The Tristan Betrayal

by Robert Ludlum

Book Overview

In the bestselling tradition of "The Scarlatti Inheritance" and "The Rheineman Exchange," comes a compelling thriller in which one man's actions can change the course of history.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312316690
• ISBN13: 9780312316693
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 528 Pages
• Weight: 1.79 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.5" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Origins to the end of the Cold War

I bought an unabridged audio tape version of "The Tristan Betrayal" during a road trip because I love Robert Ludlum's writing and the price was right--my truck has an audio system that plays both CDs & tapes. Just seeing Robert Ludlum's name was enough to catch my eye and since I was not familiar with the title I picked up the box--17+ hours of audio tapes makes a sizable package--and read the summary. I was hooked, paid for the "book" and as the story began--not disappointed. The story begins in the "present" during the collapse of the former Soviet Union and introduces the main character, Stephen Metcalf. Then it continues with flash-backs, beginning in 1940, to describe the early operations of the fledgling Office of Strategic Services (the OSS) during World War II intermixed with a good sprinkling of historical figures of the time--President Franklin Roosevelt being the most notable. Metcalf plays a murderous cat and mouse game across war time Europe with an unknown assassin while trying to rekindle a past love interest with a Russian ballerina. Will Metcalf be successful or will he suffer defeat after defeat as each chapter progresses? Ludlum succeeds in keeping the plot twisting and turning making the listener want to keep driving around the block--or sit in the driveway--until the end of the story.

A good read, but is it really Ludlum

It had been quite a few years since I had read a Robert Ludlum book when I decided to by The Tristan Betrayal. It had all the elements of a Ludlum book (i.e. espionage, unexpected twist and turns, a multi-dimensional (and of course multi-lingual) hero, etc.) I was especially drawn by the time frame of the story. The story starts out during the time of the 1991 failed coup in Moscow, but most of the story takes place during early World War II. Ludlum (or the ghostwriter) periodically flashes back to 1991 while telling the story. While this wasn't the best Ludlum book that I've read, it certainly made for enjoyable reading.

Taut World War II and Cold War Espionage Thriller

When Robert Ludlum died, he apparently left behind a number of partially finished manuscripts that are being completed, polished and published posthumously. Although The Tristan Betrayal has Mr. Ludlum credited as the author, I think that cautious readers should assume that this book is only partially his. I have chosen to evaluate the book as though a new, unknown author rather than Mr. Ludlum wrote it.That said, I thought that The Tristan Betrayal is a cut above the average espionage thriller written today. There's an abundance of action and a balanced plot that will keep you curious enough to want to get to the end. It's not quite the page-turner that will keep you up until the wee hours in the morning to finish it, but I did keep going until 12:30 one night.The book contains two intertwined story lines. The briefer one involves the coup against Gorbachev in the early 1990s just before the collapse of the old U.S.S.R. Former ambassador Stephen Metcalfe has been summoned by an old friend to help foil the coup. The key player is a mysterious Communist bureaucrat known as the Conductor. Can Metcalfe persuade the Conductor to withdraw his support from the coup? Or will nuclear holocaust and civil war follow?The longer story line is a flashback into the early days of World War II just after Hitler and Stalin formed their nonaggression pact. In this story, Stephen Metcalfe is a young espionage agent working for a small group authorized by FDR himself. He's picking up intelligence in Paris when his organization is penetrated by the Gestapo. Metcalfe barely escapes the fate of his colleagues who are assassinated by a dangerous counterespionage agent for the Germans. Arriving in Switzerland, Metcalfe is given a new assignment in Moscow that is even more dangerous than the situation he left behind. Before the story ends, his actions rekindle an old love and set off a series of international actions that have major consequences for the war. I cannot remember reading very many stories that involve overcoming both the Nazis and the Communists. Such opponents provide wonderful grist for all kinds of social commentary, and make it easy to root for the good guys and gals. Even rarer, the book has a pretty credible love story in it. That plot structure is held together with lots of action as Metcalfe dodges watchers and pursuers. Although the action and plot aren't as intricate as a Le Carre plot, I found the book to be more than entertaining. Ultimately, this book is based on the idea that one person can make a difference. As I finished reading it, I began to wonder what one thing each of us could do to make a large difference to those we love and to the world. That final reflection was a worthy gift for having read a fine novel.

Even better than Sigma Protocol!

I'm a huge Ludlum fan, and at first I expected to be disappointed when I realized that the plot is set partly in WWII. But I was pleasantly surprised -- the action and excitement are just as heart-pounding as in SIGMA PROTOCOL, if not more so! (SIGMA is my favorite Ludlum -- if you haven't read it, do it now!) I must disagree with the other reviewers about this book.

AN "A" FOR THIS READING

Applauded for the topnotch vocal performances he always delivers, Paul Michael again demonstrates just what a pro he is with a superb delivery of a rather overwrought, weighty tome. Although Robert Ludlum, noted author of The Bourne Identity, died in 2001 books continue to appear under his name. This is one more thriller with more twists than a back country road. Set in 1991, our story opens in Moscow with the arrival of American Ambassador Robert Metcalfe. Communists are fighting for control of the government, and the man who will call the shots is named the conductor. It's Metcalfe's task to enlist him on the side of truth and right. Of course, there's a psychopathic assassin on Metcalfe's heels - a nasty type who strangles his victims with a violin string. And, also of course, there's romance with a beautiful woman (surprise?). Listeners are treated to chases across Europe as well as the possibility of history-changing events. Narrator Paul Michael gets an A+. As for plot: while many Ludlum fans may be happy, methinks the plot line merits only a C. - Gail Cooke