The Greatest Books of All Time Set in Great Britain

Click to learn how this list is calculated.

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.

View: List Grid Table
Filter by: Genres Dates Countries

Rank Book Authors Year Country Language Actions
9073 Autumn Ali Smith 2016 British English
9857 The Subjection of Women John Stuart Mill 1869 British English
10450 Will In The World Stephen Greenblatt 2004 American English
10554 The Suspicions of Mr Whicher Kate Summerscale 2008 British English
10634 The Road to Wigan Pier George Orwell 1937 British English
11332 The Blair Years Alastair Campbell 2007 British English
11403 A God in Ruins Kate Atkinson 2015 British English
11541 How to Be a Domestic Goddess Nigella Lawson 2000 British English
11661 The Club Leo Damrosch 2019 American English
11847 Them Francine du Plessix Gray 2005 French English
11939 A Prince of Our Disorder John E. Mack 1976 American English
13360 Culture and Anarchy Matthew Arnold 1869 British English
13360 London Labour and the London Poor Henry Mayhew 1851 British English
13360 A tour thro' the whole island of Great Britain Daniel Defoe 1724 British English
13879 Black Sheep Georgette Heyer 1966 British English
13941 Notes from a Small Island Bill Bryson 1995 American English
14132 A History of the English-Speaking Peoples Winston Churchill 1956 British English
14232 The Eye in the Door Pat Barker 1993 British English
14232 The Separation Christopher Priest 2002 British English
14232 Quicksilver Neal Stephenson 2003 American English
14666 Offshore Penelope Fitzgerald 1979 British English
14857 Journal of the Discovery of the Source of the Nile John Hanning Speke 1863 British English
14984 Touching the Void Joe Simpson 1988 British English
14984 The Night Manager John le Carré 1993 British English
15756 Travels in West Africa Mary Kingsley 1897 British English
15903 Enquiry Concerning Political Justice William Godwin 1793 British English
15903 Boswell's London Journal, 1762-1763 James Boswell 1950 British English
16695 The Principal Navigations Richard Hakluyt 1589 British English
17125 Rough Crossings Simon Schama 2005 British English
17125 The Lion and the Throne Catherine Drinker Bowen 1957 American English
17125 England in Particular Sue Clifford, Angela King 2006 British English
17125 Born Yesterday Gordon Burn 2008 British English
17125 English Passengers Matthew Kneale 2000 British English
17125 Restless William Boyd 2006 British English
17125 Samuel Pepys Claire Tomalin 2002 British English
17125 The Triumphant Empire Lawrence H. Gipson 1948 American English
17125 Island on Fire Tom Zoellner 2020 American English
17125 The Hollow Kingdom Clare B. Dunkle 2003 American English
17125 The War That Saved My Life Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 2015 American English
17125 A Spell Of Winter Helen Dunmore 1995 British English
17125 A Ship Of The Line C. S. Forester 1938 British English
17125 Flying Colours C. S. Forester 1938 British English
17125 Poor Man's Tapestry G. Oliver Onions 1946 British English
17125 Darkness Visible William Golding 1979 British English