Rating: 
Summary: Riveting, but long winded
Review: A shocking tale of how a government can have many offshoots that can manipulate an entire nation. It's a bit drawn out, and the insertion of Arabic dialect disrupts the flow of the story, but it still grabs you by the throat. Twists and turns and overlapping situations leave you on the edge of your seat, wondering when everyone will realize they are working against and sometimes with each other. Even the denounment has shocking revelations and references to The Chancellor Manuscript are obvious. The ending leaves you wishing for a little more (if it wasn't so long-winded with the Oman connection, a lot more)as a new development sets your mind racing. This book has sequel written all over it. Sadly, with Ludlums' passing, it won't happen. I hope reincarnation is true in this case.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Actual
Review: Congressman Evan Kendrick went to Oman to help free the hostages at the American Embassy in Mascat from an arab terrorist cell but once inside the country he found out that the embassy crisis was not an isolated case but one of a serie of well planned violent acts by somebody called Mahdi is directing to create caos in the area and gain control of the economic, political and spiritual lidership over the arab countries. Evan with the help of Manny, Kalila and a Mossad comando destroy the complot but once in USA the congressman is launched as a favorite by a secret society called Inver Brass to the candidature of the vice presidency of United States and again Evan is involved in another trama, this time one of corruption in the highest spheres of Washington.
A very well written novel and very actual, some personages, like Mahdi has a clear resemblance with Osama Bin Laden, the Inver Brass Club as the "secret establishment" or the so called power behind the throne which indirectly govern in Washington for generations, the arab-israeli conflict or the nowaday international terrorism histeria. A story that has a little of everything, espionage, terrorism, action, romance, intrigue, policy and philosophical point of views.
Rating:
Summary: 800 is actually 600 too many
Review: Great book, this one, and I really enjoyed reading it. As in most of Ludlum's novels, the big scale plotting and the high tension was present, but I think this book got a bit boring in the end... Maybe a more compact version of a book with this plotting would have done a better read, but that doesn't take away Ludlum's Mastership for this kind of novel; I'd recommend you just take your time, and read this book, since it's really a good read!
Rating:
Summary: a reader from arabia
Review: I completed this book in a single day,and I gotta say I enjoyed it alot. the book has ludlum written all over it and up to now is one of the best ludlum books Ive read.It has a strong story and I especially liked the characters in this book.
Although I liked it alot the book has the same mistakes in all books that are written by westerns whether writting books or films
they dont seem to understand the arabian culture and mind.Mr.ludlum does a far better job of it than most,but after living there in the arabain gulf,spending alot of time in Oman, Bahrain, Eygpt and the UAE,I dont think he did a fair job of the poeple and thier culture.
The characters in his books are hard to distinguish whether they are arabs or not.For example the topic of alchohol,for an arabic muslim drinking is almost impossible.also there are alot of other issues that are sensitive in islamic countries that are not regarded or are regarded from a westerns piont of view that it is hard to tell who is muslim and who's not.
As a person whose lived both in the west(for most of my life)but has spent alot of time in islamic countries both in the middle east,asia,and africa I dont think that Mr.ludlum portraid his arabian characters according to their culture and belifes.Other than that the book has a great story the characters and plot are very well written,which is hard to get these days.All in all the book is great and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: An Exciting Book!
Review: I enjoyed this book very much. After the U.S. embassy is seized a U.S. Congressman from the state of Colorado comes forth and offers his services. These services are available because of the Congressman's construction company doing extensive business in the Middle East. After you add in the Israeli commandos attempting to stage a rescue you have an exciting read. The Congressman saves the day as well as the embassy. After he returns to the United Staes a mole within the U.S. Government exposes him as the rescuer of the seized embassy. He is then under attack. His home in Colorado is attacked by the terrorists. Along the way you have the allies of the Vice-President starting an evil plot. In the end our Congressman is in line to replce the Vice-President. A very uniqe read. Be sure to buy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Ludlum -- Wow's 'em again...
Review: I have read about three of Robert Ludlum's books as of last night. Every one of them keeps me up far past my required midnight bedtime. Robert Ludlum has this habit of writing a novel that moves, moves, surprises you, then moves again, and you almost feel breathless waiting for the next crisis to happen to the protagonist and what on earth will the protaganist do to get out of this mess! I sure do wish that Robert Ludlum would write a story about a female heroine that is just as wonderful a protagonist as his male characters, though.
Rating:
Summary: Ludlum -- Wow's 'em again...
Review: I have read about three of Robert Ludlum's books as of last night. Every one of them keeps me up far past my required midnight bedtime. Robert Ludlum has this habit of writing a novel that moves, moves, surprises you, then moves again, and you almost feel breathless waiting for the next crisis to happen to the protagonist and what on earth will the protaganist do to get out of this mess! I sure do wish that Robert Ludlum would write a story about a female heroine that is just as wonderful a protagonist as his male characters, though.
Rating:
Summary: YUMMY!
Review: I just love this book! The characters are so alive especially Weingrass. The romance is not over done and that's good because I squirm at mushy stuff. In a nutshell, this book got me hooked onto the rest of Ludlum's series.
Rating: 
Summary: Worst book I've read to date
Review: I only give this book one star since I can't rate it at no stars. I have read several Ludlums in the past and have enjoyed his writing but after reading this book I'm sure I won't read any more Ludlum. Ludlum books frequently start slow and start moving after a few pages but the writing in this book is unbelivably dull. Although there were some parts where it looked as though the story was going to pick up the pace, he managed to quickly turn the story back to absolute drivel within a page or two. Apparently this book was a platform for him to bore the reader rigid with political ramblings. I suggest any other Ludlum but this one - Apocalypse Watch was my first Ludlum and I enjoyed it, a first rate, tense thriller. Best thing to do with this book is to prop up a table leg with it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't do it. Really.
Review: I'm a bit surprised at the high ratings by the other reviewers. I've read eight other Ludlum novels, enjoyed them tremendously... then the Icarus Agenda happened. This was an awful yawner. All the minor irritating ticks of his other novels become the focal points in this one simply because of a lack of sustained action. You get the worst of Ludlum, namely his political na?vety and stereotyped ethnic characters. And let's not forget his tendency to reuse canned personalities - a drinking, smoking Johnny do-gooder who has a drinking, smoking do-gooder girlfriend, with a crotchety sidekick doing the grumpy old man schtick. Our heroes go on endless rants about greed and corruption in the US government, while somewhere in the story our do-gooder friends somehow end up with millions in their laps from the same government and live happily ever after (in this case, our protagonist keeps the 50 million dollars with which the government/lobbyist villians attempted to bribe him). It took me 3 months to get through this one. A word of advice: Ludlum fans don't let future Ludlum fans read Icarus Agenda. Recommend instead: The Bourne Identity, Apocalypse Watch, Gemini Contenders, The Sigma Protocol
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