Series reading guide · guide verified September 8, 2026
Jason Bourne Books in Order
Every Jason Bourne book in publication order — 15 in total, spanning 1980–2020.
He wakes up with bullets in his back, no memory, and a set of skills that frighten him. Jason Bourne began in Robert Ludlum's 1980 novel as a Cold War puzzle — is he an assassin, or the man hunting one? — and became, thanks to Matt Damon, the template for every modern action hero who runs rather than quips. Ludlum wrote three Bourne books; the series has run for more than forty years under two other authors since, and the page below lists every one in order.
Publication Order of Jason Bourne Books
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Bourne Identity — Robert Ludlum | 1980 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 |  The Bourne Supremacy — Robert Ludlum | 1986 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 |  The Bourne Ultimatum — Robert Ludlum | 1990 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 |  The Bourne Legacy — Eric Van Lustbader | 2003 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 | The Bourne Betrayal — Eric Van Lustbader | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 | The Bourne Sanction — Eric Van Lustbader | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 | The Bourne Deception — Eric Van Lustbader | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 | The Bourne Objective — Eric Van Lustbader | 2010 | Amazon US UK |
| 9 | The Bourne Dominion — Eric Van Lustbader | 2011 | Amazon US UK |
| 10 | The Bourne Imperative — Eric Van Lustbader | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 11 |  The Bourne Retribution — Eric Van Lustbader | 2013 | Amazon US UK |
| 12 | The Bourne Ascendancy — Eric Van Lustbader | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 13 | The Bourne Enigma — Eric Van Lustbader | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 14 |  The Bourne Initiative — Eric Van Lustbader | 2017 | Amazon US UK |
| 15 |  The Bourne Evolution — Brian Freeman | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
Every title by year All 15, oldest to newest
| # | Title | Year | Get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Bourne Identity — Robert Ludlum | 1980 | Amazon US UK |
| 2 | The Bourne Supremacy — Robert Ludlum | 1986 | Amazon US UK |
| 3 | The Bourne Ultimatum — Robert Ludlum | 1990 | Amazon US UK |
| 4 | The Bourne Legacy — Eric Van Lustbader | 2003 | Amazon US UK |
| 5 | The Bourne Betrayal — Eric Van Lustbader | 2007 | Amazon US UK |
| 6 | The Bourne Sanction — Eric Van Lustbader | 2008 | Amazon US UK |
| 7 | The Bourne Deception — Eric Van Lustbader | 2009 | Amazon US UK |
| 8 | The Bourne Objective — Eric Van Lustbader | 2010 | Amazon US UK |
| 9 | The Bourne Dominion — Eric Van Lustbader | 2011 | Amazon US UK |
| 10 | The Bourne Imperative — Eric Van Lustbader | 2012 | Amazon US UK |
| 11 | The Bourne Retribution — Eric Van Lustbader | 2013 | Amazon US UK |
| 12 | The Bourne Ascendancy — Eric Van Lustbader | 2014 | Amazon US UK |
| 13 | The Bourne Enigma — Eric Van Lustbader | 2016 | Amazon US UK |
| 14 | The Bourne Initiative — Eric Van Lustbader | 2017 | Amazon US UK |
| 15 | The Bourne Evolution — Brian Freeman | 2020 | Amazon US UK |
Frequently asked
What order should I read the Jason Bourne books in?
Start with Robert Ludlum’s trilogy — The Bourne Identity (1980), The Bourne Supremacy (1986), The Bourne Ultimatum (1990). Then continue in publication order with Eric Van Lustbader’s books, from The Bourne Legacy (2004) to The Bourne Nemesis (2019), followed by Brian Freeman’s from The Bourne Evolution (2020) onward.
Are the Bourne books like the movies?
Only loosely. The films keep the amnesia premise and the name, then go their own way; the novels are set in the 1980s, involve real-world figures like Carlos the Jackal, and are much longer. Many readers enjoy them precisely because they are a different story.
How many Jason Bourne books are there?
Three by Robert Ludlum, a dozen by Eric Van Lustbader, and a continuing run by Brian Freeman since 2020 — well over a dozen in all. See the full list above.
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