The Bancroft Strategy

by Robert Ludlum

In the tradition of such Ludlum classics as The Chancellor Manuscript and The Icarus Agenda, The Bancroft Strategy is a thriller in which two figures find themselves facing a shadowy organization working to twist global politics to their own unsavory ends.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Espionage, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Action

304 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 2006

About the author

Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001. 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 Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. 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.

Reviews

[Ramakrishnan M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting. The book is supposed to be written by Robert Ludlum; the cover merely mentions "Robert Ludlum"... no "and XYZ"...or "inspired by Robert Ludlum" etc. Yet, when I do a simple google search, I discover that Ludlum apparently started this work, but did not finish it. The Ludlum estate found a "qualified author and editor" to complete the work.

Well what the hell...give the devil it's due. This is a pretty good "Ludlum" (irrespective of who really wrote each page). It has all the hallmarks of a Ludlum classic - a global conspiracy, a rogue agent, Consular Ops, a close friend turned foe (or is he ?), a rich and powerful group...in short, the works!!! The pace is really good; the action, the murders and the suspense keep the reader on his toes. A darn good entertainer.

The story revoles around 2 protagonists; the first is Todd Belknap - a rogue agent (written off, but not "beyond salvage" yet) part of the Consular Ops. His best friend has been adbucted and the government refuses to do anything; so Todd must take things into this own hands and search the world around to reach his goal. The other character is Andrea Newton; she unexpectedly receives a huge sum of money bequeathed by her ancestors, and becomes a part of a wealthy and powerful family. She starts snooping into the so-called-philanthropic activities of the group and the shit starts to smell. As expected, the paths of the hero and heroine cross, and they need to save the world together....as I mentioned earlier, classical Ludlum material.

Highly recommended to anyone who loves a nice action thriller....more specifically a Ludlum thriller.

[Trilby · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 16 CDs in the audio version of this book kept me awake while driving all 1,200 miles from Pittsburgh to Grand Marais. For that, I thank Ludlum. However, I would never have finished this book in paper form. The muscle-bound, clever spy! the adolescent with the 150+ IQ! the slimy villains! the unspeakably beautiful and clever heiress! the romance! the treachery! the numerous international locales! Is there a cliche that Ludlum doesn't like? I enjoyed the Bourne series on film, but listening to hours and hours of (in Theater professor Frank Staroba's phrase)"dialogue that never happened or would happen" made me irritable.
Why does the hero always respond to everybody with a threat--most of them threats he could never carry out? Why doesn't he shut his pie hole for once? Why does the heroine always do stupid things, actions that are bound to get her into a jam that Threat Man will have to rescue her from?
The best part of the book was the ironic twist at the end. But it saddens me that I had to wade through 14 hours of this drivel to get there. Ah well, it's better than crashing the car. Or not.

[Pierre Tassé (Enjoying Books) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few of Ludlum's books and always find them exciting and adventurous. This one was no different. A good, solid story with everything you'd like-well, that I liked!

[Tim · Rating 2 out of 5]

Apparently, I don’t have a lot of patience for long espionage plots of violence. While the plot itself seems interesting, the lack of character development means this would be a better movie than read in my view. 3 of 10 stars

[Dark-Draco · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can't beat a good old spy thriller to while away a few hours. This has plenty of cliff-hangers, chases, armed stand-offs and a big enough body count to please everyone.

The idea of a mega-rich person manipulating things behind the scenes to bring about their version of paradise, isn't very new, but I liked the idea that there was a secret behind them as well. You're never quite sure who or what Genesis is, and it actually took me a while to guess what was actually going on - something of a nice surprise! The whole philosophical side of the book also made a nice change - at least the 'bad' guys weren't just into money and power like a lot of other books of this sort.

My only real gripe with this book was how stupid Andrea could act - at moments she was a pure genius, working through electronic files, escaping from captors and generally able to keep up with Todd - and then the next she's walking into obvious traps or getting drugged again. Not a particularly consistent character.

