# Is "The Bourne Identity" by Robert Ludlum a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Bourne Identity by Robert Ludlum (Richard Marek Publishers, 1980) is identified by: Richard Marek Publishers (New York), 1980. US Richard Marek (1980) is the true first, preceding the UK editions.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Richard Marek Publishers (New York), 1980
- The true first printing is identified by the copyright statement alone, not a number line: the copyright page reads 'Copyright 1980 by Robert Ludlum' at the top and 'Printed in the United States of America' at the foot, with no statement of additional printings
- SBN 399-90070-5
- Bound in black cloth with the spine lettered in gilt
- The first-state dust jacket carries its printed price at the top of the front flap and the code '8003' (denoting a March 1980 issue) at the flap foot
- First Jason Bourne novel
- Publisher imprint reads Richard Marek Publishers

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Ludlum |
| Publisher | Richard Marek Publishers |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Richard Marek Publishers (New York), 1980 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Richard Marek Publishers (New York), 1980. The true first printing is identified by the copyright statement alone, not a number line: the copyright page reads 'Copyright 1980 by Robert Ludlum' at the top and 'Printed in the United States of America' at the foot, with no statement of additional printings; SBN 399-90070-5. Bound in black cloth with the spine lettered in gilt. The first-state dust jacket carries its printed price at the top of the front flap and the code '8003' (denoting a March 1980 issue) at the flap foot. First Jason Bourne novel.

## Is this the true first?
US Richard Marek (1980) is the true first, preceding the UK editions. Confirm the first by the copyright statement with no added-printing notice, not by a number line, as this title was not identified by a printer's key.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The Book Club Edition has a blind stamp on the rear board, a reduced trim size, and a jacket lacking the printed price and the '8003' code; it carries no printing statement that would confirm a trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Bourne Identity* by Robert Ludlum a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-bourne-identity
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.