The Rhinemann Exchange

by Robert Ludlum

David Spaulding is the most feared and efficient Allied agent in wartime Europe. Expert, deadly and professional, he is also high on the Gestapo's 'most wanted' list. Now Spaulding has been selected by the Allied Command to transact an undercover deal in Argentina involving top secret Nazi scientific plans. The dealer is Erich Rhinemann, an exiled German Jew who is awaiting the end of the war with his millions in an impenetrable retreat near Buenos Aires. But there's something Spaulding doesn't know. The other side of the deal. And it involves the most bizarre, horrific intrigue of the Second World War ...

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, Espionage, Mystery, Suspense, Action, Spy Thriller

486 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Robert Ludlum was the author of twenty-seven novels, each one a New York Times bestseller. There are more than 210 million of his books in print, and they have been translated into thirty-two languages. He is the author of The Scarlatti Inheritance, The Chancellor Manuscript, and the Jason Bourne series--The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum--among others. Mr. Ludlum passed away in March, 2001. Ludlum also published books under the pseudonyms Jonathan Ryder and Michael Shepherd.

Some of Ludlum's novels have been made into films and mini-series, including The Osterman Weekend, The Holcroft Covenant, The Apocalypse Watch, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum. A non-Ludlum book supposedly inspired by his unused notes, Covert One: The Hades Factor, has also been made into a mini-series. The Bourne movies, starring Matt Damon in the title role, have been commercially and critically successful (The Bourne Ultimatum won three Academy Awards in 2008), although the story lines depart significantly from the source material.

Reviews

[Conor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this one ages ago when I was really into thrillers. Robert Ludlum was probably my favorite author in the genre although this was the only one of his books outside his Bourne trilogy I can remember reading. This was a great WW2 thriller. The hero was both badass and sympathetic and was reminiscent of Ludum's Jason Bourne in his deadly competency and in his sense of being worn down and made cynical from years of bloody covert warfare. The setting of this one (Argentina during WW2) and it's general feel were both really well done as well. A lot of works (TV, movies etc.) are set in the past but feel very modern. Perhaps this book was helped by being published in 1974, almost as close to WW2 as to the present day. The villains provided a real sense of menace and their schemes (as well as the heroes counter schemes) were complex and intriguing and made for an exciting story.

[Christian D. D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining for the most part, but I hit several snags of "reader's block" (for lack of a better phrase) along the way, and the plot is just a tad implausible.

Moreover, with all due respect to the memory of Mr. Ludlum (R.I.P.), his technical knowledge of firearms was pathetic (which I elaborate on further in the comments below), and while I love learning new languages, the author's penchant for using foreign language sentences without the benefit of translations for English-speaking readers is a tad annoying.

RANDOM STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS NOTES AND OBSERVATIONS (and noteworthy passages):

--p. 93: "I.G. Farben, the armaments giant of the Third Reich." Fictitious stand-in from Krupp Arms?

--p. 94: "Men like Oliver and Craft--especially Oliver--did not adhere to such punctuality unless they were afraid. It certainly was not courtesy." Kinda like with colonels and generals?

--p. 101: Spaniards using miles instead of meters??

--pp. 107-108: "He was an outsized rodent in the body of a medium-sized man....an authoritative rodent who was not awkward in the tunnels of negotiated filth. He was, in fact, very much at home."

--p. 170: "Eugene Lyons....youngest full professor at [MIT]. Maybe he was too young; he went downhill fast....too many brains no one wants to pay for." A fictional stand-in for William James Sidis, perhaps?

--p. 200: Hey, Mr. Ludlum, there are no "ex-Marines;" "former" Marines perhaps, but eh, "Once A Marine, Always A Marine."

--p. 203: "a Beretta revolver" Um, was Beretta even making wheelguns (particularly double-actions) at this time?

--p. 204: The .45 "would blow a person into the air and off the earth." Cripes, another ballistics-related old wives' tale!

--p. 219: Robert Ballard!

--p. 254: Aahh, Col. Juan Perón....

--p. 257: A LUGER IS AN AUTOPISTOL, NOT A REVOLVER, SEÑOR LUDLUM (R.I.P.)!!!

--p. 263: Heinrich Stoltz? Any relation to Eric? Heh heh.

--p. 276: Jeez-freakin'-Louise, another freakin' "revolver," this one a "Remington " with a safety and a single chamber! (Probably actually a Remington Model 51 autopistol).

--p. 297: "thick-barrelled automatic rifle" = Sturmgewehr Stg-44?

--p. 358: "David clicked the firing pin of the weapon into hair-release." Fucksake, Ludlum, didya mean "cocked the hammer?"

