The Best Selling Books of All Time

Jeff Moore
Updated June 15, 2019 1.3M views103 items

In case you need a new read, here's a list of the best selling books of all time, including fiction and nonfiction best sellers. What are the best selling books of all time? Since religious and political books, such as The Holy Bible, are often given away for free, they have not been included on this list. These top selling books of all time span multiple centuries, covering many genres (like horror and romance), writers, and original languages. And if you think Harry Potter or Twilight top this list, think again, they're not even close. What books sell the most? That said, the most popular books are indeed novels, with the most popular published volumes going through multiple editions and reprints. What are the best selling books in history? A few nonfiction texts can also be found, but they are few and far between. If one enjoys reading, these are the best sellers of all bestsellers, as well as the answer to the question "what are the best selling books of all time?"

If you like this best seller book list, be sure to check out Ranker's other lists like the 100 Books with the Catchiest First Lines.

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  • A Tale of Two Cities
    1

    A Tale of Two Cities

    Charles Dickens
    • First Published: 1859
    • Subjects: Literary, French Revolution, Revenge, English Language, German Language
    • Genres (Book): Fiction, Novel, Historical novel, Social criticism
    • Original Language: English Language
    Copies Sold: 200 million
    A Tale of Two Cities is a novel by Charles Dickens, set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. The novel depicts the plight of the French peasantry demoralised by the French ...more
  • The Lord of the Rings
    2

    The Lord of the Rings

    J. R. R. Tolkien
    • First Published: 1954-07-29
    • Subjects: Literary, Epic film, Literature, Classics, Drama
    • Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Chivalric romance, Fiction, Adventure fiction, Fantasy
    • Original Language: English Language
    Copies Sold: 150 million
    The Lord of the Rings is an epic high-fantasy novel written by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 fantasy novel The Hobbit, but eventually developed into a ...more
  • The Little Prince
    3

    The Little Prince

    Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
    • First Published: 1943
    • Genres (Book): Novel
    • Original Language: French Language

    Copies Sold: 140 million

    The Little Prince, first published in 1943, is a novella and the most famous work of the French aristocrat, writer, poet and pioneering aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The novella is both the ...more
  • Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
    4
    • First Published: 1997-06-26
    • Subjects: Wizards, Education, Adventure, Friendship, Schools
    • Genres (Book): Speculative fiction, Children's literature, Fiction, Fantasy
    • Original Language: English Language

    Copies Sold: 120 million

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is the first novel in the Harry Potter series and J. K. Rowling's debut novel. The plot follows Harry Potter, a young wizard who discovers his magical ...more
  • The Hobbit
    5

    The Hobbit

    J. R. R. Tolkien
    • First Published: 1937-09-21
    • Subjects: Wizards, Literary, Epic film, Literature, Classics
    • Genres (Book): Children's literature, Fiction, Epic, Fantasy
    • Original Language: English Language
    Copies Sold: 100 million
    The Hobbit, or There and Back Again is a fantasy novel and children's book by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published on 21 September 1937 to wide critical acclaim, being nominated for the ...more
  • Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
    6
    • First Published: 1865

    Copies Sold: 100 million

    Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl ...more