Robert Ludlum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Robert Ludlum
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Robert Ludlum portrait photo
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| Born | May 25, 1927 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | March 12, 2001 (aged 73) Naples, Florida, U.S. |
| Pen name | Jonathan Ryder, Michael Shepherd |
| Occupation | Novelist |
| Alma mater | Wesleyan University, B.A. 1951 |
| Genre | Thriller, spy fiction, mystery |
| Notable works | The Bourne Trilogy |
| Spouse | Mary Ryducha, Karen Dunn |
| Children | 3 |
Robert Ludlum (born May 25, 1927 – died March 12, 2001) was a famous American writer. He wrote 27 exciting thriller novels. He is most famous for creating the character Jason Bourne. Jason Bourne is the main character in The Bourne Trilogy book series.
Millions of copies of his books have been sold. They have been printed in 33 languages and in 40 different countries. Robert Ludlum also used other names for his books, like Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.
Contents
About Robert Ludlum's Life
Early Life and School
Robert Ludlum was born in New York City. His parents were Margaret and George Hartford Ludlum. He went to school at Rectory School and then Cheshire Academy. Later, he studied at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He earned a degree in Drama in 1951.
His Career Before Writing
Before becoming a full-time writer, Robert Ludlum had many interesting jobs. He was a United States Marine. He also worked as an actor and a producer for plays.
In the 1950s, he produced shows at the Grant Lee theater in Fort Lee, New Jersey. From 1960 to 1970, he managed and produced plays. These shows were at the Playhouse on the Mall in Paramus, New Jersey.
His experience in theater helped him understand what people liked. He knew how to create excitement and action in his stories. He once said that suspense in books is like good theater. It makes you wonder what will happen next.
How He Wrote His Books
During the 1970s, Ludlum lived in Leonia, New Jersey. He spent many hours each day writing at his home. He worked hard to create his thrilling stories.
His Passing
Robert Ludlum passed away on March 12, 2001. He died from a heart attack at his home in Naples, Florida. He was recovering from an accident that happened a month before.
Robert Ludlum's Books and Movies
Many of Robert Ludlum's novels have been turned into movies and TV mini-series. These include popular titles like The Osterman Weekend and The Holcroft Covenant. Other famous adaptations are The Apocalypse Watch and The Bourne Identity.
The Bourne movies are very well-known. They star Matt Damon as Jason Bourne. These movies have been very successful and won awards. For example, The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008. Sometimes, the movie stories are a bit different from the original books.
The company that manages Ludlum's works is Ludlum Entertainment. In 2005, they made a deal with Vivendi Universal Games. This deal was for video game rights to his stories. Later, in 2008, the Ludlum estate made a deal with Universal Pictures. This was to create more movies based on his books. In 2009, video game rights for his work went to Electronic Arts.
Film and Miniseries Adaptations
Here is a list of movies and miniseries based on Robert Ludlum's works:
- 1977 – The Rhinemann Exchange — a miniseries with Stephen Collins
- 1983 – The Osterman Weekend — a film directed by Sam Peckinpah
- 1985 – The Holcroft Covenant — a film starring Michael Caine
- 1988 – The Bourne Identity — a miniseries with Richard Chamberlain as Jason Bourne
- 1997 – The Apocalypse Watch — a miniseries starring Patrick Bergin
- 2002 – The Bourne Identity — a film with Matt Damon as Jason Bourne
- 2004 – The Bourne Supremacy — a film also starring Matt Damon
- 2006 – Covert One: The Hades Factor — a miniseries with Stephen Dorff
- 2007 – The Bourne Ultimatum — another film with Matt Damon
- 2012 – The Bourne Legacy — a film starring Jeremy Renner
- 2016 – Jason Bourne — a film with Matt Damon returning as Jason Bourne
Some other films are still being planned:
- TBA – The Chancellor Manuscript — planned film with Leonardo DiCaprio
- TBA – The Janson Directive — planned film with John Cena
Images for kids
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A robot, like something from a thrilling spy story!
See also
- Airport novel
- Publishers Weekly lists of bestselling novels in the United States
- Spy fiction
