James A. Michener Reading Order
5 series · 57 books · Born 1907-02-03
James A. Michener was a prolific author known for his historical fiction, with a career spanning from 1947 to 2017. He wrote 57 books across five series, including notable works such as "Tales of the South Pacific," which earned him a Pulitzer Prize. His diverse repertoire includes standalone novels, short story collections, non-fiction, anthologies, and a focus on baseball in America.
Anthologies Series
Complete4 books (1960–2003)
Start with This Was Your War, the first of 4 books in the Anthologies series.
Baseball in America Series
Complete4 books (1982–1998)
Start with The Yankees: An Illustrated History(By: George Sullivan), the first of 4 books in the Baseball in America series.
Non-Fiction Series
Complete18 books (1957–2017)
Start with The Bridge at Andau, the first of 18 books in the Non-Fiction series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Bridge at Andau 1957Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  Japanese Prints from Early Masters to the Modern 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  The Modern Japanese Print: An Appreciation 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  Iberia: Spanish Travels and Reflections 1968Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Presidential Lottery: The Reckless Gamble in Our Electoral System 1969Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 |  Kent State: What Happened and Why 1971Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  A Michener Miscellany, 1950-1970 1973Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  Sports in America 1976Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  James A. Michener's USA: The People and The Land(With: Peter Chaitin) 1988Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Six Days in Havana(With: John Kings) 1989Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Pilgrimage: A Memoir of Poland and Rome 1990Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  The World is My Home 1991Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  James A. Michener's Writer's Handbook: Explorations in Writing and Publishing 1992Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  My Lost Mexico: The Making of a Novel 1992Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  Literary Reflections 1993Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 | Ventures In Editing 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  This Noble Land: My Vision for America 1996Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  Islam: The Misunderstood Religion 2017Buy 🇺🇸 |
Short Story Collections Series
Complete5 books (1947–1993)
Start with Return to Paradise, the first of 5 books in the Short Story Collections series.
Standalone Novels Series
Complete26 books (1949–2007)
Start with The Fires of Spring, the first of 26 books in the Standalone Novels series.
| # | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 |  The Fires of Spring 1949Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 2 |  The Voice of Asia 1951Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 3 |  Sayonara 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 4 |  The Bridges at Toko-ri 1953Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 5 |  Hawaii 1959Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 6 | Report of the County Chairman 1961Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 7 |  Caravans 1963Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 8 |  The Source 1965Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 9 |  The Drifters 1971Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 10 |  Centennial 1974Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 11 |  Chesapeake 1978Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 12 |  Quality of Life 1980Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 13 |  The Covenant 1980Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 14 |  Space 1982Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 15 |  Poland 1983Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 16 | Texas 1985Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 17 |  Legacy 1987Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 18 |  Alaska 1988Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 19 |  Journey 1988Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 20 |  Caribbean 1989Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 21 | The Eagle and the Raven 1990Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 22 |  The Novel 1991Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 23 |  Mexico 1992Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 24 | Recessional 1994Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 25 |  Miracle in Seville 1995Buy 🇺🇸 |
| 26 |  Matecumbe 2007Buy 🇺🇸 |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many books has James A. Michener written?
- James A. Michener has written 57 books across 5 series. Their published works span from 1947 to 2017.
- What is the first book in each James A. Michener series?
- Here are the first books in James A. Michener's series: Anthologies: This Was Your War; Baseball in America: The Yankees: An Illustrated History(By: George Sullivan); Non-Fiction: The Bridge at Andau; Short Story Collections: Return to Paradise.
- What order should I read James A. Michener's books?
- We recommend reading James A. Michener's series in publication order. Each series can be read independently.
- Are James A. Michener's series complete?
- James A. Michener has 5 completed series.