But the last few paragraphs give this book a slightly chilling twist and show just how easy it is to fall into bad ways of thinking.

[Jaz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book that brings out the idea of trying to do good for the masses at the expense of personal choice. The ethical dilemma that faces many decision makers. Less of an action thriller but with many of Ludlum's kean eye for detail.

[Indigoaalane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ladus ajaviiteraamat.
Natuke pakkus siiski ka mõtlemist ja no.. Eesti :)
Nii kujundataksegi riigi mainet :)

[Tom Nagel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good spy novel with an ending that wasn't exactly what I would've guessed

[Varun Iyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CASXMkqgG...

[Steven Ott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Todd Belknap goes after Genesis - typical Ludlum - and a lot of fun

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't know how I missed this when I was in my Robert Ludlum period.
I found this in a used book store and didn't recognize as having read before so I picked it up.

The book was published in 2006, 5 years after Robert Ludlum died. This book is written by Robert Ludlum TM (trademark), and is attributed as a "posthumously published novel". it's a long book (708 pages) due in most part to the complex plot with world-wide locations. The main characters are Todd Belknapp, a field agent for Consular Operations-US, Andrea Bancroft, hedge fund analyst and newly designated member of the super-mega Bancroft Family Foundation, Jared Rinehart also with the ConOps, and Paul Bancroft, the head of the Bancroft Family Foundation. The novel refers to him variously as a philosopher, a savant, and (implied)international philanthropist.

Todd Belknapp was on a mission in Rome when a powerful Arab arms dealer, Ansari, is suddenly murdered in his home by an Italian servant, who conveniently disappears. Belknapp was set up to detect and follow the network, but the trail suddenly came to an end in Rome. At the same time, Belknapp's close associate, Jared Rinehart, undercover in Beirut, is seized in a raid and disappears off the radar. ConOps supervisor blames Belknapp for the Rome debacle and refuses to mount an operation to find Rinehart.

Through a Deus ex machina shift in plot, Andrea Bancroft, examining old telephone records of the Bancroft Family Foundation, makes a call to a cell phone that Belknapp has taken from a death squad leader in Dubai after the murder of the Italian servant. The two lead characters are suddenly and firmly connected. Belknapp also found a list of international players, which a friend in ConOps identifies as a list of people who have suddenly been taken out, either by overt crime or "apparent natural causes". Andrea Bancroft is backtracing through the Bancroft Foundation records looking for evidence of her mother's sudden demise and also the history of Inver Brass, Belknapp follows a lead to an Omani princling Habib Almani who, after being confronted by Belknapp about the Italian servant and disappearance of Jared Rinehart, discloses the name Genesis as being behind the murder of arms dealer Ansari. Almani describes Genisis as "being everywhere and nowhere". "He rules of a shadowland the encompasses the globe, yet remain forever out of sight."

Back in the United States, Belknapp asks a retired agent to look into putting surveillance tracking devices in Andrea Bancrofts home, but the agent finds that the home is alreadly thoroughly bugged. The agent is killed and Belknapp is convinced that Andrea is behind many of the killings attributed to Genesis.

This novel may have resulted from an incomplete manuscript found among Robert Ludlum's papers. It's completion is not attributed to any co-writer, which is just as well as better editing could have produced a much tighter novel that resisted the urge to conclude the story with a view to the dark side.
The book brings to mind the novels of

[Sridhar Babu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author :ROBERT LUDLUM

CHARACTERS: Todd Belknap, Andrea Bancroft, Jared Rinehart, Paul Bancroft,Brandon Bancroft and others...!!!

LOCATIONS:Rome,Beirut ((Lebanon)),Oman, Dubai ((United Arab Emirates)) Raleigh ((North carolina))Washington DC, Tallinn ((Estonia)),Cyprus, Lower Manhattan, New york.
GENRE : Thriller

PLOT:

As a Junior member of the ultra-clandestine branch of the US.State Department known as Consular Operations,Todd Belknap had always gained a reputation for finding men who sought not to be found. Like most of the trackers he worked best of his own.

