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Road to #1
The Road to Gandolfo
THE PRINCIPAL CAST: General Mackenzie Hawkins, legend, hero, rogue. Sam Devereaux, bright young lawyer from Harvard, now in the army, can't wait to get out. General Hawkin's four ex-wives, a quartet of incredibly endowed women who've formed a club: Hawkin's Harem.
THE PREMISE: Kidnap Pope Francesco I, the most beloved pontiff since John XX III.
RANSOM: One American dollar for every Catholic in the world.
THE PROBLEM: Pope Francesco I says: "Gentle souls, why not?"
THE PREMISE: Kidnap Pope Francesco I, the most beloved pontiff since John XX III.
RANSOM: One American dollar for every Catholic in the world.
THE PROBLEM: Pope Francesco I says: "Gentle souls, why not?"
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1975
274 people are currently reading
2185 people want to read
About the author
Robert Ludlum
631 books5,278 followersRobert 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 275 reviews
September 26, 2013
Good read. Funny, a bit misogynistic but that comes with books written in the 60s and 70s. Worth reading anyway. It's a surprise to see Ludlum wrote something like this. Read the author's comments their as funny as the book and don't take any of it seriously, it's a satire.
This is Scott Brick's, the narrator, best work yet. Loved it.
This is Scott Brick's, the narrator, best work yet. Loved it.
May 27, 2023
This was a really fast reading one that I enjoyed. I was assigned to Germany by myself, and my boss gave me a stack of Ludlum box, and I poured through one after another. This was a Winner.
June 15, 2011
When I first picked up this book decades ago, I expected it to be another in a long line of highly entertaining Ludlum thrillers. Four hours later, I couldn't remember the last time I had laughed so much, so consistently.
This is the second funniest book written by Ludlum (top spot goes to its sequel, 'The Road to Omaha'). It is completely out of character for Ludlum and yet somehow fits within his established style.
Following the mad capers of General MacKenzie Hawkins, who despite being America's most revered and decorated soldier is now persona non grata (perhaps having something to do with a series of events involving urination,a Chinese monument, the top of the American embassy and brass balls), the novel ups the crazy at every turn, bringing a healthy dose of laughs with it. The story is told primarily through the eyes of Samuel Devereaux, hot-shot lawyer-to-be, who gets ensnared in Mac's ridiculous plan to kidnap the pope. Sam echoes every thought you might have as the reader, sometimes stumbling for words, just like you might. You read every page to see if he can restore sanity to the plot and save the world, but there's a bit of glee that comes with the realization that that will never happen, because that's just no fun.
The book is a fun, light read and sure to keep you entertained the entire time.
This is the second funniest book written by Ludlum (top spot goes to its sequel, 'The Road to Omaha'). It is completely out of character for Ludlum and yet somehow fits within his established style.
Following the mad capers of General MacKenzie Hawkins, who despite being America's most revered and decorated soldier is now persona non grata (perhaps having something to do with a series of events involving urination,a Chinese monument, the top of the American embassy and brass balls), the novel ups the crazy at every turn, bringing a healthy dose of laughs with it. The story is told primarily through the eyes of Samuel Devereaux, hot-shot lawyer-to-be, who gets ensnared in Mac's ridiculous plan to kidnap the pope. Sam echoes every thought you might have as the reader, sometimes stumbling for words, just like you might. You read every page to see if he can restore sanity to the plot and save the world, but there's a bit of glee that comes with the realization that that will never happen, because that's just no fun.
The book is a fun, light read and sure to keep you entertained the entire time.
