The Books of the Century, 1980-1989 (original) (raw)
About the lists
By Decade
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1940s
1950s
1960s
1970s
1980s
1990s
This website was compiled by
Daniel Immerwahr
The Books of the Century: 1980-1989
| 1980 | | | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. James A. Michener, The Covenant 2. Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Identity 3. Sidney Sheldon, Rage of Angels 4. Judith Krantz, Princess Daisy 5. Stephen King, Firestarter 6. Ken Follett, The Key to Rebecca 7. Belva Plain, Random Winds 8. Frederick Forsyth, The Devil’s Alternative 9. Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, The Fifth Horseman 10. Arnaud de Borchgrave and Robert Moss, The Spike | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant Milton and Rose D. Friedman, Free to Choose Carl Schorske,Fin-de-Siècle Vienna Carl Sagan,Cosmos Umberto Eco,The Name of the Rose Alvin Toffler,The Third Wave Norman Mailer, The Executioner’s Song J. M. Coetzee, Waiting for the Barbarians Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guatteri, A Thousand Plateaus Stanley Fish,Is There a Text in This Class? | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Douglas R. Casey, Crisis Investing: Opportunities and Profits in the Coming Great Depression 2. Carl Sagan, Cosmos 3. Milton and Rose Friedman, Free to Choose: A Personal Statement 4. Norman Cousins, Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient 5. Gay Talese, Thy Neighbor’s Wife 6. Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, The Sky’s the Limit 7. Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave 8. Craig Claiborne with Pierre Franey, Craig Claiborne’s Gourmet Diet 9. Robert Allen, Nothing Down 10. Shelley Winters, Shelley: Also Known as Shirley | | | | 1981 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. James Clavell, Noble House 2. John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire 3. Stephen King, Cujo 4. Colleen McCullough, An Indecent Obsession 5. Martin Cruz Smith, Gorky Park 6. Kit Williams, Masquerade 7. Harold Robbins, Goodbye, Janette 8. Lawrence Sanders, The Third Deadly Sin 9. Joseph Wambaugh, The Glitter Dome 10. Cynthia Freeman, No Time for Tears | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant Stephen Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man Salman Rushdhie,Midnight’s Children Arthur C. Danto, The Transfiguration of the Commonplace Jonathan D. Spence, The Gate of Heavenly Peace Robert Nozick,Philosophical Explanations Daniel C. Dennett, Brainstorms George Gilder,Wealth and Poverty Alasdair MacIntyre,After Virtue Angela Davis,Women, Race, and Class Frederic Jameson,The Political Unconscious | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Judy Mazel, The Beverly Hills Diet 2. James Herriot, The Lord God Made Them All 3. Richard Simmons, Richard Simmons’ Never-Say-Diet Book 4. Shel Silverstein, A Light in the Attic 5. Carl Sagan, Cosmos 6.Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 7. Miss Piggy as told to Henry Beard, Miss Piggy’s Guide to Life 8.Weight Watchers 365-Day Menu Cookbook 9. Herb Cohen, You Can Negotiate Anything 10. Andrew A. Rooney, A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney | | | | 1982 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. William Kotzwinkle, E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial Storybook 2. James A. Michener, Space 3. Robert Ludlum, The Parsifal Mosaic 4. Sidney Sheldon, Master of the Game 5. Judith Krantz, Mistral’s Daughter 6. Jean M. Auel, The Valley of Horses 7. Stephen King, Different Seasons 8. John Jakes, North and South 9. Arthur C. Clarke, 2010: Odyssey Two 10. Ken Follett, The Man from St. Petersburg | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant Alice Walker,The Color Purple Dumas Malone,Jefferson and his Time Isabel Allende,The House of the Spirits Michael J. Sandel,Liberalism and the Limits of Justice Carol Gilligan,In a Different Voice | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Jane Fonda, Jane Fonda’s Workout Book 2. Leo Buscaglia, Living, Loving and Learning 3. Andrew A. Rooney, And More by Andy Rooney 4.Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook 5. Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, Life Extension: Adding Years to Your Life And Life to Your Years—A Practical Scientific Approach 6. Harold S. Kushner, When Bad Things Happen to Good People 7. Andrew A. Rooney, A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney 8. Jean Nidetch, The Weight Watchers Food Plan Diet Cookbook 9. Richard Simmons, Richard Simmons’ Never-Say-Diet Cookbook 10. Barbara Woodhouse, No Bad Dogs: The Woodhouse Way | | | | 1983 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. Joan D. Vinge, adapt., Return of the Jedi Storybook 2. James A. Michener, Poland 3. Stephen King, Pet Sematary 4. John Le Carr, The Little Drummer Girl 5. Stephen King, Christine 6. Danielle Steel, Changes 7. Umberto Eco, The Name of the Rose 8. Stephen R. Donaldson, White Gold Wielder: Book Three of The Second Chronicles of Thomas Covenant 9. Jackie Collins, Hollywood Wives 10. Louis L’Amour, The Lonesome Gods | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant William Kennedy,Ironweed Rigoberta Menchú,I, Rigoberta Menchú Benedict Anderson,Imagined Communities Cedric Robinson,Black Marxism Elizabeth Bishop,The Complete Poems Clifford Geertz,Local Knowledge | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Thomas J. Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr., In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies 2. John Naisbitt, Megatrends: Ten New Directions Transforming Our Lives 3. Erma Bombeck, Motherhood: The Second Oldest Profession 4. Kenneth Blanchard and Spencer Johnson, The One Minute Manager 5. Jane Fonda, Jane Fonda’s Workout Book 6. James Herriot, The Best of James Herriot 7.The Mary Kay Guide to Beauty: Discovering Your Special Look 8. Ken Follett, On Wings of Eagles 9. Robert G. Allen, Creating Wealth 10. Victoria Principal, The Body Principal: The Exercise Program for Life | | | | 1984 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. Stephen King and Peter Strau, The Talisman 2. Robert Ludlum, The Aquitaine Progression 3. Mario Puzo, The Sicilian 4. John Jakes, Love and War 5. Dr. Seuss, The Butter Battle Book 6. Helen Hooven Santmyer, “. . . And the Ladies of the Club” 7. Frederick Forsyth, The Fourth Protocol 8. Danielle Steel, Full Circle 9. Joan Rivers, The Life and Hard Times of Heidi Abromowitz 10. Gore Vidal, Lincoln: A Novel | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant William Gibson,Neuromancer Pierre Bourdieu,Distinction Marguerite Duras, The Lover Milan Kundera,The Unbearable Lightness of Being bell hooks,Feminist Theory | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Lee Iacocca with William Novak, Iacocca: An Autobiography 2. Leo Buscaglia, Loving Each Other 3. Robert Haas, Eat to Win: The Sports Nutrition Bible 4. Andrew A. Rooney, Pieces of My Mind 5.Weight Watchers Fast and Fabulous Cookbook 6. Mark H. McCormack, What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business School: Notes from a Street-Smart Executive 7. Jane Fonda with Mignon McCarthy, Women Coming of Age 8. James Herriot, Moses the Kitten 9. Spencer Johnson and Larry Wilson, The One Minute Salesperson 10. Jean Nidetch, Weight Watchers Quick Start Program Cookbook | | | | 1985 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. Jean M. Auel, The Mammoth Hunters 2. James A. Michener, Texas 3. Garrison Keillor, Lake Wobegon Days 4. Sidney Sheldon, If Tomorrow Comes 5. Stephen King, Skeleton Crew 6. Danielle Steel, Secrets 7. Carl Sagan, Contact 8. Jackie Collins, Lucky 9. Danielle Steel, Family Album 10. Louis L’Amour, Jubal Sackett | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant Don DeLillo,White Noise Margaret Atwood,The Handmaid’s Tale J. Anthony Lukas, Common Ground Robert N. Bellah et al., Habits of the Heart | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Lee Iacocca with William Novak, Iacocca: An Autobiography 2. Gen. Chuck Yeager and Leo Janos, Yeager: An Autobiography 3. Priscilla Beaulieu Presley with Sandra Harmon, Elvis and Me 4. Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, Fit for Life 5. Robert Schuller, The Be-Happy Attitudes 6. Shirley MacLaine, Dancing in the Light 7. Thomas J. Peters and Nancy K. Austin, A Passion for Excellence: The Leadership Difference 8. Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet 9. Howard Cosell with Peter Bonventre, I Never Played the Game 10. Stuart M. Berger, Dr. Berger’s Immune Power Diet | | | | 1986 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. Stephen King, It 2. Tom Clancy, Red Storm Rising 3. James Clavell, Whirlwind 4. Robert Ludlum, The Bourne Supremacy 5. Jackie Collins, Hollywood Husbands 6. Danielle Steel, Wanderlust 7. Judith Krantz, I’ll Take Manhattan 8. Louis L’Amour, Last of the Breed 9. Pat Conroy, The Prince of Tides 10. John Le Carre, A Perfect Spy | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant Alan Moore,Watchmen Richard Rhodes,The Making of the Atomic Bomb Marc Reisner,Cadillac Desert Richard Ford,The Sportswriter Art Spiegelman,Maus: A Survivor’s Tale, vol. 1 Martha Nussbaum,The Fragility of Goodness James Clifford and George E. Marcus, eds., Writing Culture | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Bill Cosby, Fatherhood 2. Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, Fit for Life 3. Kitty Kelley, His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra 4. Martin Katahn, The Rotation Diet 5. Dr. Seuss, You’re Only Old Once 6. Callan Pinckney, Callanetics: Ten Years Younger in Ten Hours 7. Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine 8. Robert H. Schuller, Be Happy—You Are Loved! 9. Andrew A. Rooney, Word for Word 10. James Herriot, James Herriot’s Dog Stories | | | | 1987 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. Stephen King, The Tommyknockers 2. Tom Clancy, Patriot Games 3. Danielle Steel, Kaleidoscope 4. Stephen King, Misery 5. Garrison Keillor, Leaving Home: A Collection of Lake Wobegon Stories 6. Sidney Sheldon, Windmills of the Gods 7. Scott Turow, Presumed Innocent 8. Danielle Steel, Fine Things 9. John Jakes, Heaven and Hell 10. Stephen King, The Eyes of the Dragon | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant Toni Morrison,Beloved Tom Wolfe,The Bonfire of the Vanities Martin Bernal, Black Athena, vol. 1 Randy Shilts, And the Band Played On Allan Bloom,The Closing of the American Mind William J. Wilson, The Truly Disadvantaged | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Bill Cosby, Time Flies 2. Peter Wright with Paul Greengrass, Spycatcher: The Candid Autobiography of a Senior Intelligence Officer 3. Erma Bombeck, Family: The Ties That Bind . . . and Gag! 4. Bob Woodward, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA, 1981-1987 5. Rick Smolan and David Cohen, A Day in the Life of America 6. Ravi Batra, The Great Depression of 1990 7. Shirley MacLaine, It’s All in the Playing 8. Thomas P. O’Neill Jr. with William Novak, Man of the House: The Life and Political Memoirs of Speaker Tip O’Neill 9. Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American 10. Allan Bloom, The Closing of the American Mind | | | | 1988 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin 2. Sidney Sheldon, The Sands of Time 3. Danielle Steel, Zoya 4. Robert Ludlum, The Icarus Agenda 5. James A. Michener, Alaska 6. Judith Krantz, Till We Meet Again 7. Anne Rice, The Queen of the Damned 8. Barbara Taylor Bradford, To Be the Best 9. Richard Bach, One: A Novel 10. Leon Uris, Mitla Pass | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant James McPherson,The Battle Cry of Freedom Salman Rushdie,The Satanic Verses Neil Sheehan,A Bright Shining Lie Joan W. Scott, Gender and the Politics of History Henry Louis Gates, Jr., The Signifying Monkey Stephen Hawking,A Brief History of Time Ranajit Guha and Gayatri C. Spivak, eds., Selected Subaltern Studies Eric Foner,Reconstruction | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Robert E. Kowalski, The 8-Week Cholesterol Cure 2. Lee Iacocca with Sonny Kleinfield, Talking Straight 3. Steven W. Hawking, A Brief History of Time 4. Donald J. Trump with Tony Schwartz, Trump: The Art of the Deal 5. George Burns, Gracie: A Love Story 6. Elizabeth Taylor, Elizabeth Takes Off 7. Harvey MacKay, Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive 8. David Cohen, ed., Christmas in America 9. Jean Nidetch, Weight Watchers Quick Success Program Book 10. Michael Jackson, Moonwalk | | | | 1989 | | | | Fiction Bestsellers 1. Tom Clancy, Clear and Present Danger 2. Stephen King, The Dark Half 3. Danielle Steel, Daddy 4. Danielle Steel, Star 5. James A. Michener, Caribbean 6. Salman Rushdie, The Satanic Verses 7. John Le Carré, The Russia House 8. Ken Follet, The Pillars of the Earth 9. John Jakes, California Gold 10. Mary Higgins Clark, While My Pretty One Sleeps | Critically Acclaimed and Historically Significant Charles Taylor,Sources of the Self Tobias Wolff,This Boy’s Life Kazuo Ishiguro,The Remains of the Day David Harvey,The Condition of Postmodernity Catherine MacKinnon, Toward a Feminist Theory of the State Richard Rorty,Contingency, Irony, and Solidarity | | | Nonfiction Bestsellers 1. Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things 2. Charles J. Givens, Wealth Without Risk: How To Develop a Personal Fortune Without Going Out on a Limb 3. C. David Heymann, A Woman Named Jackie 4. Robert Fulghum, It Was on Fire When I Lay Down on It 5.Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 6. David Macaulay, The Way Things Work 7. Gilda Radner, It’s Always Something 8. Roseanne Barr, Roseanne: My Life as a Woman 9. Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines: China, Greece, and Rome 10. Nancy Reagan with William Novak, My Turn: The Memoirs of Nancy Reagan | | |