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Cover of The Bourne Supremacy by Robert LudlumThe Bourne Supremacy
Classic · Fiction, Thriller, Mystery

The Bourne Supremacy

by Robert Ludlum
1986 · 660 pages · Fiction
74.4Must-Read
Score Classic
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 16 hours to read · about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

The Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China has been murdered, apparently by the legendary assassin Jason Bourne. Washington, Hong Kong and Beijing are in turmoil, and everyone asks why Bourne has come back, and who is paying him. To find the truth, the real Bourne must hunt his impostor.

Why it's worth reading

It spent 8 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was one of the ten best-selling books of 1986. It's the second of Robert Ludlum's classic Bourne thrillers.

You'll love it if you liked

Cover of The Bourne Identity by Robert LudlumThe Bourne Identity
The Bourne IdentityRobert Ludlum
Cover of Eye of the Needle by Ken FollettEye of the Needle
Eye of the NeedleKen Follett
Cover of The Day of the Jackal by Frederick ForsythThe Day of the Jackal
The Day of the JackalFrederick Forsyth

Good to know

It's very different from the film. Read The Bourne Identity first.

By the numbers

74.4Must-Read Score
  • Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller64 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Bestseller
#1 New York Times bestseller (8 weeks at #1)One of the ten best-selling books of 1986 (Publishers Weekly)

Reads as

Gripping, Adventurous

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Robert Ludlum

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The Bourne UltimatumRobert Ludlum
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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedClassic booksTop 25 · 762 rankedBooks of the 1980sTop 25 · 202 rankedFantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Bourne Supremacy worth reading?

Yes. It spent 8 weeks at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and was one of the ten best-selling books of 1986. It ranks #853 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 74.4 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Bourne Supremacy about?

The Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China has been murdered, apparently by the legendary assassin Jason Bourne. Washington, Hong Kong and Beijing are in turmoil, and everyone asks why Bourne has come back, and who is paying him. To find the truth, the real Bourne must hunt his impostor.

How long does it take to read The Bourne Supremacy?

About 16 hours (660 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Bourne Supremacy?

If you liked it, try The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum, Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett or The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth.