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Reading order

Penguin Lives Books in Order

This page lists the complete Penguin Lives reading order by Jane Smiley, with book numbers, publication years, and a publication-order view for readers who want to start at the beginning.

Updated 2026-06-22 / 32 books / 1960-2011

Penguin Lives Reading Order

01 Abraham Lincoln(By: Thomas Keneally) 1960 Buy
02 Mao Zedong: A Life(By: Jonathan D. Spence) 1999 Buy
03 Mozart: A Life(By: Peter Gay) 1999 Buy
04 Marcel Proust(By: Edmund White) 1999 Buy
05 Crazy Horse(By: Larry McMurtry) 1999 Buy
06 Saint Augustine(By: Garry Wills) 1999 Buy
07 James Joyce(By: Edna O'Brien) 1999 Buy
08 Rosa Parks(By: Douglas Brinkley) 2000 Buy
09 Virginia Woolf(By: Nigel Nicolson) 2000 Buy
10 Woodrow Wilson(By: Louis Auchincloss) 2000 Buy
11 Herman Melville(By: Elizabeth Hardwick) 2000 Buy
12 Leonardo da Vinci: A Life(By: Sherwin B. Nuland) 2000 Buy
13 Dante(By: R.W.B. Lewis) 2001 Buy
14 Jane Austen(By: Carol Shields) 2001 Buy
15 Buddha(By: Karen Armstrong) 2001 Buy
16 Simone Weil(By: Francine du Plessix Gray) 2001 Buy
17 Andy Warhol: A Biography(By: Wayne Koestenbaum) 2001 Buy
18 Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life(By: Marshall Frady) 2001 Buy
19 Joseph Smith(By: Robert V. Remini) 2002 Buy
20 Winston Churchill: A Life(By: John Keegan) 2002 Buy
21 Pope John XXIII(By: Thomas Cahill) 2002 Buy
22 Charles Dickens 2002 Buy
23 Elvis Presley(By: Bobbie Ann Mason) 2002 Buy
24 Saint Therese of Lisieux(By: Kathryn Harrison) 2003 Buy
25 Robert E. Lee(By: Roy Blount Jr.) 2003 Buy
26 Frank Lloyd Wright: A Life(By: Ada Louise Huxtable) 2004 Buy
27 George Herbert Walker Bush(By: Tom Wicker) 2004 Buy
28 Napoleon(By: Paul Johnson) 2006 Buy
29 Julia Child(By: Laura Shapiro) 2007 Buy
30 Joan of Arc(By: Mary Gordon) 2008 Buy
31 Martin Luther(By: Martin E. Marty) 2008 Buy
32 Branch Rickey: A Life(By: Jimmy Breslin) 2011 Buy

Penguin Lives Books by Publication Order

1960 Abraham Lincoln(By: Thomas Keneally) #1
1999 Mao Zedong: A Life(By: Jonathan D. Spence) #2
1999 Mozart: A Life(By: Peter Gay) #3
1999 Marcel Proust(By: Edmund White) #4
1999 Crazy Horse(By: Larry McMurtry) #5
1999 Saint Augustine(By: Garry Wills) #6
1999 James Joyce(By: Edna O'Brien) #7
2000 Rosa Parks(By: Douglas Brinkley) #8
2000 Virginia Woolf(By: Nigel Nicolson) #9
2000 Woodrow Wilson(By: Louis Auchincloss) #10
2000 Herman Melville(By: Elizabeth Hardwick) #11
2000 Leonardo da Vinci: A Life(By: Sherwin B. Nuland) #12
2001 Dante(By: R.W.B. Lewis) #13
2001 Jane Austen(By: Carol Shields) #14
2001 Buddha(By: Karen Armstrong) #15
2001 Simone Weil(By: Francine du Plessix Gray) #16
2001 Andy Warhol: A Biography(By: Wayne Koestenbaum) #17
2001 Martin Luther King, Jr.: A Life(By: Marshall Frady) #18
2002 Joseph Smith(By: Robert V. Remini) #19
2002 Winston Churchill: A Life(By: John Keegan) #20
2002 Pope John XXIII(By: Thomas Cahill) #21
2002 Charles Dickens #22
2002 Elvis Presley(By: Bobbie Ann Mason) #23
2003 Saint Therese of Lisieux(By: Kathryn Harrison) #24
2003 Robert E. Lee(By: Roy Blount Jr.) #25
2004 Frank Lloyd Wright: A Life(By: Ada Louise Huxtable) #26
2004 George Herbert Walker Bush(By: Tom Wicker) #27
2006 Napoleon(By: Paul Johnson) #28
2007 Julia Child(By: Laura Shapiro) #29
2008 Joan of Arc(By: Mary Gordon) #30
2008 Martin Luther(By: Martin E. Marty) #31
2011 Branch Rickey: A Life(By: Jimmy Breslin) #32

Questions readers ask

What is the correct Penguin Lives reading order?

The Penguin Lives reading order on this page follows the numbered series order where available, with publication years shown beside each book.

How many Penguin Lives books are there?

This catalog currently lists 32 Penguin Lives books published across 1960-2011.

Who writes the Penguin Lives books?

Penguin Lives is listed as a book series by Jane Smiley.

Should I read Penguin Lives in publication order?

For most readers, publication order is the safest way to read Penguin Lives. If a separate series order is available, this page shows that order first and publication years beside each title.

More by Jane Smiley

Jane Smiley books in order and complete bibliography ->

Source note: Sequencebooks organizes author, book, and series records from its catalog data. Publication years and series order are shown when available.