• The Bourne Ultimatum

  • A Novel
  • By: Robert Ludlum
  • Narrated by: Scott Brick
  • Length: 29 hrs and 23 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (1,495 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Bourne Ultimatum  By  cover art

The Bourne Ultimatum

By: Robert Ludlum
Narrated by: Scott Brick
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $29.25

Buy for $29.25

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

The world's two deadliest spies in the ultimate showdown.

At a small-town carnival two men, each mysteriously summoned by telegram, witness a bizarre killing. The telegrams are signed Jason Bourne. Only they know Bourne's true identity and understand the telegram is really a message from Bourne's mortal enemy, Carlos, known also as the Jackal, the world's deadliest and most elusive terrorist. And furthermore, they know that the Jackal wants: a final confrontation with Bourne.

Now David Webb, professor of Oriental studies, husband, and father, must do what he hoped he would never have to do again: assume the terrible identity of Jason Bourne. His plan is simple: to infiltrate the politically and economically Medusan group and use himself as bait to lure the cunning Jackal into a deadly trap, a trap from which only one of them will escape.

©1993 Robert Ludlum (P)2009 Random House

Critic reviews

"Vintage Ludlum." ( The Cleveland Plain Dealer)

What listeners say about The Bourne Ultimatum

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    921
  • 4 Stars
    359
  • 3 Stars
    150
  • 2 Stars
    39
  • 1 Stars
    26
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    915
  • 4 Stars
    253
  • 3 Stars
    60
  • 2 Stars
    16
  • 1 Stars
    10
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    771
  • 4 Stars
    286
  • 3 Stars
    138
  • 2 Stars
    39
  • 1 Stars
    22

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

Was the Movie supposed to be based on this book?

I agree with some of what has been written but I still felt that this was a good purchase for me. There were so many story lines it sometimes got a little confusing I'm still not sure of what happened with one of them. (Will not spoil here) After the book I decided to rent the movie. Do not get the two confused, they have nothing in common except the man named Bourne. And the movie was REALLY bad! Talk about a waste of money.
I digress, as for the Narrator, Scott Brick is my favorite and I feel he did a fine job considering how many story lines he was trying to cover. As for his slow speech I feel like that is his style and I had no problem with it.
This is a long book, it was not a one afternoon listen but if you have a long drive, or can spread it out over several days I feel it was a good listen for a while then take a break.
You may need to take notes while you listen to keep up with all of the branches on the story but overall I felt like this was a decent book. Much better then some I have listened to.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Ludlum's best Bourne novel!

The Bourne Ultimatum is the third and best book in the Jason Bourne series and the final one written by Robert Ludlum. Professor David Webb, aka Jason Bourne, is forced to leave his wife and his teaching job for a final confrontation with Carlos the Jackal. At over 29 hours the novel is very long, but with Scott Brick narrating and using the Audible app that can be reduced to 20 hours or less by increasing the playback speed to 1.5x or even 2x. Scott Brick still sounds like Scott Brick at the higher speeds. (Note: on my iPhone the Audible app supposedly has 2.5x and 3x playback rates, but they do not actually speed up the playback beyond 2x. I would like Audible to fix that problem.)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great Ending to a Great Trilogy

What did you love best about The Bourne Ultimatum?

I really like Alex and Morrise. They seem like the most real characters and they play important roles in assisting Jason Bourne Hunt down the Jackel.

Did the plot keep you on the edge of your seat? How?

Yes, overall it was a very fast-paced but it does have slow moments (usually with Marie).

What about Scott Brick’s performance did you like?

He did amazing with all the languages and different characters.

Any additional comments?

It is confusing and a second listen will make it more clear but a very good story. I think it beats the movie hands down.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Good - To much detail - Narrator very slow

I have read / listned to the Identity, Supremacy and Ultimatum in the space of about 4 weeks. This by far had much more (too much more) detail. There were points that were driven home 5 times, in 5 chapters, when once would have done (especially given the history in the 2 previous books). That said I liked the book. Not as good as the first 2, but I liked it and would recommend it. I put my MP3 Player on 2X speed. Made the slow talking narrator easier to handle. I couldn't have done it other wise. Narrator talks way to slow.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Definitely worth more than 1 star.

I wasn't going to review this book, but after reading the 1st review, I just have to speak up. It's Bourne, Robert Ludlum and Scott Brick!!! That is more than enough for listening entertainment. I was going to give it 4 stars but I'm doing what I can to right a 1 star travesty. Not as good as "Identity" and "Supremacy" but still a GREAT listen. I'm glad to have this third book of the trilogy, even at 2 credits.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

the exciting conclussion

Carlos the jackel is dying, but he wants to kill borne first. who will win.

This is a great book but the thing I don't like is that by now everyone is old yet they are super agile. they can fight through the pain but over all a great book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

The Bored Ultimatum

I was looking forward to this book. I like Robert Ludlum and Scott Brick. However, after two hours of listening to idiotic dialog, sophomoric plot lines, and clumsy attempts at high drama punctuated by a lot of yelling by the narrator, I gave up. Sorry I wasted two credits.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Way to long

This was a good book, but it would have been better if divided into two or three books.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Long and preposterous

I read the original Bourne a couple of decades ago and quite liked it. After all the movies and time I thought I would give this a shot since the books are completely different than the movies. It was a mistake, I could not finish it. The narrator is very good but the characters and their actions are ridiculous, even for a spy thriller.

There are too many examples to illustrate where they should have either just shut up or not done what they did. It is a shame, I was looking forward to the book but in this case, other than the last Bourne movie, the movies are better than the book.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Not as goof as the movie

I found it good, but not great. At times it was just not that believable, losing credibility and suspension of disbelief.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful