The Ambler Warning [Hardcover]

Robert Ludlum (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (2006)
• ASIN: B001DYNFP4
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 4.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (86 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,860,597 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

After a successful career in the theatre, Robert Ludlum launched his career as a best-selling writer with THE SCARLATTI INHERITANCE in 1971, the first of twenty-two consecutive international bestsellers. Robert sadly passed away in March 2001.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Ambler Warning is disappointing, November 15, 2005

By 

Sam Sabella - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Ambler Warning (Hardcover)

Because Ludlum is my favorite author, I was disappointed to see a publisher use Ludlum's name without providing the true author's name and produce mediocre work. Bottom line, this book lacked the terrific content that you would find in a typical Ludlum novel. It was so cut-up that the book lacked any continuity to previously described incidents within the book. Furthermore, the true author spent more than half the book describing surroundings and things that had nothing to do with the plot. Out of boredom, I found myself skipping parts and not skipping any of the plot. Its only redeeming factor is the surprising ending, even though it took the author less than three pages to cover it. It doesn't even compare to the last two Ludlum novels written by other identified authors. If I was the publisher, I would be ashamed to use Ludlum's name in this manner. But of course, Ludlum's name sells books. Alas!

40 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Is Hal Ambler a Figment of His Own Imagination?, December 1, 2005

By 

Tucker Andersen (Wall Street) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Ambler Warning (Hardcover)

This plot of this novel operates on several different levels - some of which are much more successful than others. Its primary goal is obviously simply to be an old fashioned conspiracy/action/international intrigue thriller in the tradition of Robert Ludlum, the creator and all time master of the genre. Through the person of the central character Harrison (Hal) Ambler it also asks the existential question, what constitutes evidence of the person who we believe ourselves to be? And concomitantly, what constitutes proof of our sanity. Furthermore, it has elements of romantic tension between Ambler and Laurel Holland, whose fate becomes inextricably interwoven with Ambler's own attempts to penetrate the veil of his own identity while eluding the pursuers intent on his murder following his "beyond salvage" designation. It also allows the wonderful character development of Clayton Gaston, the CIA analyst who operates in the lowest decile of empathy for his fellow human being and is much more at home in the world of abstract analysis and mathematical deduction than in his own home interacting with his family. Lastly, the conversations and actions of the characters on topics as diverse and the emergence of China as a superpower to brainwashing techniques (and the manufacture of memory vignettes) and as seemingly far afield as the relevant inclusion of Theseus and Ariadne provides the author considerable time to thoroughly expound on esoteric topics which lend authenticity to the tale. Perhaps my favorite was the appropriate inclusion of (and the development of the analogy of present day events to) the Chinese legend of "the man of ancient times, who set up shop in a village selling both a spear he said would penetrate anything and a shield he claimed nothing could penetrate".

We meet Ambler while he is a patient in a heavily guarded psychiatric on Parrish Island, Va. He is convinced of his own sanity, and with Laurel Holland's aid accomplishes a daring escape. However, his life soon spirals out of control, and he is forced to rely on his training as a clandestine operative to repeatedly escape his pursuers. Revise and improvise is his mantra, and while it enables him to stay alive he is completely stonewalled during every attempt to make a connection with his previous identity. In this regard, Ambler's problem is in some ways the exact opposite of Jason Bourne in THE BOURNE IDENTITY, perhaps Ludlum's most recognized novel. Bourne had to continually elude his potential killers/captors while trying to overcome his amnesia and discover his identity. Ambler firmly believes in his own identity but all objective evidence contradicts his memories of his past life. One common thread is their history as deep cover operatives and the survival skills which they possess. The other is the duplicity of their government handlers and their willingness to sacrifice them to their larger political purposes. (This is consistent with Ludlum's recurring major theme, one man or a small group of individuals against a larger and more powerful group able to use the machinery of government to its benefit.)

While I enjoyed this book enough to rate it four stars, I can understand why it has received mixed reviews. First, I share the dismay of other reviewers that St. Martin's Press and the executors of Ludlum's estate continue to trade off Ludlum's name so shamelessly even while I recognize it is their right to do so. As I have indicated, this book has elements that are very Ludlumesque, but it would treat potential readers much more fairly to indicate whether it was simply inspired by Ludlum's tradition, or the plot outlined by him or if it was developed in consultation with him before his death, etc. Furthermore, while I have some guesses regarding potential authors/collaborators it bothers me that this fact is kept a mystery to the readers. Second, while the detailed informational asides actually enhanced my enjoyment of the story, these and some other elements certainly were stylistically very different from Ludlum's work. Third, while I was taken by complete surprise on some occasions (although I never felt that I was misled), a few plot twists were foreshadowed to a sufficient extent that the tension and surprise were somewhat mitigated for me. Finally, while most of my previously unanswered questions were explained during the conclusion or in the epilogue, there was one major point and minor point which continued to bother me. I cannot go into detail without providing spoilers, but I can say the source of Joe Li's information on Ambler's precise locations never became clear to me.

In summary, my rating of this book is as a standalone novel, without reference or comparison to the works of Robert Ludlum. It is a better than average thriller despite its flaws. So, I suggest you read it and discover the true identity of undercover operatives Tarquin, Transcience, Osiris among the many interesting characters. Learn about the truly amazing and unique skill which Harrison Ambler possesses and which is the source of his extraordinary value to his employers. Finally by the end of the novel you will discover whether the following haunting and well known verse is actually symbolic of his existence:

As I was going up the stair
I met a man who wasn't there.
He wasn't there again today.
I wish, I wish he'd stay away.

Is Harrison Ambler really there, and if so who is it who wishes that he was not?

Tucker Andersen

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Ludlum is rolling in his grave!, November 21, 2005

By 

Fritz Gorbach "Fritz" (North Tonawanda, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Ambler Warning (Hardcover)

The Ambler Warning is a readable, yet formulaic thriller. What it is most definitely not is the work of Robert Ludlum or any worthy inheritor.

I was given this book under the pretense that it was pure Ludlum, simply published posthumously. Several pages in to the first chapter, I was sure this was a mistake. The author lacks Ludlum's gift for subtle, existential descriptions of characters, locales, and situations, which made one feel intimately aquainted, and instead relies on cold, sterile recitation of sensory details. Furthermore, Ludlum's twists and turns of plot often felt like speeding into a blind corner hiding a hairpin turn, those in The Ambler Warning were quite predictable, more like standing on level ground, watching the truck tha is going to hit you close in from a mile away. As an additional annoyance, the author seems to pay much more attention to technical detail, for example, a description of a sniper's tranquilizer rifle. Some may see this as an addition to authenticity, but since the details are not effectively worked in to the story line, it only makes the novel more standoffish.

All in all, not a bad evening's diversion if you must, but there is definitely better out there.