The Icarus Agenda was published by Random House in 1988. Evan Kendrick is a first-term Colorado congressman with a secret: he lived and worked in the Middle East for years and has contacts throughout the Arab world. When terrorists seize the American embassy in Oman, Kendrick is recruited for a covert rescue mission that succeeds brilliantly. His heroism is then leaked to the press by a mysterious group — “the Inver Brass” — that wants to elevate him to the vice-presidency (and eventually the presidency) as their chosen instrument.
The novel explores the manufacture of political power: who decides who becomes president, and how are candidates selected and promoted by forces invisible to the public? Ludlum’s premise (that a secret group of wealthy patriots selects and promotes political figures) taps into deep American anxieties about the reality of democratic choice — the suspicion that elections are theater staged by hidden directors.
Kendrick’s dilemma is genuinely interesting: he is not corrupt (the Inver Brass chose him because he is genuinely good), but his elevation to power is illegitimate — manufactured rather than earned through democratic process. The question the novel poses — can a good man accept power gained through manipulation? — gives the thriller unusual moral complexity.
Collecting The Icarus Agenda
First edition (Random House, New York, 1988): Cloth with dust jacket.
Market values:
- First edition, fine/fine: $15–$40
- Very good: $8–$15
Projected values (2026–2036): Modest appreciation.
The Reluctant Politician
A Colorado congressman with a secret past as a Middle East operative is drawn back into intelligence work when hostages are taken at the American embassy in Oman. The novel explores the intersection of politics and espionage, with the congressman’s covert heroism making him a target for both those who want to exploit his abilities and those who want to expose his secrets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are later Ludlum novels as good as the early ones? Critical opinion generally favours the novels from 1971–1984 (The Scarlatti Inheritance through The Aquitaine Progression), with The Bourne Identity and The Chancellor Manuscript most frequently cited as his best. The later novels are longer, more formulaic, and less tightly plotted, though they continued to sell enormously.