The Chinese vice-premier has been brutally slain by a legendary assassin. World leaders ask the same fearful questions: Why has Jason Bourne come back? Who is paying him? Who is the next to die? But U.S. officials know the shocking truth: There is no Jason Bourne. The name was created as cover for David Webb on his search for the notorious killer Carlos. Someone else has taken the Bourne identity--and unless he is stopped, the world will pay a devastating price. So Jason Bourne must live again. Once again, Webb must utilize his lethal skills--because once again, like a nightmare relived, the woman he loves is suddenly torn from his life. To find her, trap his own impostor, and uncover an explosive secret plan, Webb must lauch a desperate oddyssey into the espionage killing fields. But this time, survival will not be enough. This time Bourne must reign supreme.

"The Bourne Supremacy" is a different kettle of fish, though. There's no mistaking this one with anything else Ludlum, or anyone else, has written. This book kicks some serious posterior.

There were times in the middle of it that my head was spinning. What the heck was going on? If the action wasn't so insanely great, I might have bailed. But the action, my God, the action... Andy McNab is the only other writer that I'm aware of who can write action as well, but even his pales in comparison.

The plot eventually makes itself clear, and it's pretty cool when it does. And have I mentioned the action? There are so many absolutely great scenes that I'm not even going to bother listing them. Trust me, it's good stuff.

OK, so the scene on the grounds of the Embassy house is drawn out a bit too long, and some of the dialog in that same scene is a little silly, but that's nitpicky. This is BY FAR the best Ludlum has ever done, and it's in my Top 5 of all time. READ THIS BOOK!


An Exciting Book!   November 10, 2000
Melvin Hunt (Cleveland,, Texas United States)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful

This is another great book from Robert Ludlum. The legendary assasin Jason Bourne reenters the world stage again by way of amultiple killings in the Far East. David Webb is thrust back into the picture after his wife is kidnapped. He becomes Jason Bourne in order to rescue. He discovers a plot for the Koumintang to reenter power in China thus plunging the world into war. Jason Bourne must defeat several villains in order to finally prevail. The leader of the forces of evil is a man named Sheng who is a powerful official in the government of China.This book has a grand finale that makes this a very readable book. As it has been pointed out in other reviews this book is very hard to put down. This is further proof that Ludlum is one of the best.


Just as good as the first   January 28, 2002
Jay Hauck (Minnesota, United States)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

The Bourne story continues in the action packed Bourne Supremacy. This book is faster moving then the first. It takes place in the Far East. The place of Jason Bourne's past and where the legend of Jason Bourne first originated.

David Webb (Jason Bourne) is now a professor at a college and maried to Marie. But Marie is tragically taken away from David and kidnapped into Asia. David knows he must now become Jason Bourne if there is any chance of bringing her back to him. The only way for Jason to get Marie back is to bring her captors an imposter Jason Bourne. A man who killed the Chinese Vice Premier posing as the legendary Jason Bourne. what better way to catch the fake then with the original?

I realy enjoyed this book. Jason has now aged from the first book The Bourne Idenity but still has his killer instinct and is in very good shape. The only thing I did not like about the book was Jason's villian. No longer the famous assain Carlos but someone different the imposter Jason Bourne. I thought this was strange as Ludlum never closed out the story with Carlos. Little is added in this book you need to know in order to read the third book The Bourne Ultimatum. But all in all an Excellent book with an Excellent plot. A must read for any Bourne fan!


Fantastic Book, Okay movie   July 2, 2005
Frightnen (Rockford, IL)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

After watching the two movies I decided to try and get into the books even though I'm not a big spy fiction reader. This book surprised me on all kinds of levels. I had read the first book and thought it was okay--not bad, but certainly not the best action book I had ever read. The movie was better, in my opinion. 'Supremacy' however, was amazing. Ludlum threw in everything, then tossed in the kitchen sink just for good measure to keep things moving. It does start off a bit slow as you try and get your bearings as to the timeline and who the good guys and bad guys are, but once Webb/Bourne's wife get kidnapped the book is non-stop. It was nice to see how Ludlum had made the main character not just one person, but three distinct people. David Webb, the person you know and can have drinks with. Delta, the soldier of fortune who is the best at what he does in both Jungle and urban enviroments. Finally, Jason Bourne, the cold, calculating killer, the one that you don't want to meet in a dark alley. If all of these characters didn't make up our protagonist, the story would be nowhere near as fun as it is and probably just another run of the mill action book. The dimension added is new (to me, at least) and involving.

A great book and highly recommended. The first is a must read if you want to follow what's going on in this one, and don't even bother with saying you watched the movies. The movie's only relation to this book is it's name, and has nothing else in common with this book.


The Bourne Supremacy   February 7, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful

The Bourne Supremacy is a thrilling novel full of political insecurity, betrayal and a plot that keeps you on the edge when you read it. David Webb is a professor at a small university in Maine. He's a man with a past he wants to forget. Despite a calm appearance Webb is man constantly haunted by memories of his participation in a government program called "Treadstone" 72 where he was Jason Bourne, one of the deadliest and most efficient assassins on earth. One day Webb is visited by a government official who says that several important people were murdered during a secret meeting in Cowloon, the new island branch of Hong Kong the British colony. The killer left the signature of Jason Bourne at the sight of the massacre, someone trying to continue the legend of the famous assassin. The government official says that Bourne is in great danger and that he will have a team of guards posted around the university. After a short time the guards disappear along with Webb's wife, so David sets off for the Hong Kong in search of his wife and gets wrapped up into a plot, the failure of which would result in war throughout the Far East. This book is a great action adventure and it is a great read despite the insufficient movie.