August 17, 2018
Τρίτο βιβλίο του Ρόμπερτ Λάντλαμ που διαβάζω, μετά το καλούτσικο "Σχέδιο Κασσάνδρα" (γραμμένο μαζί με τον Φίλιπ Σέλμπι) και το πολύ καλό "Το χειρόγραφο Τσάνσελορ" που διάβασα αμφότερα τον Μάιο του 2011. Ο Ρόμπερτ Λάντλαμ έχει γράψει κάμποσα δυνατά θρίλερ, όλα τους σοβαρά και γεμάτα συναρπαστικές και ενδιαφέρουσες λεπτομέρειες από τον κόσμο των κατασκόπων και των μυστικών υπηρεσιών. Όμως εδώ έχουμε να κάνουμε με κάτι αρκετά διαφορετικό, μιας και ο συγγραφέας είχε όρεξη για πλάκα, γράφοντας το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο. Ας πούμε ότι πρόκειται για μια περιπετειώδη ιστορία, μέσω της οποίας σατιρίζει την Αμερικάνικη πολιτική και την οργανωμένη θρησκεία, καθώς και την τρέλα που χαρακτηρίζει πολιτικούς και στρατιωτικούς. Είναι μια ιστορία γεμάτη υπερβολές και τραγελαφικές καταστάσεις, που καταφέρνει όμως να κρατήσει το ενδιαφέρον του αναγνώστη με τη δράση, τα διάφορα τρελά σκηνικά και τους μάλλον καρτουνίστικους χαρακτήρες. Εντάξει, δεν μπορώ να πω ότι κατουρήθηκα και στα γέλια, όμως ήταν ένα βιβλίο που διάβασα πραγματικά πολύ ευχάριστα από την αρχή μέχρι το τέλος, το οποίο μου χάρισε αρκετές ώρες ψυχαγωγίας. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι δεν προτείνεται για πρώτη επαφή με τον συγγραφέα: Έτσι, θα βγάλετε τελείως λανθασμένα συμπεράσματα για τη γραφή και τον τρόπο σκέψης του.
February 8, 2019
I knew Ludlum's name from the Bourne trilogy, plus I picked up (but haven't started) an intriguing novel about Nazi children after WWII.
Ludlum did a clever job of explaining in his preface that he had taken a humorous turn in writing this story, and his description was humourous enough to interest me. So I started.
The first half was frankly slow, wry but not funny, and much more crass than I thought necessary. The story line is possibly more exasperatingly ludicrous than funny. Had I understood that at the outset, perhaps I would have appreciated it more. While I do enjoy such at times, I personally have to get into the mood for it.
The characters were fair, though I didn't find myself rooting for anyone either to succeed or fail. No one became my hero. He didn't evoke my empathy for anyone.
The second half was more enjoyable. A few more characters entered the fray, the crassness was toned down, and clever twists were humorously described. The climax and denouement of the story oddly fit.
I'd actually first picked up "Road to Omaha" at a used book sale, only to learn it was the sequel (at least as far as characters are concerned) to this novel. I still have it on my shelf, but it may be a while before I'm in the mood to take it down and crack it open.
Ludlum did a clever job of explaining in his preface that he had taken a humorous turn in writing this story, and his description was humourous enough to interest me. So I started.
The first half was frankly slow, wry but not funny, and much more crass than I thought necessary. The story line is possibly more exasperatingly ludicrous than funny. Had I understood that at the outset, perhaps I would have appreciated it more. While I do enjoy such at times, I personally have to get into the mood for it.
The characters were fair, though I didn't find myself rooting for anyone either to succeed or fail. No one became my hero. He didn't evoke my empathy for anyone.
The second half was more enjoyable. A few more characters entered the fray, the crassness was toned down, and clever twists were humorously described. The climax and denouement of the story oddly fit.
I'd actually first picked up "Road to Omaha" at a used book sale, only to learn it was the sequel (at least as far as characters are concerned) to this novel. I still have it on my shelf, but it may be a while before I'm in the mood to take it down and crack it open.
October 23, 2014
This was fun. I added another star for Brick, the reader. I swear he read this at times in an eerie, but entirely apt, imitation of Arlo Guthrie Jr. doing "Alice's Restaurant". No music or four part harmony, but still! It was fun & fit perfectly in with the tongue-in-cheek story.
The Hawk was a great character, as were they all. A friend said it was a bit misogynistic, but I didn't get that impression at all. The Hawk's women (gorgeous ex-wives who still liked & respected him) were definitely characters in their own rights & were shown through the appreciative eyes of the young lawyer.
The twists were fun & audacious. Pure entertainment. Highly recommended in this format.
The Hawk was a great character, as were they all. A friend said it was a bit misogynistic, but I didn't get that impression at all. The Hawk's women (gorgeous ex-wives who still liked & respected him) were definitely characters in their own rights & were shown through the appreciative eyes of the young lawyer.
The twists were fun & audacious. Pure entertainment. Highly recommended in this format.
July 10, 2025
⭐⭐⭐ The Road to Gandolfo – Robert Ludlum (a.k.a. Michael Shepherd when he didn’t want anyone to know he wrote this)
Tagline: Espionage, ex-wives, and ecclesiastical extortion – welcome to Vatican heist comedy, Ludlum-style.
