Perhaps because much of his youth was spent during the rise of fascism and World War II, Ludlum is apparently quite interested in writing about the dangers of the modern state turning into a fascist state. The Aquitaine Progression (1984) involves the main character, Joel Converse, a gifted lawyer and a Vietnam veteran, battling an international military conspiracy to create a fascist takeover of all of the non-Soviet world. A cabal of five generals — an American, a Frenchman, a South African, an Israeli and a British M.I. 6 Intelligence agent — have developed an elaborate conspiracy to undermine the entire Western world. Each, frustrated with what he sees as a failure of nerve by democratic, civilian government, has vowed to engineer a kind of international fascist takeover.

Ludlum's concern is the abuses of entrenched state power and the danger of an extremist takeover. The cabal (they...