When his close friend and Agent Jared Rinehart was kidnapped in Beirut by group of terrorists after an Cons-Op operation gone wrong,Todd's superiors refuses to help Jared, quoting some confidential protocols. This makes Todd very wild and he was forced to take matters into his own hands.

Because Jared Rinehart was not only his best friend and fellow agent, he was everything Todd had in his life. When Todd's wife Yuvette was murdered, when Todd was held at gun point in an undercover operation (( for tracking a lost Agent)) at East Berlin, When Todd was about to blown in to pieces while at an operation against drug mafias at Colombia, Jared was always there for mourning, rescuing and fighting for Todd Belknap.

Since Jared Rinehart was kidnapped in Beirut, Todd was forced to look back into his operation while he was in a mission exposing the contacts of illegal arms dealer Khalil Ansari ,waiting secretly at Khalil's luxurious Villa in Rome. To his surprise Khalil was murdered by his female servant, an Italian based Lucia Zingaretti.After murdering Khalil with a deadly poison, she disappears from the scene leaving no clues. Todd assumes that whoever abducted Jared was the new masters of Khalil network and they might have done this as a revenge for Khalil's murder. Todd goes back to Khalil's villa at Rome for finding the answers. By entering the Villa from the basement of the building, Belknap attacks Yusuf Ali, the head of security in the torture chamber of the villa,from him Belknap gets the residential address of Lucia in Rome. From the phone call made by Lucia to her parents, Belknap traces the origin of the call and finds that she was a call girl in a western style palace hotel at Dubai .

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bancroft Strategy is a fairly typical Ludlum book. After having ready a few dozen of his books, I've become quite familiar with his formula...

Pros: Interesting twist on the battle of ideas as applied to geopolitics.
Cons: Typical Ludlum plot. If you've ready any of the Bourne books, you can probably skip this.

1) The hero is chased by his enemies. His own people think he has gone rogue and are also out for his blood. CHECK. (Bourne Identity anyone???)

2) A global conspiracy must be defeated. CHECK

3) The hero meets someone in the field, (a woman) who becomes his allie, confidant, and lover. CHECK

Let's face it, Bancroft Strategy isn't exactly "Crime and Punishment" and Ludlum isn't exacly Dostoyevsky. Still, here is what I liked about this book.

Pros: Did you study any philosophy, in particular ethics? If you did, you'll appreciate the fact that the book is just as much about the clash of philosophies as well as men with guns. Two of the antagonists in the book follow Utilitarianism of Mill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitar...) and Deontologism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deontolo...) of Kant.

Skipping all of the philosophical babble, the characters battle over the question, "Do the ends justify the means?" especially in terms of solving geopolitical problems?

I've never seen ethics applied quite in this way and this becomes a novel idea.

Actually, this is a very important question that we must all ask ourselves because, it applies to our current events directly.

President Bush most likely lied through his teeth to the American people about WMDs, Saddam's connection to 9/11, etc... (even one of Bush's former aids said so. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/29/was...) But, I have no doubt that both he and the neocons who supported the invasion of Iraq said that the *ends* of protecting American national security justified the *means* of lying to the American people.

Ahem, please excuse my brief jaunt off on a tangent. But anyway, my point is that this is NOT just an abstract philosophical notion. It actually has a profound effect on American foreign policy as well as on our daily lives. Ludlum does a skillful job incorporating this battle of ideas into this novel.

[Rushabh Shah · Rating 5 out of 5]

TDLR: A pure out-and-out action suspense thriller. It literally brings alive a movie-like sensation.