Ah, Robert Ludlum. Master of the taut international thriller, king of Cold War conspiracies… and apparently, secret lover of slapstick Vatican farce. The Road to Gandolfo is what happens when your favorite high-stakes thriller author says, “You know what this genre needs? A hash-smoking general, a naked lawyer, and the Pope being kidnapped by a man with four cooperative ex-wives.”
And honestly? I didn’t hate it. I just… don’t know what I read.
🕵️♂️ The Plot (or, “How Not to Retire Gracefully”)
Decorated (and deeply deranged) General “Hawk” Hawkins, recently booted from the military after a Beijing diplomatic incident, has a retirement plan: kidnap the Pope and ransom him for cash.
To do this, he blackmails an army lawyer, Sam Devereaux, into drafting all the paperwork, because what’s international religious extortion without a Limited Liability Corporation?
Cue global shenanigans, PLO hijackers with scheduling issues, and a cameo from the entire nation of Algeria, which is apparently closed for the day.
👥 Characters:
Hawk is part Patton, part Looney Tunes, and all chaos. Think “General Ripper from Dr. Strangelove if he had better hair and four divorces.”
His army lawyer sidekick, Sam, is just trying to make it back to Boston without committing international crimes, but the man keeps losing his pants and falling into bed with people who are legally listed as co-conspirators.
The ex-wives? They’re gorgeous, cunning, and disturbingly on board with this whole “ecumenical hostage” plan.
✍️ Style:
This isn’t Ludlum’s usual grim, gritty prose. This is Ludlum Unleashed—an absurdist comedy masquerading as a spy thriller. At times it’s clever; other times it’s like being trapped inside a very long, very American SNL sketch from the ‘70s. There’s wit, yes—but also scenes where the tone veers wildly from geopolitical farce to frat-house sitcom.
✝️ Final Thoughts:
This isn’t a bad book. It’s a strange one. If you’re expecting The Matarese Circle, you might be mildly alarmed. But if you’re open to a Cold War caper featuring papal kidnappings, hallucinogens, and hijinks, it’s a ride.
Ludlum clearly had fun writing this. I had some fun reading it. I just needed a moment afterward to sit quietly and ask myself: Did that really just happen?
3 stars – One for the Pope, one for the plot, and one for the glorious absurdity of it all.
Tagline: Espionage, ex-wives, and ecclesiastical extortion – welcome to Vatican heist comedy, Ludlum-style.
Ah, Robert Ludlum. Master of the taut international thriller, king of Cold War conspiracies… and apparently, secret lover of slapstick Vatican farce. The Road to Gandolfo is what happens when your favorite high-stakes thriller author says, “You know what this genre needs? A hash-smoking general, a naked lawyer, and the Pope being kidnapped by a man with four cooperative ex-wives.”
And honestly? I didn’t hate it. I just… don’t know what I read.
🕵️♂️ The Plot (or, “How Not to Retire Gracefully”)
Decorated (and deeply deranged) General “Hawk” Hawkins, recently booted from the military after a Beijing diplomatic incident, has a retirement plan: kidnap the Pope and ransom him for cash.
To do this, he blackmails an army lawyer, Sam Devereaux, into drafting all the paperwork, because what’s international religious extortion without a Limited Liability Corporation?
Cue global shenanigans, PLO hijackers with scheduling issues, and a cameo from the entire nation of Algeria, which is apparently closed for the day.
👥 Characters:
Hawk is part Patton, part Looney Tunes, and all chaos. Think “General Ripper from Dr. Strangelove if he had better hair and four divorces.”
His army lawyer sidekick, Sam, is just trying to make it back to Boston without committing international crimes, but the man keeps losing his pants and falling into bed with people who are legally listed as co-conspirators.
The ex-wives? They’re gorgeous, cunning, and disturbingly on board with this whole “ecumenical hostage” plan.
✍️ Style:
This isn’t Ludlum’s usual grim, gritty prose. This is Ludlum Unleashed—an absurdist comedy masquerading as a spy thriller. At times it’s clever; other times it’s like being trapped inside a very long, very American SNL sketch from the ‘70s. There’s wit, yes—but also scenes where the tone veers wildly from geopolitical farce to frat-house sitcom.
✝️ Final Thoughts:
This isn’t a bad book. It’s a strange one. If you’re expecting The Matarese Circle, you might be mildly alarmed. But if you’re open to a Cold War caper featuring papal kidnappings, hallucinogens, and hijinks, it’s a ride.
Ludlum clearly had fun writing this. I had some fun reading it. I just needed a moment afterward to sit quietly and ask myself: Did that really just happen?
3 stars – One for the Pope, one for the plot, and one for the glorious absurdity of it all.
February 28, 2015
A disgraced general, MacKenzie Hawkins, decides to kidnap the Pope for ransom. He enlists his four ex-wives, a reluctant attorney, Sam Devereaux, and an international cast of characters in this crime. One dollar for every Catholic in the world is his goal as he commands and plans his way. All Sam wants is out without causing World War III, but Hawk is in charge. Can he pull off the kidnapping, or will Sam circumvent it? This is a madcap scheme with wild situations.
October 5, 2010
I was cleaning out my basement the other day and found a pile of old Robert Ludlum books from the 70s and 80s. Ludlum of course was the master of the thriller-conspiracy-spy genre of those decades. I picked up Road to Gondolfo and began reading it again after over 30 years of collecting dust .....and I couldn't put it down. A typical “Ludlumesque” fast-paced thriller, but also extraordinarily funny. I had forgotten that Ludlum was equally renowned for his humour and wit as well as being the master of the spy-thriller genre. I was laughing so hard I almost had tears in my eyes.
The basic premise follows:
General MacKenzie Hawk is a living military legend, a hero and a rogue. Sam Devereaux is a bright young ex-Harvard lawyer, now in the army, and he can't wait to get out. When the Hawk gets kicked out of the army for conduct unbecoming of an officer, his options are limited - but not for long. He has a plan, a plan so ambitious it will shock the world and make him a very rich man. He is going to get 400 million dollars - a dollar from every Catholic in the world. And he's going to do it by kidnapping the Pope ...
A great fast paced and humorous read - strongly recommened by yours truly.
Cheers
Fred
The basic premise follows:
General MacKenzie Hawk is a living military legend, a hero and a rogue. Sam Devereaux is a bright young ex-Harvard lawyer, now in the army, and he can't wait to get out. When the Hawk gets kicked out of the army for conduct unbecoming of an officer, his options are limited - but not for long. He has a plan, a plan so ambitious it will shock the world and make him a very rich man. He is going to get 400 million dollars - a dollar from every Catholic in the world. And he's going to do it by kidnapping the Pope ...
A great fast paced and humorous read - strongly recommened by yours truly.
Cheers
Fred
October 27, 2021
I picked up this book after having read its second installment (The Road to Omaha) first. I found that novel to be witty and humorous, so I naturally expected quite as much from its predecessor. I was left disappointed. Not a single time this book made me even grin. All of the humor in it is severely dated, and the way every woman is overly sexualized all throughout the book is tiring, granted it may be my fault for reading it 45 years after it was published, but a good joke should remain funny, forty years ago or in the present day. Characters were average, none of them had any real personalities outside of the two protagonists, Mackenzie Hawkins and Sam Devereaux, who was exceptionally whiny and insufferable the entirety of the time he appeared.
There's not much to be said about the plot, A U.S military hero fallen in disgrace wants to kidnap the Pope, which he does, and then... nothing happens. The climax of the story is, in my opinion, poorly placed, as it dies down quickly and disappointingly when it should be at its peak.
In the end, even if it seems I'm being too harsh on Ludlum, it's an entertaining book that was never meant to be a masterpiece, It didn't hold well to the pass of time but I can't judge it as if had read it 45 years ago. 2/5.
There's not much to be said about the plot, A U.S military hero fallen in disgrace wants to kidnap the Pope, which he does, and then... nothing happens. The climax of the story is, in my opinion, poorly placed, as it dies down quickly and disappointingly when it should be at its peak.
In the end, even if it seems I'm being too harsh on Ludlum, it's an entertaining book that was never meant to be a masterpiece, It didn't hold well to the pass of time but I can't judge it as if had read it 45 years ago. 2/5.
October 22, 2019
Not what I was expecting from a Robert Ludlum book. It left me wanting more. I picked this book up thinking it would be a suspenseful read about the kidnapping of a pope. It mentioned that there was a lot of humor too. I found the humor not to my tastes. Maybe it is because the book is almost 45 years old, but I found the humor somewhat lacking.
I was set to give this book a 2 star rating, but the last hundred pages brought it up to a three star for me. The first 200 pages were poor attempts at humor and elongated set up of the premise. The last hundred pages started to show some promise, although the end didn’t really wrap the story up tight. There was an epilogue that hinted at where each character was going, but other than the general, it wasn’t totally hashed out.
I guess I expected this book to be more of a thriller than a comedy, and it is the opposite. Won’t stop me from picking up more books by Mr. Ludlum, but I would recommend you read this other works before tackling this one.
I was set to give this book a 2 star rating, but the last hundred pages brought it up to a three star for me. The first 200 pages were poor attempts at humor and elongated set up of the premise. The last hundred pages started to show some promise, although the end didn’t really wrap the story up tight. There was an epilogue that hinted at where each character was going, but other than the general, it wasn’t totally hashed out.
I guess I expected this book to be more of a thriller than a comedy, and it is the opposite. Won’t stop me from picking up more books by Mr. Ludlum, but I would recommend you read this other works before tackling this one.
September 28, 2013
This book was first published in 1975 and the author’s name given as Michael Shepherd. Turns out it was written by Robert Ludlum, using a pseudonym, at the mandate of his editor/publisher so as not to smirch his well known name. It was reissued several times and the paperback I have is the 1992 issue. According to Ludlum’s introduction this arrangement gave him the freedom to unleash his staggering imagination.
The plot is way over the top and features an army general named MacKenzie Hawkins who concocts a scheme to kidnap the pope and hold him for ransom. I’ve read Ludlum’s novels in the past and enjoyed them, notably the series about Jason Bourne, but this book just doesn’t compare. In fact, I’m giving up on it after about eighty pages. It’s just too ridiculous and I’m not able to take it seriously.
I’m giving it the benefit of a doubt by rating it a generous three stars.
The plot is way over the top and features an army general named MacKenzie Hawkins who concocts a scheme to kidnap the pope and hold him for ransom. I’ve read Ludlum’s novels in the past and enjoyed them, notably the series about Jason Bourne, but this book just doesn’t compare. In fact, I’m giving up on it after about eighty pages. It’s just too ridiculous and I’m not able to take it seriously.
I’m giving it the benefit of a doubt by rating it a generous three stars.
September 18, 2014
Based on the blurb on the back cover of the book, I was led to believe that this was a hilarious tale told by the master of the thriller, Mr. Ludlum. I was led astray. Perhaps because of the term "wickedly funny" I expected just that, but instead got just a few chuckles. Just now as I write this I spy on the front cover the words "an explosion of mirth and suspense". More hyperbole. If I hadn't expected a funny book maybe I would have enjoyed it more, but it's only mildly humorous and majorly disappointing. It's not a bad story, but the story is over the top and not plausible, even by Mr. Ludlum's standards. Think Catch-22 with more of a plot and far, far less humor.
August 10, 2012
I remember reading this on the beach in Cancun. I was laughing so hard, a couple people came over to ask what I was reading. The general and his poor schmuck of a lawyer are the perfect pair. If I could find it as an ebook, I'd read it today. I NEVER would have pegged Robert Ludlum as a gifted comedy writer... but this one is excellent. I really am not a Ludlum fan..
December 17, 2023
Readers expecting Ludlum's typical espionage or serious thriller style might find this departure to be a tad disappointing. This book follows the escapades of General MacKenzie Hawkins, a larger-than-life character, who after retirement, devises a daring plan to kidnap the Pope and hold him for ransom, all in an effort to expose corruption within the United States government.
July 20, 2013
Comedy does not entail grabbing the reader by the shoulders and screaming in his face "THIS IS *FUNNY*! THIS IS *HILARIOUS*!! *LAUGH*, DAMN YOU, **LAAAUUUUUGH**!!!"
September 21, 2022
A very funny and highly entertaining read. Good for a rainy day to escape into a world of crazy, fast-paced action and bold, over-the-top characters.
I really enjoyed this book.
I really enjoyed this book.
February 14, 2024
Καλή κωμωδία καταστάσεων, θα μπορούσε να είναι εξαιρετική σάτιρα, προ "Dogma"*, προ "Team America"* αλλά δυστυχώς δεν είναι. Έχει τη φάση του.
* αν δεν τα έχετε δει thank you next.
* αν δεν τα έχετε δει thank you next.
