ROBERT LUDLUM was the author of twenty-one 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. Ludlum passed away in March 2001.

JAMES H. COBB, a longtime mystery/thriller writer, is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound and an avid student of military history and technology. He is a member of the United States Naval Institute and the Navy League. He lives in the Pacific Northwest.