Robert Ludlum (1927-2001) was the author of 25 thriller novels, including "The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy" and "The Bourne Ultimatum"--the books on which the international hit movies were based--and "The Sigma Protocol". He was also the creator of the Covert-One series. Born in New York City, Ludlum received a B.A. from Wesleyan University, and before becoming an author, he was a United States Marine, a theater actor and producer.