For a few readers, there is a chance that the vocabulary used in certain sections of the book will be a little complex to understand. For all they know, they might have to keep a dictionary around while reading. However, if you skin through that part, the story is bold, catchy, and fascinating. The end will shock the reader. A must read.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this an exciting, edge of the seat novel. I had no idea about who was Genesis to the very end. This book was started by Robert Ludlum and finished by someone else after his death. I will say I could not tell by the quality of writing who was who. It was an enjoyable book.

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Ludlum's "The Bancroft Strategy" is a masterful addition to his collection of classic espionage novels, seamlessly blending suspense, intrigue, and global politics in a way that only Ludlum can achieve. The novel's compelling narrative, reminiscent of Ludlum's previous gems like "The Chancellor Manuscript" and "The Icarus Agenda," earns it a solid four-star rating.

The story unfolds with Todd Belknap, a legendary field agent for Consular Operations, finding himself entangled in a web of mystery and danger after a mission gone awry. The stakes skyrocket when his best friend and fellow agent is abducted by a ruthless militia group in Lebanon, leaving Belknap with no choice but to take matters into his own hands. This sets the stage for a high-stakes game of cat and mouse that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.

Simultaneously, hedge fund analyst Andrea Bancroft receives a life-changing inheritance with a peculiar condition attached. As she delves into the enigmatic Bancroft family foundation, run by the formidable Paul Newton, she discovers a world of strategic machinations that hint at a darker agenda. The foundation's ties to the mysterious "Genesis" group, hell-bent on upsetting global stability, add an extra layer of complexity to the narrative.

The strength of Ludlum's storytelling lies in his ability to weave intricate plots that converge in unexpected ways. The characters of Belknap and Bancroft, seemingly unrelated at first, form an uneasy alliance that propels the narrative forward. Their journey to uncover the truth behind "Genesis" is filled with heart-pounding moments and clever twists, keeping readers hooked from start to finish.

Ludlum's writing style is akin to watching a James Bond film – slick, fast-paced, and all-consuming. The novel effortlessly combines suspense and action with Ludlum's trademark attention to detail, creating a world where the line between friend and foe is blurred, and danger lurks around every corner.

While the book doesn't quite reach the pinnacle of Ludlum's absolute best works, it's undeniably a gripping read that will satisfy fans of the genre. "The Bancroft Strategy" is a testament to Ludlum's enduring legacy as a master of espionage fiction, and it is highly recommended for those seeking a thrilling and immersive adventure in the shadowy realms of global intrigue.

[Liz Alb · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been great reconnecting with Ludlum's world once again. If you've read books by this author before, you'll understand when I say this is classic Ludlum: a fast-paced and intelligent spy thriller, filled with international and political intrigue, powerful global entities, shadowy forces, conspiracies, and surprising plot twists. All this combined with vivid descriptions of places and things that the reader can easily see in their mind's eye and that sometimes provokes a chuckle.

He had a long memory, a short temper, a jut-jaw that jutted more when he was irate, and a temperament that started out at the setting “Vaguely Pissed” and got worse from there.

The author's background as a U.S. marine undoubtedly contributed to his knowledge of international places and ability to develop stories centered around global politics and international issues. The characters in The Bancroft Strategy were interesting, sometimes frustrating, sometimes funny, and had human flaws (they may be the heroes of this story but they do make mistakes and missteps). Todd Belknap, the covert operative from U.S. Consular Operations, is a perfectly imperfect character whose plans never work out as expected but who always manages to improvise his way out of dangerous situations. Andrea Bancroft is a shrewd and observant analyst who can’t seem to make smart decisions to save her life (literally!). And killers Mr. Jones and Mr. Smith may be deadly but they are an amusing pair.

I loved almost everything about this book: the pace, the build-up, the story overall. At 708 pages (paperback edition), it was a bit of a chunkster but the story had me riveted and I didn't lose interest. The only part I was less enthused about was the final grand reveal: I didn’t feel the big villain was “right” for this story. But this doesn’t change my overall impression of the book and my overall rating. And the final twist at the end...5 stars!

