpected... Though, throughout the novel I kept thinking that their relationship couldn't be true because it was progressing at lightening speed.
However, the last hundred pages or so did pick up and the twist is unexpected... Though, throughout the novel I kept thinking that their relationship couldn't be true because it was progressing at lightening speed.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. First one I've read of Ludlum and was impressed by the way it gripped me all throughout. Did seem a little far fetched in places but just as much as something by Dan Brown which are equally enjoyable. Was an original idea using human expression and emotion rather than relying on hi-tech mumbo jumbo that probably helped maintain the book throughout.
I started this book 3 days ago, and I am hooked. I usually read Stephen King books, or Vampire thillers etc, but im trying to mix it up a bit, and this is so far, making me feel like it was a good switch.Very fast pace, great dialogue, and it keeps you guessing.
Will let you know, when im finished!
So far its a go!
Will let you know, when im finished!
So far its a go!
I listened to an abridged audio version of this book. Maybe they cut all the wrong stuff, but this book was too predictable. There were also times when the book would cut away from a scene where a main character was trapped, and when we returned to that story line they would be somewhere else with no explanation.
Ludlum is one of my favorite suspense authors. While I would recommend any of his stories I've read, I would suggest not reading them back-to-back, because they do become somewhat formulaic. I do find Ludlum requires a little more concentration than most because of his ability to weave so much into the story.
I'd put off reading these post-Ludlum Ludlum-branded books because I suspect they wouldn't be up to the quality of level of early Ludlum books. But, I was wrong. I've now read two of them and they are skillfully and intelligently written. Definitely, a good read for those who like suspense and intrigue.
The basic story line kept me wanting to read more so I could see what happened next. I liked the surprise ending. What I didn't like was the over-use of description and detail. There was so much as to be overwhelming. I just skipped over what was of no interest to me to get back to the good parts!
Good suspense, though very poorly written. I don't know if it's because it was a Ludlum manuscript finished off by someone else...I vaguely remember Ludlum being a slightly better writer than this (but did recently read somewhere else that he wasn't known for his writing per se, more for the action).
This was a very enjoyable story. At times it seemed to be bogged down in the details of thoughts, recollections and flashbacks. However the character development was very good, centered around Hal Ambler. Through the story you really care and worry for him and those he comes into contact with. The story always moves but not unrealistic action movie kind of way, where one amazing thing happens after another.
I was in the mood for a fast paced mystery/adventure/thriller... whatever. Anyway, this was just what the doctor ordered. A little sorry that I picked up on a hint about midway in the book that made it so I figured out the end ahead of time. Anyway, it was fun seeing Tarquin figured it out.
An excellent book. Somewhat reminiscent of the Borne series, however I preferred this story line. It is a fun read and keeps you interested in the quirky characters that appear throughout. It built well upon the plot and nicely achieved a balance between predictability and credibility.
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Robert Ludlum was an American author of 25 thriller novels. There are more than 290 million copies of his books in print, and they have been translated into 32 languages. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocal...more
More about Robert Ludlum...
Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocal...more
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