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
2371 The Power of One Bryce Courtenay 1989 Australian English
3311 Growing Up Russell Baker 1982 American English
3379 Zadig Voltaire 1747 French French
4475 Soundjata Ou L'épopée Mandingue Djibril Tamsir Niane 1960 French French
4856 The Gift Horse Hildegard Knef 1970 German German
5448 A Winter In Hakkari Ferit Edgü 1977 Turkish Turkish
5470 The Birthday Boys Beryl Bainbridge 1991 British English
6767 Mark, The Match Boy Horatio Alger Jr. 1869 American English
7122 127 Hours Aaron Ralston 2004 American English
8564 Sosu's Call Meshack Asare 1997 Ghanaian English
10783 The Wide, Wide World Elizabeth Wetherell 1850 American English
11812 Road Song Natalie Kusz 1987 American English
11900 Alicia Alicia Appleman-Jurman 1988 Polish English
12014 John Halifax, Gentleman Dinah Maria Mulock Craik 1856 British English
12251 Needles Andie Dominick 1998 American English
12313 The Obstacle Is The Way Ryan Holiday 2014 American English
12588 The Ice Master Jennifer Niven 2000 American English
12816 Flanagan's Run Tom McNab 1982 British English
13269 Why Not Me? Wendy L. Bovard 1993 Unknown Unknown
14623 The Promised Land Mary Antin 1912 American English
14858 Alone Richard Byrd 1938 American English
14899 The Long Walk Slavomir Rawicz 1956 Polish English
14871 Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm Kate Douglas Smith Wiggin 1903 American English
14984 Alive Piers Paul Read 1974 British English
14985 Touching the Void Joe Simpson 1988 British English
14985 The Warrior's Apprentice Lois McMaster Bujold 1986 American English
14985 The Four Winds Kristin Hannah 2021 American English
14985 The Wager David Grann 2023 American English
15881 In the Land of White Death Valerian Albanov 1917 Russian Russian
16499 Scott's Last Expedition Apsley Cherry-Garrard 1922 British English
16744 Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex Owen Chase 1821 American English
17159 Adrift Steven Callahan 1986 American English
17159 Farewell to Manzanar Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, James D. Houston 1973 American English
17159 Tisha Robert Specht 1976 American English
17159 Mama Terry McMillan 1987 American English
17159 A Season On The Brink John Feinstein 1986 American English
17159 Quicksand And Cactus Juanita Brooks 1982 American English
17083 Epic Of Sundiata Unknown 1235 Multiple Mandinka
16937 Fate Is The Hunter Ernest K. Gann 1961 American English
17159 The Cold Journey Grace Stone Unknown Unknown
17159 The Boy From Kyiv Marina Harss 2023 Unknown Unknown
17159 Life On Delay John Hendrickson 2023 Unknown English
17159 Leg Greg Marshall 2023 Unknown English
17159 Marked By Fire Joyce Carol Thomas 1982 American English
17159 Last Of The Breed Louis L'Amour 1987 American English
17159 Being Henry Henry Winkler 2023 Unknown English
17159 Traditional Buddhist Mind Training: Essential Mind Training Thupten Jinpa Tibetan English