December 30, 2019
"The Road to Gandolfo" sounded like a great road trip book. It wasn't.
Despite the great blurb and several great reviews, my carload of lesbians and straight girls all agreed to DNF this one at 37%. Bleh. 2*
Despite the great blurb and several great reviews, my carload of lesbians and straight girls all agreed to DNF this one at 37%. Bleh. 2*
July 7, 2018
A great chance to see the humor of Ludlum in a thriller of a story. Fun, engaging, hilarious -
February 15, 2023
Light reading that's clever, hilarious, and fun.
October 14, 2020
This book is ridiculous, in goods ways and bad. In the intro, Ludlum confesses to seeing Nixon's administration go down in flames and thinking: with truth so strange, why couldn't I make my fiction just as outrageous? He does that in a pretty fun way. The military, mob, politics and religion all receive the paperback-rack equivalent of a county fair dunk tank. Of course, written in 1975, it's also riddled with sexism, some racism and other taboos. I found this book on a free shelf at a Mexican hotel and it turned out to be an entertaining beach read. Just read with a grain of salt (or sand).
June 23, 2022
This novel is stupid funny. It reminded me of the Matt Helm movies with Dean Martin or Derek Flint portrayed by James Coburn of the 1960's. You can't watch these movies sober.
All the action was over the top with a larger than life protagonist, Lt General MacKenzie Hawkins or "Hawk" who is decorated twice with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hawk has four lovely ex-wives who all have lovely breasts although each set is different, some large, some shapely but all lovely (Clearly Robert Ludlum was a breast man). Of course all of Hawk's ex-wives adore him and will do anything for him; when is this ever the case?
Hawk is rescued by Major Sam Devereaux, a lawyer, from prison time for shooting the balls off some historic sculpture in China. In exchange for Hawk offering a formal apology to the Chinese government, Hawk wants access to some outdated secret documents the General himself created some time ago.
After this, Hawk concocts a scheme of kidnapping the Pope and then ransoming him for cash. In order to finance this operation, Hawk swindles four different bad guys from around the world out of $10 million each. When Hawk needs some law work, he enlists Devereaux but gets his ex-wives to help him keep Devereaux on track wherever he travels. When the ex-wives aren't around, Hawk takes Devereaux's clothes away which completely immobilizes Devereaux.
Ludlum spoils the entire novel in my opinion by starting with a prologue. My recommendation is to skip the prologue and read that last. The only enjoyment I got out of the story was how ridiculous everything was. Just the golf course scene alone was over the top ridiculous. Everyone knows that a three star general has got to be over 50 years of age. No fifty year old is going to be able to do the things he does at the golf course; hell most men period can't do what Hawk does. Generals are not promoted based on their physical prowess.
All the action was over the top with a larger than life protagonist, Lt General MacKenzie Hawkins or "Hawk" who is decorated twice with the Congressional Medal of Honor. Hawk has four lovely ex-wives who all have lovely breasts although each set is different, some large, some shapely but all lovely (Clearly Robert Ludlum was a breast man). Of course all of Hawk's ex-wives adore him and will do anything for him; when is this ever the case?
Hawk is rescued by Major Sam Devereaux, a lawyer, from prison time for shooting the balls off some historic sculpture in China. In exchange for Hawk offering a formal apology to the Chinese government, Hawk wants access to some outdated secret documents the General himself created some time ago.
After this, Hawk concocts a scheme of kidnapping the Pope and then ransoming him for cash. In order to finance this operation, Hawk swindles four different bad guys from around the world out of $10 million each. When Hawk needs some law work, he enlists Devereaux but gets his ex-wives to help him keep Devereaux on track wherever he travels. When the ex-wives aren't around, Hawk takes Devereaux's clothes away which completely immobilizes Devereaux.
Ludlum spoils the entire novel in my opinion by starting with a prologue. My recommendation is to skip the prologue and read that last. The only enjoyment I got out of the story was how ridiculous everything was. Just the golf course scene alone was over the top ridiculous. Everyone knows that a three star general has got to be over 50 years of age. No fifty year old is going to be able to do the things he does at the golf course; hell most men period can't do what Hawk does. Generals are not promoted based on their physical prowess.
March 7, 2014
I am reviewing the thriller The Road To Gandolfo by Robert Ludlum which is a very good novel which I bought from a car boot sale. Robert used to be the biggest selling author in the world and his books were so successful he didn't have to even write a novel every year. He is an ex film producer and he tends what you might call intelligent thrillers. This book is a little bit more light hearted than his usual stuff and in the introduction he says it was great fun to write. This book was written in 1976 when the Vietnam War was coming to a close. This book is set in the near future at that time and the plot is their is a General who is being dishonorably discharged from the army. Apparently he has shot the testicles off an important statue in China and although he admits he probably did do it, he claims he was drugged and set up and didn't know what he was doing. The Americans are in important negotiations for trade with China and don't want to upset them so decide he must go. Apart from being a General he is a war hero who has served in every major American conflict starting with World War 2. The lawyer assigned to defend him is due to leave the army and the 2 become good friends despite the lawyer being involved in a previous case the General doesn't approve of. They form a company to collect and sell religious artifacts. Their search leads to a prominent member of the Catholic Church who served in Monaco during World War 2 and was staunchly anti Nazi despite pressure from those around him. This story is a bit like Indiana Jones and they are determined to wreak revenge on the Chinese. I did quite enjoy reading it and it's around 300 pages so is a reasonable length.
July 11, 2018
Humorous for Ludlum, but not the kind of funny that will have you laughing out loud. The plot is more ridiculous than most Ludlum novels, which is why it was originally released under the pen name Michael Shepherd. This one involves war hero and living legend General MacKenzie Hawkins disgracing himself by defacing a monument in China's Forbidden City. Under house arrest in Peking as cases are built against him in both Peking and Washington he comes up with a plan- to kidnap the pope. He will hold him for a $400 million ransom. In order to do it he will need the help of an army lawyer, his four well-endowed ex-wives, and a small cast of misfits. The whole thing doesn't make a lot of sense, especially when real world logic is applied, and it isn't nearly as funny as some would have you believe. It is still fun if you don't take any of it seriously.
March 17, 2018
Picked up this classic thriIller from a "little library" near my house. Plot is a general who is near retirement is set up to be tried for a crime that he committed under direction. So he plots revenge. He decides to kidnap the Pope. not sure how that is revenge, but there we are. The story has comic twists and good characterization, but I had troubles with the 70's ideas of the author. Terrible memories came back. He portrays women as their breast sizes. Hardly any personality. And they are definitely subordinate characters. plus a bit of racism. Thank God the 70' s are gone.
April 30, 2019
Billed as a comedy/thriller, The Road to Gandolfo was a book that never found its footing. Set in the 1960's, a disgraced Army General decides to abduct the pope and ransom him for 40 Million dollars (one penny for every catholic in the world). He enlists/blackmails a reluctant Boston lawyer to help him with this endeavor, who serves as the primary narrator throughout the 300 page story.
Never very funny, and never very entertaining. The Road to Gandolfo goes for a post-modern thriller/satirical vibe, but it is never clever enough or engaging enough to pull it off.
Never very funny, and never very entertaining. The Road to Gandolfo goes for a post-modern thriller/satirical vibe, but it is never clever enough or engaging enough to pull it off.
February 17, 2011
Humorous and a Great Read
My good friend was clearing out some of his old books and gave me this book to read. I enjoyed the book and I found it to be a very entertaining read. I always appreciate a bit of humor in stories and this book had a number of humorous moments. I laughed at some of the scenes and kept reading and laughed at the characters.
I understand that there is a sequel to the book so I'll probably ask my friend if he has it. Assuming he can remember the title.
My good friend was clearing out some of his old books and gave me this book to read. I enjoyed the book and I found it to be a very entertaining read. I always appreciate a bit of humor in stories and this book had a number of humorous moments. I laughed at some of the scenes and kept reading and laughed at the characters.
I understand that there is a sequel to the book so I'll probably ask my friend if he has it. Assuming he can remember the title.
September 3, 2018
Oh how I wish Ludlum wrote more like this. I know he did one more in the series and I will definitely read that one. In this story he shows a great sense of humor and the absurd. It was great fun, the dialog was not bogged down as it tends to be in his espionage books. If you absolutely love his other books you will probably hate this one. But for others who want a fun read, I definitely suggest this.
August 6, 2019
OK, so this book is described as 'Wickedly Funny' but I found it to be 'Mildly Amusing' at best. The story is OK but it is now clearly dated and some of the language that was probably 'witty' in its day is now just casually racist or sexist. Easy to see why Ludlum was advised to publish under a pseudonym ..... not one of his best.
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