Charles Van Doren books in order
American university teacher, non-fiction writer, biographer
- Lived
- 1926–2019
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 6
Charles Van Doren published 2 novels and 4 non-fiction books, beginning with How to Read a Book (1940).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Charles Van Doren
Start here
How to Read a Book
Charles Van Doren's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Idea of Progress (1967)
The Joy of Reading (1985)
Non-fiction in order
How to Read a Book (1940), with Mortimer J. Adler
Great Documents in American Indian History (1973)
Great Treasury of Western Thought (1977)
A History of Knowledge (1991)
About Charles Van Doren
Charles Lincoln Van Doren was an American writer and editor who was involved in a television quiz show scandal in the 1950s. In 1959, he testified before the United States Congress that he had been given the correct answers by the producers of the NBC quiz show Twenty-One. Terminated by NBC, he joined Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. in 1959, becoming a vice-president and writing and editing many books before retiring in 1982.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Charles Van Doren FAQ
- How many books has Charles Van Doren written?
- Charles Van Doren published 2 novels and 4 non-fiction books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Charles Van Doren's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with How to Read a Book.
- What is Charles Van Doren's last book?
- A History of Knowledge (1991).
- What is Charles Van Doren's most famous book?
- How to Read a Book (1940) is Charles Van Doren's most widely read book.
Authors like Charles Van Doren
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.