--p. 369: The "shoulder strap" of the rifle; didya mean the *sling*, Mr. Ludlum?

--p. 372: Geez, calling the hammer the "firing pin" again!

--p. 375: Um, conger eels are fish, not snakes or worms (unless the author is speaking metaphorically?). And since when do eels react like sharks to blood in the water?

--p. 410: "Sternlicht automatic?" Does that even really exist? Oh well, at least the author didn't say "revolver" this time.

--p. 416: Jeez-Louise, yet another misapplied "revolver" label, this time to the M1911 Colt .45 auto!

--p. 418: No, dummy, a second pistol actually still *would* be helpful!

--p. 423: SFV!!

[Supratim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read a Ludlum thriller after a long time. I remember enjoying many of his novels during my student days - The Matarese Circle, The Bourne Identity, The Ambler Warning and so many others. I used to get these books from a second hand book store/ lending library in my hometown. That place was actually a cabinet on the wall and a few books on a small table. A very tiny establishment, but the shop had a incredible collection of books (mostly English) - from classics to contemporary and across genres including comics. With due respect to my school teachers, whatever English I have managed to learn - a part of the credit goes to this shop. Unfortunately it closed down a couple of years back. But enough of nostalgia, let us come to the review.

The novel is set during the WW2 and revolves around a secret deal between parties in the US and the Nazi administration. Both the groups would need something from each other. They decided to conclude the transaction in neutral Argentina through Eric Rhineman, an exiled German Jew. Rhineman might be a Jew by birth, but he was a Nazi at heart.

David Spaulding, the man from Lisbon, the most feared Allied agent in Europe would be ordered to oversee the exchange. However, the man was not made aware of the true nature of the deal.

If I have to describe the novel using a few words then these would be - Deception - Assassinations- Action. Add a little bit of honour and romance to the plot. The typical Ludlum stuff. One might argue that it is a cheap thriller. May be you are right, but it is fun to read these books once in a while. I picked this book from my library because it was mentioned in a non-fiction spy book I had read once. In fact the said book had made several references to popular spy novels.

A good time pass. Readers who like Ludlum's work or want to explore a good old spy action thriller might want to give it a try.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

In rating it four stars I have given this novel the benefit of the doubt, since for the first half I really struggled to 'get into it'. This could be attributed to two possible reasons, the first being that I never read enough of it in any one sitting, and left too long in between reads, to really familiarise myself with the characters and allow the story to 'grip' me; the second being that the characters we come to care about rarely feature in the first half. Even the hero, David Spaulding, the typical super-spy type that Ludlum writes so well (Bourne/Ambler/Janson), doesn't really become the centre of the story until about the mid-point, and it's at this point the book becomes hard to put down. Since I have so enjoyed the Ludlum novels I have read to date, and I cannot judge a book based on the the chapters I didn't give enough attention to, leads me to base my rating on those that I did read 'properly'. So, it is the engaging relationships Spaulding develops, along with the fast paced action in the second half that earns this novel the fourth star. An enjoyable read - as long as you're reading it.

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

the premise is... curious

p7: no longer substance.

p24: every known portable offensive and defensive weapon, every sabotage device, every conceivable method of ingress and egress--apparent and covert--was exhaustively studied by the fairfax trainees.

p101: the german interceptors would be tied up for monts concentrating on the eastern "routes"; the network to the west would be relatively unencumbered.

p223: he bought an ice from a vendor, wandered past the cages of marmosets and orangutans--finding extraordinary resemblances to friends and enemies--and when he felt comfortable (as only a field man can feel comfortable), walked out to the cabstand.

p267: spaulding took the moment to flip open the man's jacket, forcing the arms downward, and removed a revolver strapped in a large holster above the man's left hip.
it was a luger.

p372: "what the hell are you doing!?" meehan jerked forward; david clicked the firing pin of the weapon into hair-release.

p387: he thumbed back the firing pin and spoke calmly.

[Thomas Stroemquist · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard Ludlum, you know exactly what you get. And he does it well of course, good thriller.

[Ronald Wilcox · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazing jumble of a book. I usually love Ludlum's writing but found this book to be unusually hard to follow. The writing was good but storyline very mixed up and the main character, David Spaulding, seemed very frenetic and erratic. Spaulding is called back from his work in Portugal to foster an exchange between the US and Germany of diamonds for a gyroscope design to take place in Argentina. Along the way several people are killed, betrayals occur, and Spaulding falls in love with a woman from the US Embassy based in Buenos Aires. Sound confusing? Yes it was! Only recommend this for diehard Ludlum fans - definitely not his usual quality of work though!

[Adam Carrington · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed Ludlum's first three books but this one was a little over my head. I never fully understood the plot before deciding to put it down about half way through. I had to read other reviews just to vaguely understand what the mission was. Also, it seemed as if Ludlum was warming his engine for a little too long. The plot should be explained in the first 30 pages instead of the first 130. I might give this book another shot but it won't be anytime soon.

[Jovana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Tako malo fali da bude dobra... ima akcije, ali mi fali tu nešto one Ladlamove energije...

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

He tied the gun to his HEAD, so it would not get wet, and breaststroked through the water to the boat! Super Agent, Extraordinaire!!!! The Man from Lisbon!

[Wenzel Roessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty decent spy novel with very well written intriguing characters.

[Christopher Hivner · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's WWII. The German rocket plant Peenemunde is in trouble because it's out of industrial grade diamonds to use in their machinery. The United States are trying to develop gyroscopes that will work with high altitude bombers. Realizing they can help each other, Germany and the United States develop a clandestine exchange; diamonds for schematics. David Spaulding is the American agent sent to Argentina to complete the trade, but naturally their are a myriad of complications including an underground organization who will stop at nothing to stop the exchange.

Ludlum creates characters you can root for and against and puts them in the middle of a fascinating scenario. There are a lot of twists and turns, some I didn't see coming and the action keeps moving at a fast pace.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Rhineman Exchange is typical Robert Ludlum, and that is not a bad thing. As is true with almost all Ludlum books, there is a deliciously convoluted plot that as a reader you have no chance to fully untangle until Ludlum does it for you in the rush of the last few chapters. The Rhineman exchange is extremely fun reading. The characters are all likable, but somewhat superhuman in their perfection. The truth is the book probably deserves another star, but there is an element about Ludlum's books of If you've read one you've read them all.

[Jake · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's quite clear to me that Robert Ludlum's best work occurred during the 1970s ("The Holcroft Covenant," "The Gemini Contenders" and my personal favorite "The Matarese Circle" just to name a few). This is another winner that ranks right up there with the rest of his stuff. A great, gripping historical fiction thriller where - unlike his later work - the plot thickens as the hero gets chased. Rarely are 446 densely written pages as fun to read as this was.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic Ludlum

I really enjoyed the Bourne books, so I wanted to give some of his other books a chance. I was not disappointed. If you want a fun read that’s hard to put down give this title a whirl!

[Alan Tomkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the most exciting, action packed, intelligently crafted espionage thriller I have ever read. It is set in World War II and is the story of a diabolical and unlikely secret deal between the Nazi Armaments Department and the American intelligence services working with unscrupulous industrialists. At times the plot seems to be getting too convoluted, but it all comes together ingeniously. Ludlum really was the master of the spy thriller genre, and this book must rate as his best or thereabouts.

[Filip · Rating 4 out of 5]

And another Ludlum! I'm beginning to think, Bourne Trilogy was one of his weaker books. This time the novel takes us to the times of WW2, with evil Nazis and heroic Americans... sort of. In fact everyone here is evil to some degree, the premise is intriguing, the gambit pile-up thrilling and the only two things I disliked was that the ending was resolved a bit too easily and the romantic arc that feels forced.

But I enjoyed it and I'm actually looking forward to reading more of the author's books.

[Glen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cynical 70's espionage tale.

The Nazis need a part for their burgeoning V-2 rockets, and the businesses in charge of making them isn't having any luck. An American business has the part, but needs something to make their radar work. A simple matter of business, except for WWII.

It comes together in Buenos Aires.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh dear! This book struck me as the literary equivalent of watching paint dry. 100 pages in (so a quarter of the way through), and very little had happened .
Some machinations in the countryside from 'the man in Lisbon' and a lot of moaning from the Nazi wheelers and dealers, and I am done.
Book is showing its age, so to the recycling with you.

[Mariana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Харесвам книгите на Лъдлъм, но с тази не можах да се разбера. Не бяхме на една вълна.
Първата 1/3 изобщо не разбирах какво чета.
Твърде хаотично начало, което не може да прикове вниманието. Безкрайно много имена, без да разбираш кой какъв е и какво прави. Какво е мястото му в цялата история изобщо.
И след като изгубих интерес, останалите 2/3 дочетох повече на инат.
Имаше някакви проблясъци, но не достатъчно след разочароващото начало.
Трябва по-скоро да забравя, че това е книга на Лъдлъм, за да мога да посегна към следваща негова история.

