The Road to Omaha (Mass Market Paperback)

by Robert Ludlum (Author) "The small, decrepit office on the top floor of the government building was from another era, which was to say nobody but the present occupant..." (more)
Key Phrases: Aaron Pinkus, Supreme Court, Thunder Head (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"A very funny book... no character is minor: they're all hilarious." --Houston Chronicle.

In The Road To Gandolfo, Robert Ludlum introduced us to the outrageous General MacKenzie Hawkins and his legal wizard, Sam Devereaux, whose plot to kidnap the Pope spun wildly out of control into sheer hilarity. Now Ludlum's two wayward heroes return with a diabolical scheme to right a very old wrong -- and wreak vengeance on the (expletive deleted) who drummed the hawk out of the military. Their outraged opposition will be no less than the White House. Byzantine Treachery. Discovering a long-buried 1878 treaty with an obscure Indian tribe, the hawk -- a.k.a. Chief Thunder Head -- hatches a brilliant plot that will ultimately bring him and his reluctant lawyer Sam before the Supreme Court. Their goal: to reclaim a choice piece of American real estate -- the state of Nebraska. Which just happened to the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Air Command! Will they succeed against the powers that be? Will the Wopotami tribe ever have their day in the Supreme Court? From the Oval Office to the Pentagon, all the president's men are outfitted, until it rests with CIA Director Vincent "Vinnie the Bam-Bam" Mangecavallo to cut Sam and Hawk off at the pass. And only one thing is certain: Robert Ludlum will keep us in nonstop suspense and side-splitting laughter-through the very last page.

From the Publisher
"A very funny book... no character is minor: they're all hilarious." --Houston Chronicle.

In The Road To Gandolfo, Robert Ludlum introduced us to the outrageous General MacKenzie Hawkins and his legal wizard, Sam Devereaux, whose plot to kidnap the Pope spun wildly out of control into sheer hilarity. Now Ludlum's two wayward heroes return with a diabolical scheme to right a very old wrong -- and wreak vengeance on the (expletive deleted) who drummed the hawk out of the military. Their outraged opposition will be no less than the White House. Byzantine Treachery. Discovering a long-buried 1878 treaty with an obscure Indian tribe, the hawk -- a.k.a. Chief Thunder Head -- hatches a brilliant plot that will ultimately bring him and his reluctant lawyer Sam before the Supreme Court. Their goal: to reclaim a choice piece of American real estate -- the state of Nebraska. Which just happened to the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Air Command! Will they succeed against the powers that be? Will the Wopotami tribe ever have their day in the Supreme Court? From the Oval Office to the Pentagon, all the president's men are outfitted, until it rests with CIA Director Vincent "Vinnie the Bam-Bam" Mangecavallo to cut Sam and Hawk off at the pass. And only one thing is certain: Robert Ludlum will keep us in nonstop suspense and side-splitting laughter-through the very last page.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 608 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (January 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553560441
• ISBN-13: 978-0553560442
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #270,725 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A different kind of Ludlum, January 12, 2004

By	Aaron Lohr "Visionary" (Maryland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the fifth book I've read by the author who is a legend in the spy thriller genre. Though formulaic at times, his books always entertain me. When I discovered that Mr. Ludlum had tried his hand at humor, I had to give it a read.

The Road to Omaha is a scathing satire about the American government. Ludlum pulls no punches when it comes to what he thinks about our government, corruption and bureaucratic nonsense.

And I wouldn't have suspected it, but Ludlum can indeed be funny. However, alot of his humor is childish, slapstick, back and forth dialogue that no one would ever engage in. His humor is also politically incorrect, so if you are sensitive about that, please take note. At least he is an equal opportunity offender. He touches upon every overused stereotype there is.

I wanted to like this book, but the characters are shallow, and it seems to try way too hard to be funny. But I loved the creativity Ludlum showed. The plot is definitely unique and the characters are quite memorable.

So in conclusion, this book had all the elements to be great, but didn't quite pull it all together.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars absolute must, July 2, 2004

By	Corey (Fort Worth, Tx) - See all my reviews

Sam and Mac are introduced in Gandolfo. Sam is still the same inept character but incredible lawyer. Mac finally explodes larger than life in Omaha. I picture Mac the same as Col. Kilgore from Apocalypse Now with the smell of napalm in the morning speech. The two Dezi's are a perfect compliment to Mac. This is not for the spy thriller crowd. This book is for those who love the crazy antics of a larger than life hero

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not great, but has some fun moments., March 28, 2003

By	Jerome L. Cosyn "Jerry Cosyn" (Wooster, OH United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

In "The Road To Gandolfo", we met General Mackenzie Hawkins and his unwilling sidekick, the kicking-and-screaming Sam Devereaux, attorney at law. The result was a satirical farce of rapid-fire action and broad humor, featuring an intricate plot to kidnap the Pope. In "The Road To Omaha" Hawkins and Devereaux return, with a new supporting cast and a new Hawkins plan: lay before the U.S. Supreme Court an old treaty and an airtight legal argument, and demand that much of the state of Nebraska (including the land around Omaha, site of the U.S. Strategic Air Command) be returned to its rightful owners, namely an obscure Indian tribe called the Wopotomis.

It is almost an axiom in both literature and film that sequels rarely live up to their predecessors, and this book is no exception. Where the concept of a funny espionage/intrigue novel was fresh and inspired in "Gandolfo", in "Omaha" it appears a trifle forced. The satire is less biting, and the humor devolves at times into a madcap, slapstick silliness reminiscent of the Keystone Cops. Reading the sequel, the reader too often gets an impression of the author struggling mightily to outdo the previous work in sheer hilarity, and in the process trampling subtlety and suspense completely out of some of the scenes.

That said, however, this is still a good book, and anyone who enjoyed "Gandolfo" will almost certainly get some fun out of "Omaha" as well. There is still plenty of wit and humor here, and Ludlum is a master at keeping the reader hooked into the story, turning the pages in anticipation and trying to get in just one more chapter before bedtime. The main characters grab you, and if some of the peripheral roles are mere cardboard cutouts, it's a flaw that's easy to forgive in the blazing pace of the story. The political satire may lack finesse at times, but it has teeth, and the casting of mob boss Vincent "Vinnie the Bam Bam" Mongecavalo as head of the CIA is a splendidly snide volley from an espionage writer.

This book does not really have the strength to stand on its own: if you didn't read, or didn't like, "The Road To Gandolfo", you'll most likely be disappointed. But if you liked "Gandolfo" and would like to revisit Hawkins, Devereaux and the oddly gripping world of humorous intrigue they pioneered, "The Road To Omaha" is good enough to make you overlook or forgive its flaws.