The Greatest Authors of All Time
Ever wondered who the greatest authors of all time are? We've analyzed 743 diverse book lists to create this comprehensive ranking of literary masters. Our algorithm considers several key factors to determine each author's position:
- Book Rankings: Each author's score starts with the sum of their books' rankings from our master list.
- Number of Great Books: Authors are rewarded for having multiple highly-ranked books. The more great books an author has, the higher their overall score.
- Age of Books: Older books receive a small bonus to their score, with the maximum bonus going to books over 100 years old.
This system ensures that authors with multiple enduring works are recognized, while still giving weight to the quality of individual books. The rankings are automatically calculated and updated as new lists are added to our database.
5501. Nick Lloyd
British military historian and author specialising in modern warfare, particularly the First World War.
5502. Andrew L. Whitehead
American sociologist and scholar of religion; co-author (with Samuel L. Perry) of Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States (2020).
5503. Robert Kagan
American historian, author, and foreign-policy commentator; senior fellow and writer on U.S. foreign policy and international relations.
5504. Page Smith
American historian, author, and educator; known for popular histories and his role in developing liberal arts education (including early leadership at the University of California, Santa Cruz).
5505. Michael Bamberger
5506. C. David Heymann
British physician and epidemiologist who has held senior public-health roles at the World Health Organization and worked on infectious disease control and global health.
5507. Robert F. Kennedy
American politician and lawyer; U.S. Attorney General (1961–1964) under his brother President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator from New York (1965–1968), and a 1968 Democratic presidential candidate. Known for his advocacy on civil rights and anti-poverty issues; assassinated in 1968.
5508. Osho
Indian spiritual teacher and mystic, widely known as Osho (also Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). Founder of the Rajneesh movement and leader of ashrams in India and the Rajneeshpuram commune in Oregon; prolific speaker/author and a controversial figure due to his teachings and communal activities.
5510. Giles Milton
British historian and author of popular narrative history, known for accessible books on early modern and 20th-century topics (e.g., Nathaniel's Nutmeg, Churchill's Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare).
5511. Chris Schlarb
American composer, guitarist, bandleader and producer; founder of the Sounds Are Active label and leader of the ensemble Psychic Temple; known for experimental, jazz-influenced recordings and film scores.
5512. Quincy Jones
American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, musician and film/television producer, known for his work in jazz and pop and for producing Michael Jackson's Thriller.
5513. Rena Finder
5514. Robin Lane Fox
British classical scholar and historian specializing in ancient Greece and Alexander the Great; author and long-time Oxford academic.
5515. Mike Carey
English writer of comic books, novels and short fiction, known for his work on Vertigo's Lucifer and for novels published as M. R. Carey, including The Girl with All the Gifts.
5516. Ryk Brown
American science fiction author best known for the Frontiers Saga, a long-running space-opera/space-military series, as well as other science fiction novels and short fiction.
5517. Max Nowaz
5518. Jack Campbell
Pen name of John G. Hemry (born 1956), an American science fiction author and retired U.S. Navy officer, best known for the military sci-fi series The Lost Fleet and related works.
5520. John Gregorson Campbell
Scottish minister and folklorist who collected and published Gaelic oral tradition from the Highlands and Islands, especially material on witchcraft, second sight and popular belief.
5521. Sheldon Pearce
American music journalist and critic who writes about hip-hop, R&B, and popular music; contributor to major music publications.
5522. Mark Broadie
Columbia Business School professor and golf analytics researcher, developer of the 'Strokes Gained' metric and author of 'Every Shot Counts'.
5523. Pia Nilsson
Swedish former professional golfer and prominent golf coach, co-founder of the Vision54 performance system, and co-author of golf instruction books focusing on player development and mental/strategic preparation.
5524. Joe Posnanski
American sportswriter and author, best known for his columns and books about baseball and other sports.
5525. Mari Jo Buhle
American historian and scholar of women's and gender history and the American left, author and editor of influential works on feminism and social movements.
5526. Ernest Freeberg
American historian and professor specializing in 19th- and early 20th-century American cultural and intellectual history; author of The Age of Edison.
5527. Robert A. Gorman
American legal scholar specializing in labor law; longtime law professor and co-author of widely used labor law casebooks and texts.
5528. W.A. Swanberg
5529. Miles Marshall Lewis
American writer, journalist, and cultural critic
5530. Staci Robinson
5531. Leta McCollough Seletzky
5532. Tavis Smiley
American broadcaster, author, and political commentator known for hosting television and radio programs (including the syndicated talk show 'Tavis Smiley') and for books and advocacy on African American social and political issues.
5533. Rosa Luxemburg
Polish-German Marxist theorist, philosopher, economist and revolutionary socialist; prominent anti-war activist and co-founder of the Spartacus League, murdered during the German Revolution of 1918–1919.
5534. Charles Price
5535. Reid Hoffman
Entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author; co‑founder and former executive chairman of LinkedIn, partner at Greylock Partners, angel investor and podcaster.
5536. John Daly
5537. Jimmie James
5538. Bill Clinton
42nd President of the United States (1993–2001), former Governor of Arkansas, Democratic Party politician, author and public speaker.
5539. Munther Isaac
Palestinian Christian pastor, theologian and author.
5540. Tara-Leigh Cobble
5541. Anthea Butler
American scholar of religion and professor who writes and comments on race, African American religion, politics, and evangelical Christianity; public commentator and author.
5542. Brad Jacobs
5543. Dina Santorelli
5544. Harris Rosen
American hotelier and philanthropist; founder and president of Rosen Hotels & Resorts, known for extensive philanthropic work in Orlando—notably the Tangelo Park program providing scholarships and early childhood education.