[Sheri faulk · Rating 4 out of 5]

 When Todd Belknap--a legendary field agent for Consular Operations with a reputation as something of a cowboy-- is cut loose from the agency after an operation goes wrong, his best friend and fellow agent is abducted in Lebanon by a militia group with a vicious reputation. When the government refuses to either rescue him or negotiate for his release, Belknap decides to take matters into his own hands.
         Meanwhile, hedge fund analyst Andrea Bancroft gets a surprising call--she is to receive an unexpected bequest of six million dollars from a cousin she never met. With one condition--she must agree to sit on the board of the Bancroft family foundation, a charitable organization that is run by the family patriarch, Paul Bancroft. Having never been involved with, or even met, the family--her mother was briefly married to a Bancroft and cut off all contact many years ago--Andrea is intrigued. But the foundation, which is dedicated to doing strategic good deeds, appears less and less benign the more deeply involved she gets. What exactly is their involvement with the "Genesis"--a mysterious group working to destabilize the geopolitical balance at the risk of millions of lives? As events escalate, Todd Belknap and Andrea Bancroft come together and must form an uneasy alliance if they are to uncover the truth behind "Genesis"-- before it is too late.

[Kees van Duyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

De Bancroft strategie. Een boek gebaseerd op de laatste manuscripten van Robert Ludlum. En het was er weer één die de moeite waard was om te lezen.

Geheim agent Todd Belknap gaat op zoek naar zijn vriend Jared Reinhart. Laatstgenoemde is ontvoerd en Belknap beweegt hemel en aarde om hem uit de handen van de ontvoerders te bevrijden. Dit gaat niet zonder slag of stoot want Belknap komt voor erg moeilijke situaties te staan, die hij soms ternauwernood weet te overleven.

Tijdens zijn naspeuringen stuit Belknap op Andrea Bancroft, de nieuwe voorzitter van de Bancroft Stichting. En samen gaan ze op jacht naar Genesis, een onbekende 'macht' die de wereld in zijn macht wil hebben.

Het boek leest in feite als een film die, althans wat mij betreft, veel doet denken aan James Bond. Het boek blijft grotendeels boeien en naarmate het eind vordert wordt het ook sneller en verrassend. Een klein minpuntje vond ik de epiloog. Typisch Amerikaans.

Toch is De Bancroft Strategie een aanrader die zeker niet verveelt.

[Richard Edbury · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really smart thriller with oodles of potential but sadly with a few glaring weaknesses.

Things the book does well:

Really smart premise and villains
Some deep moral premises that should cause significant thought
A suitably twisting plot
Well written action
It doesn't pull punches in terms of nastiness (this might be a downside for you but for me, many books avoid this)
To be honest most things not mentioned below

Things the book does poorly:

Super smart characters who do really stupid things too frequently
Occasional jarring cliches
A female character who needs rescuing a few too many times
I personally don't mind this but the start of the book jumps between a lot of characters and times making it a little hard to follow.

I'm not a big fan of thrillers and this book was read over 5 months mainly because more than once I considered stopping. I am glad I finished it and after getting halfway through I finished it at a more typical pace for me.

[Signe · Rating 4 out of 5]

i like the ludlum’s approach to the stories. reminds me of tarantino. i’ve found other novels to be more compact than this one: the ending went on and on and on... i was so tired when i reached the end. i like endings short and simple, give me answers, surprise me. but the end-part did not offer it to me this time. there were couple of story lines that confused me, e.g. kidnapping Andrea and taking her to the church and then a “saviour” coming to the rescue from somewhere somehow... how? what?
additionally, if there is a gun on the wall, then it must be used at some point. and this is what happens with the boy, i understood it as soon i reached the half mark of the book and there was no talk of the boy (who is remarkable!) in any way. the ending and who was genesis did not come as a surprise.

[Jim Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

This a intrigue novel written by the same person who created the Bourne series. I was expecting a lot of fun intrigue and action to this book. However, I was a little disappointed by the action in the novel as it just seemed a little contrived. The book followed two characters in very different situations both trying to get to the bottom of the same mystery. Once revealed the villainous plot is actually pretty interesting though so it kept me going until the end. I have read some that were even more ridiculous so I give this the credit for being realistic enough to not make me lose my suspension of disbelief. However, in all I would probably enjoy reading some of the authors others works over this one.

[Tim Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good thriller by one of the genre's giants.

Todd Belknap, a disgraced agent from US "Consular Ops" runs for his life while trying to uncover a secret cabal, led by "Genesis" who is trying to rule the world for its good (the inhabitants of the world being too stupid to rule themselves benevolently). As one might expect, a cabal with that kind of power is corrupt.

On the way, Belknap falls in love, saves his new girlfriend (twice, which is the book's major flaw--though not a serious one), reaches his own point of lost hope (more than once) but in the end, discovers the location and identity of "Genesis." The location was unsurprising to Belknap, the identity shocked him. It will the reader as well

Fun read.

[Ginny · Rating 4 out of 5]

At over 700 pages it took the author quite awhile to get to the point. The main character was more sure of himself than many of Ludlum's main characters and the dialog was much easier to read. No sappy "Hello, darling" type of lines. The character of Jared was very interesting and the identity of "Genesis" was very elusive. Deciding who was the good guys and who were the bad guys was not always clear cut as was the ideals of good and evil in the minds of many of the players. Very disappointed in Andrea's final action.

[Grada (BoekenTrol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took my sweet time reading this book.

It was an intriguing read. As always with a book by Ludlum, the things he has written down are chillingly possible in real life.

What I loved most was the hunt and the emotions of the main characters that come with it.
Fear for your own life or a good friend's/colleague's, rage, doubt, determination to see things through till the end, no matter what.
And then, when all is done, the realization that things may not be done at all.
Good intentions may prove to be a very lethal weapon.

When you love spy novels and a good hunt, this is probably a book for you😁

[Nicholas Lefevre · Rating 2 out of 5]

I haven't read a Ludlum novel in years and apparently that's still true. This was an unfinished work completed by someone (or someones) else. Ludlum novels are often cliff-edge thrillers. This was over the cliff and into self-parody. I almost always finish the books I start and my strategy for finishing this one was to marvel at how comically strained the plot could become and how comically evil the villains. Hitler was a megalomaniac but he was a piker compared to these guys.

[Terry Giardina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is as good as any other that Robert Ludlum has written but maybe it’s been too long since I’ve read one because it just seemed to be way too heavy on the descriptions of the surrounding countrysides and terrain that Todd Belknap moved through in his search for his friend and ultimately for “Genesis”. The action, the intrigue and the suspense are all there as you would expect from this bestselling author which makes it still a great read.

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great spy novel that follows the exploits of Todd Belknap and Andrea Bancroft. Todd is an operative trying to find out what happened to his friend who has disappeared. Andrea receives an offer that is to good to turn down. But the more Andrea finds out about the mysterious dealings of the the Bancroft Foundation, the more she has cause for concern.

A great yarn that has fabulous pace with a great twist or two.

[Steve W · Rating 5 out of 5]

So who is out to eliminate Ansari, and why? And who is the ominous and mysterious Genesis? Is (s)he the puppet master, and what is the goal? Belknap witnesses a murder, for which he is blamed and ostracized by his government (wouldn't be a Ludlum book without this!). Andrea has a chance to make a difference through philanthropy, but who is fighting her and and trying to keep her from revealing secrets? A pretty exciting and suspenseful story! (Beware pretty intense language!)

[Steve Ollove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Typical Ludlum with nonstop action, suspense and interaction in more than 500 pages of mystery and intrigue.

Character development was only slightly inconsistent with the protagonist’s self-confidence but otherwise strong in the other characters.

As much as I enjoyed the book I felt it was a bit too long. That said, each new challenge Todd Belknapp faced made the plot that much more interesting.