Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury published 9 non-fiction books and 2 other books, beginning with The Lord Chancellor's Speech in the Exchequer to Baron Thurland at the Taking of His Oath, 24 Jan. 1672/3 (1672). The best-known is A Speech Lately Made by a Noble Peer of the Realm (1681).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury
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A Speech Lately Made by a Noble Peer of the Realm
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury's most-read book.
Non-fiction in order
The Lord Chancellor's Speech in the Exchequer to Baron Thurland at the Taking of His Oath, 24 Jan. 1672/3 (1672)
A Letter from a Parliament Man to His Friend, Concerning the Proceedings of the House of Commons This Last Sessions, Begun the 13th of October, 1675 (1675)
A Letter from a Person of Quality to His Friend in the Country (1675)
Two Seasonable Discourses Concerning This Present Parliament (1675)
Two Speeches (1675)
Two Speeches Made in the House of Peers (1680)
A Speech Lately Made by a Noble Peer of the Realm (1681)
An Impartial Account of the Nature and Tendency of the Late Addresses (1681)
The English States-man, the Protestant Oracle (1688)
Other books in order
Notes Taken in Short-hand of a Speech in the House of Lords on the Debates of Appointing a Day for Hearing Dr. Shirley's Cause, Octob. 20, 1675 (1675)
The Proceedings at the Sessions House in the Old-Baily, London on Thursday the 24th Day of November, 1681 (1681)
About Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, was an English statesman. He held senior political office under both the Commonwealth of England and Charles II, serving as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1661 to 1672 and Lord Chancellor from 1672 to 1673. During the Exclusion Crisis (1679–1681), Shaftesbury headed the movement to bar the Catholic heir, James II, from the royal succession, which is often seen as the origin of the Whig party. He was the first patron of John Locke, who, when they met was a quiet Oxford don and practising physician; as part of Shaftesbury's household and retinue for 15 years, Locke became a major political philosopher.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury FAQ
- How many books has Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury written?
- Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury published 9 non-fiction books and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with A Speech Lately Made by a Noble Peer of the Realm.
- What is Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury's last book?
- An Impartial Account of the Nature and Tendency of the Late Addresses (1681).
- What is Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury's most famous book?
- A Speech Lately Made by a Noble Peer of the Realm (1681) is Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury's most widely read book.
Authors like Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.