The Greatest British Books of All Time on Knowledge

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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
627 The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus Christopher Marlowe 1604 British English
714 Encyclopedia Britannica Encyclopedia Britannica 1768 British English
1162 Essays Francis Bacon 1597 British English
1327 An Essay Concerning Human Understanding John Locke 1689 British English
1803 The Problems of Philosophy Bertrand Russell 1912 British English
2017 Riddley Walker Russell Hoban 1980 British English
2031 Introduction To Mathematical Philosophy Bertrand Russell 1919 British English
2290 Arcadia Tom Stoppard 1993 British English
2486 The Golden Compass Philip Pullman 1995 British English
2568 The Idea Of A University John Henry Newman 1852 British English
2574 The Hedgehog and the Fox Isaiah Berlin 1953 British English
2806 The Art of Memory Frances A. Yates 1966 British English
2968 The Amber Spyglass Philip Pullman 2000 British English
3638 Areopagitica John Milton 1644 British English
3849 Piranesi Susanna Clarke 2020 British English
5391 New Atlantis Francis Bacon 1627 British English
7602 The Beginning Of Infinity David Deutsch 2011 British English
9857 An Essay on Man Alexander Pope 1734 British English
10283 The Ascent Of Man Jacob Bronowski 1973 British English
10735 Truth And Truthfulness Bernard Williams 2002 British English
14553 The Magic Of Reality Richard Dawkins 2011 British English
14819 Logic And Knowledge Bertrand Russell 1956 British English
15898 Advancement Of Learning Francis Bacon 1605 British English
15898 The Social Function Of Science J. D. Bernal 1939 British English
17120 Schott's Original Miscellany Ben Schott 2002 British English
17120 In The Light Of What We Know Zia Haider Rahman 2014 British English
17120 The Fabric Of Reality David Deutsch 1997 British English
17120 Confessions Of A Philosopher Bryan Magee 1997 British English
17120 Curious Ian Leslie 2014 British English
17120 The Secret Commonwealth Philip Pullman 2019 British English