Jason Bourne returns to Georgetown University and the mild world of his alter ego, David Webb, hoping for normalcy. But after so many adrenaline-soaked years of risking his life, Bourne finds himself chafing under the quiet life of a linguistics professor.


Aware of his frustrations, his academic mentor, Professor Specter, asks for help investigating the murder of a former student by a previously unknown Muslim extremist sect. The young man died carrying information about the group's terrorist activities, including an immediate plan to attack the United States.


The organization, the Black Legion, and its lethal plot have also popped up on the radar of Central Intelligence, where new director Veronica Hart is struggling to assert her authority. Sensing an opportunity to take control of CI by showing Hart's incompetence, National Security Agency operatives plan to accomplish what CI never could-hunt down and kill Bourne.


In Europe, Bourne's investigation into the Black Legion turns into one of the deadliest and most tangled operations of his double life-the pursuit of the leader of a murderous terrorist group with roots in the darkest days of World War II-all while an assassin as brilliant and damaged as himself is getting closer by the minute . . .

Customer Rating:
Summary: Slow read. Poorly written.
Comment: I love Ludlum but this is a slow read. I thought it was a waste of time.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Bourne to Be Wild
Comment: Fete of Death
On the whole, "The Bourne Sanction" is a well-paced action-packed thriller. Lustbader doesn't write like Robert Ludlum, who invented the character Jason Bourne, and doesn't intend to, as far as I can make out. Shot through with a hysterical paranoia that triggers the pile-driving action, Ludlum's Bourne novels run rings around Lustbader's. In fact, Lustbader seems to spend more time on describing the villain of the piece Arkadin than on describing Bourne.

In the plot department, again Lustbader can't keep stride with Ludlum, who was forever tossing inconceivable twist on inconceivable twist in his byzantine plots, ramping up the suspense as his books roared to their conclusions. The convoluted plot revolving around a plethora of Russian characters in "The Bourne Sanction" is all but impenetrable. Since I couldn't follow all of it, I wasn't surprised by many of its revelations. Still, there was enough action to keep me turning the pages.

I have reservations about any writer using another writer's character as his hero. It seems like a form of plagiarism, even if the original writer's estate permits it and is compensated for it.

If you skim the frequent flashback longueurs, this is a competent, enjoyable thriller for most of its massive length.

--Bryan Cassiday, author of "Fete of Death"

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Bourne
Comment: I have read all of Ludlum's writings and look forward to this particular book. It was received promptly. Thank you.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: I Can't Wait For The Movie
Comment: I never thought I would love this book as much as I did. The first book written for the Jason Bourne character by Van Lustbader,was a snore feast and it wasn't very believable. This one is a hugggghhhh step up, and being a big fan of Bourne I can't wait for the next one.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Where was Bourne??
Comment: I was a huge fan of the original Bourne. The character was special - you had the feeling of finely honed skills resulting from the ultimate training. An almost superhuman figure.

The main character of this book may have gone by that name but was a different character in my view. You did not get the feeling he was anything special and heaven knows how he prevailed in all his various battles. I got a similar feeling from the general manner in which the story was written - almost like the author was going through the motions. It was thin, implausible and naive.

I'm afraid this book just didn't do it for me.

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