[Hell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fast paced, gripping, edge of the seat kind. The story-line takes you on a ride whizzing past twists and turns as you move deeper into the book. And the roller coaster slows down towards the end, letting you dangle over the deep plot that had run in the background throughout, just that it became visible now.

[Adrian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ufff, been a long time since I have been so gripped by a book! Great read!

[Staffan Windh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Robert Ludlum har väl blivit mest känd som författaren bakom filmsuccéerna om specialagenten Jason Bourne.

I “Täcknamn Tortugas” (The Rhinemann project) är tidpunkten andra världskriget och slutet på 1943 där de allierade är mitt uppe i planeringen av Normandieinvasionen.

Huvudpersonen, den amerikanske agenten David Spaulding, har varit placerad i Portugal för att där organisera utsmuggling av franska vetenskapsmän och andra antinazistiska intellektuella.

Han blir dock förflyttad till Buenos Aires där hans uppdrag är att övervaka en mycket besynnerlig och superhemlig utväxling av material mellan Tyskland och USA.

Tyskland behöver industridiamanter för att kunna slutföra sin produktion av långdistansraketer och USA behöver ritningar på en avancerad gyrokompass för bombflygplan på hög höjd.

Hela projektet är så hemligt att de inblandade ländernas regeringar har lämnats utanför.

Spänningen byggs upp ju närmare tidpunkten för själva utväxlingen man kommer och.....

här lämnar jag själva storyn för att inte spoila för mycket.

Jag har svårt att känna det där riktiga bettet från Ludlum ( mitt första möte) och det har nog att göra med mina svårigheter att förlika mig med den absurda idén att två huvudfiender ska byta saker med varandra som ska göra det lättare att förgöra motståndaren.

In english:

Robert Ludlum is probably best known as the author behind the successful films about special agent Jason Bourne.

In The Rhinemann Project, the setting is World War II and the end of 1943, when the Allies are in the midst of planning the Normandy invasion.

The main character, American agent David Spaulding, has been stationed in Portugal to organise the smuggling out of French scientists and other anti-Nazi intellectuals.

However, he is transferred to Buenos Aires, where his mission is to oversee a very strange and top-secret exchange of materials between Germany and the United States.

Germany needs industrial diamonds to complete its production of long-range rockets, and the United States needs blueprints for an advanced gyrocompass for high-altitude bomber aircraft.

The entire project is so secret that the governments of the countries involved have been left out of the loop.

The tension builds as the date of the exchange approaches, and...

I'll leave the story there so as not to give too much away.

I find it difficult to feel that real Ludlum buzz (my first encounter) and that probably has to do with my difficulty in reconciling myself with the absurd idea that two arch-enemies should exchange things with each other that will make it easier to destroy the opponent.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

What if, in the midst of WWII, America had something the Germans wanted and they had something America wanted? Would it be OK to make a swap? Of would such an exchange constitute treason?

This is the dilemma in "The Rhinemann Exchange." Slow getting started, it ends up being a pretty exciting tale of espionage during the height of the war. The story travels from the States, to Europe and finally down into South America where there are number of parties vying at cross purposes for their own political and financial ends.

Having read several of Ludlum's books, I'd have to say that this was one of his better efforts. Even though he is a bit verbose and even though he takes about 150 page to get to the action, it was well worth the wait. I recommend this one to you.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not one of Ludlum's best novels. Set in WWII an American agent in Lisbon is suddenly ripped out of his own network and territory for reasons unknown. David Spaulding is first sent to New York and then Bueno Aires on a mission of deceit. The problem is much of the deceit is directed towards him. Slowly and methodically the man from Lisbon unravels the layers of lies to discover the unbelievable and unsavory truth. There is an unrealistic "love" story in the final third of the book where the agent and an embassy worker fall in love in less than a week. Difficult to swallow and a little sappy.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Ludlum, you'll definitely enjoy this effort. The plot revolves around a secret agreement between US and German industrialists during the middle of WWII for an exchange of technology and materials needed by the military of both sides....the exchange is necessitated by the inability of the industrialists to meet the needs of their own military....if you like this type of plot, you should enjoy this book.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Allies need German gyroscopes for their bombers. The Germans need Allied industrial diamonds for their rockets. German industrialist Erich Rhinemann arranges an exchange of goods in Buenos Aires, but someone wants to prevent David Spaulding, the American agent, from showing up. Ludlum at his best.

[Elvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful. I have read these books a long time ago but when a book stays with you and you remember what it was about it says a whole lot for the author.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read. Almost gave it a four, so it's a 3+++++++

[Velvetink · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mine has a different cover/ different ed. Scan it later. Read it sometime? to re-read again.