The Road to Omaha: A Novel

by Robert Ludlum

Robert Ludlum’s wayward hero, the outrageous General MacKenzie Hawkins, returns with a diabolical scheme to right a very old wrong—and wreak vengeance on the [redacted] who drummed him out of the military. 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 legal eagle, Sam Devereaux, before the Supreme Court. Their goal is to reclaim a choice piece of American real the state of Nebraska, which just so happens to be the headquarters of the U.S. Strategic Air Command. Their outraged opposition will be no less than the CIA, the Pentagon, and the White House.And only one thing is Ludlum will keep us in nonstop suspense—and side-splitting laughter—through the very last page.

Praise for Robert Ludlum and The Road to Omaha

“A very funny book . . . No character is They’re all hilarious.”—Houston Chronicle

“Don’t ever begin a Ludlum novel if you have to go to work the next day.”—Chicago Sun-Times

Audible Audio

Published April 3, 2012

About the author

Robert Ludlum was a titan of the suspense genre, whose name became synonymous with the modern international spy thriller. Before amassing a staggering readership estimated between 300 and 500 million copies, Ludlum forged a career in the theater as a Marine veteran turned actor and producer. This theatrical background proved foundational to his literary success; he often credited his sense of pacing and "what-happens-next" urgency to his years on stage. Writing from his home in New Jersey, he crafted 27 novels characterized by "lone wolf" protagonists battling shadowy global conspiracies, corrupt corporations, and clandestine military organizations.
Ludlum is most famous as the creator of Jason Bourne, the amnesiac assassin who first appeared in The Bourne Identity (1980). While the blockbuster film adaptations starring Matt Damon brought the character to a new generation, Ludlum's original trilogy delved deeper into the Cold War paranoia and intricate psychological trauma of the protagonist. His work often drew inspiration from contemporary conspiracy theories, such as rumors surrounding the Trilateral Commission, and he frequently explored the idea of terrorism as a tool for authoritarian manipulation. Even after his death in 2001, his literary estate has continued to expand his universe through video games and posthumous collaborations, cementing his legacy as a master of the "ticking clock" narrative.