The Greatest Books of All Time on Adversity

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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 759 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.

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Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
280 The Adventures of Augie March Saul Bellow 1953 American English
352 The Vicar of Wakefield Oliver Goldsmith 1766 British English
1054 Letters from a Stoic Seneca 64 Roman Latin
1569 Empire of the Sun J. G. Ballard 1984 British English
2369 The Power of One Bryce Courtenay 1989 Australian English
3311 Growing Up Russell Baker 1982 American English
3379 Zadig Voltaire 1747 French French
4474 Soundjata Ou L'épopée Mandingue Djibril Tamsir Niane 1960 French French
4855 The Gift Horse Hildegard Knef 1970 German German
5445 A Winter In Hakkari Ferit Edgü 1977 Turkish Turkish
5467 The Birthday Boys Beryl Bainbridge 1991 British English
6766 Mark, The Match Boy Horatio Alger Jr. 1869 American English
7122 127 Hours Aaron Ralston 2004 American English
8560 Sosu's Call Meshack Asare 1997 Ghanaian English
10777 The Wide, Wide World Elizabeth Wetherell 1850 American English
11811 Road Song Natalie Kusz 1987 American English
11899 Alicia Alicia Appleman-Jurman 1988 Polish English
12013 John Halifax, Gentleman Dinah Maria Mulock Craik 1856 British English
12250 Needles Andie Dominick 1998 American English
12312 The Obstacle Is The Way Ryan Holiday 2014 American English
12586 The Ice Master Jennifer Niven 2000 American English
12814 Flanagan's Run Tom McNab 1982 British English
13266 Why Not Me? Wendy L. Bovard 1993 Unknown Unknown
14622 The Promised Land Mary Antin 1912 American English
14857 Alone Richard Byrd 1938 American English
14896 The Long Walk Slavomir Rawicz 1956 Polish English
14868 Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin 1903 American English
14980 Alive Piers Paul Read 1974 British English
14983 Touching the Void Joe Simpson 1988 British English
14983 The Warrior's Apprentice Lois McMaster Bujold 1986 American English
14983 The Four Winds Kristin Hannah 2021 American English
14983 The Wager David Grann 2023 American English
15863 In the Land of White Death Valerian Albanov 1917 Russian Russian
16483 Scott's Last Expedition Apsley Cherry-Garrard 1922 British English
16706 Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex Owen Chase 1821 American English
17117 Adrift Steven Callahan 1986 American English
17117 Farewell to Manzanar Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, James D. Houston 1973 American English
17117 Tisha Robert Specht 1976 American English
17117 Mama Terry McMillan 1987 American English
17117 A Season On The Brink John Feinstein 1986 American English
17117 Quicksand And Cactus Juanita Brooks 1982 American English
17042 Epic Of Sundiata Unknown 1235 Multiple Mandinka
16912 Fate Is The Hunter Ernest K. Gann 1961 American English
17117 The Cold Journey Grace Stone Unknown Unknown
17117 The Boy From Kyiv Marina Harss 2023 Unknown Unknown
17117 Life On Delay John Hendrickson 2023 Unknown English
17117 Leg Greg Marshall 2023 Unknown English
17117 Marked By Fire Joyce Carol Thomas 1982 American English
17117 Last Of The Breed Louis L'Amour 1987 American English
17117 Being Henry Henry Winkler 2023 Unknown English
17117 Traditional Buddhist Mind Training: Essential Mind Training Thupten Jinpa Tibetan English