Benedict Anderson published 7 non-fiction books and 2 other books, beginning with Imagined Communities (1983).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Benedict Anderson
Start here
Imagined Communities
Benedict Anderson's most-read book.
Non-fiction in order
A Preliminary Analysis of the October 1, 1965 (1971)
Imagined Communities (1983)
Language and Power (1990)
The Spectre of Comparisons (1998)
Debating World Literature (2004)
Java in a Time of Revolution (2005)
Under Three Flags (Jan 2006)
Other books in order
The Fate of Rural Hell (2012)
City in Geography (2019)
About Benedict Anderson
Benedict Richard O'Gorman Anderson was an Anglo-Irish political scientist and historian who lived and taught in the United States. Anderson is best known for his 1983 book Imagined Communities, which explored the origins of nationalism. A polyglot with an interest in Southeast Asia, he was the Aaron L. Binenkorb Professor of International Studies, Government & Asian Studies at Cornell University. His work on the "Cornell Paper" disputed the official story of Indonesia's 30 September Movement and the subsequent anti-Communist purges of 1965–1966 which led to his expulsion from that country. He was the elder brother of historian Perry Anderson.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Benedict Anderson FAQ
- How many books has Benedict Anderson written?
- Benedict Anderson published 7 non-fiction books and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Benedict Anderson's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Imagined Communities.
- What is Benedict Anderson's last book?
- Under Three Flags (2006).
- What is Benedict Anderson's most famous book?
- Imagined Communities (1983) is Benedict Anderson's most widely read book.
Authors like Benedict Anderson
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.