Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Robert Ludlum

Charting Apr 29, 1973 → Nov 12, 2006 · 406 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 12.85%; week of Jul 6, 1980
Career Power: 3,445; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 81; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 446; April 1979 – April 1980
Peak Five Years: 1,363; November 1977 – February 1983
Top-five weeks: 208; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 406; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 14.53%; week of Jul 9, 1978
Comebacks: 9; November 1974, April 1976, April 1982, April 1984, March 1986, April 1988, April 1990, March 1992, July 1995

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After decline	Nov 18, 1973	Nov 17, 1974	52	46	5.74%	2.14%
After decline	Jan 26, 1975	Apr 11, 1976	63	60	5.74%	2.56%
After decline	Dec 7, 1980	Apr 11, 1982	70	67	12.85%	5.38%
After decline	Jan 30, 1983	Apr 1, 1984	61	56	12.85%	5.38%
After decline	Dec 9, 1984	Mar 30, 1986	68	65	12.85%	5.38%
After decline	Nov 23, 1986	Apr 10, 1988	72	68	12.85%	5.50%
After decline	Oct 30, 1988	Apr 8, 1990	75	72	12.85%	5.38%
After decline	Oct 7, 1990	Mar 22, 1992	76	73	12.85%	4.52%
After decline	Sep 19, 1993	Jul 2, 1995	93	89	12.85%	4.70%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

22 books · 3,445 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
The Parsifal Mosaic	#1March 1982	44	March 1982 – February 1983	404.8	404.8
The Matarese Circle	#1April 1979	40	March 1979 – December 1979	401.9	401.9
The Bourne Identity	#1March 1980	33	March 1980 – October 1980	367.3	367.3
The Aquitaine Progression	#1March 1984	34	March 1984 – November 1984	353.7	353.7
The Bourne Supremacy	#1March 1986	32	March 1986 – October 1986	306.4	306.4
The Icarus Agenda	#1March 1988	27	March 1988 – September 1988	269.6	269.6
The Bourne Ultimatum	#1March 1990	26	March 1990 – September 1990	209.1	209.1
The Holcroft Covenant	#1July 1978	18	April 1978 – August 1978	189.0	189.0
The Chancellor Manuscript	#5April 1977	23	March 1977 – September 1977	142.1	142.1
The Road to Omaha	#2March 1992	19	March 1992 – July 1992	128.1	128.1
The Gemini Contenders	#3May 1976	17	March 1976 – July 1976	128.1	128.1
The Matlock Paper	#4May 1973	18	April 1973 – September 1973	121.4	121.4
The Scorpio Illusion	#3June 1993	13	June 1993 – September 1993	87.5	87.5
The Apocalypse Watch	#3June 1995	11	June 1995 – August 1995	85.3	83.6
The Matarese Countdown	#3November 1997	13	November 1997 – January 1998	67.1	66.8
The Prometheus Deception	#4November 2000	9	November 2000 – January 2001	53.2	53.2
The Sigma Protocol	#3November 2001	10	November 2001 – January 2002	46.3	46.3
The Rhinemann Exchange	#8November 1974	9	October 1974 – December 1974	40.1	40.1
The Janson Directive	#5November 2002	4	November 2002 – November 2002	19.1	19.1
The Ambler Warning	#6November 2005	2	November 2005 – November 2005	10.1	10.0
The Bancroft Strategy	#9November 2006	2	November 2006 – November 2006	9.0	9.0
The Tristan Betrayal	#10November 2003	2	November 2003 – November 2003	6.0	6.0