Portrait of Christiaan Barnard

Christiaan Barnard books in order

South African cardiac surgeon

Lived
1922–2001
Country
South Africa
Books
9

Christiaan Barnard published 2 novels, 5 non-fiction books and 2 other books, beginning with Christiaan Barnard (1969).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Christiaan Barnard

Standalone novels in order

  1. Tensión (1974)

    382 pages

  2. The Donor (1996)

    375 pages

Non-fiction in order

  1. Christiaan Barnard (1969)

    469 pages

  2. South Africa (1977)

    123 pages

  3. The Body Machine (1981)

    256 pages

  4. Your Healthy Heart (1985)

    224 pages

  5. The Second Life (1993)

    407 pages

Other books in order

  1. Good Life Good Death (1980)

    146 pages

  2. 50 Ways to a Healthy Heart (Thorsons Directions for Life) (2001)

    304 pages

About Christiaan Barnard

Christiaan Neethling Barnard was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplant operation. On 3 December 1967, Barnard transplanted the heart of accident victim Denise Darvall into the chest of 54-year-old Louis Washkansky, who regained full consciousness and was able to talk easily with his wife, before dying 18 days later of pneumonia, largely brought on by the anti-rejection drugs that suppressed his immune system. Barnard had told Mr. and Mrs. Washkansky that the operation had an 80% chance of success, an assessment which has been criticised as misleading. Barnard's second transplant patient, Philip Blaiberg, whose operation was performed at the beginning of 1968, returned home from the hospital and lived for a year and a half.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Christiaan Barnard FAQ

How many books has Christiaan Barnard written?
Christiaan Barnard published 2 novels, 5 non-fiction books and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Christiaan Barnard's books in?
Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Christiaan Barnard.
What is Christiaan Barnard's last book?
The Donor (1996).
What is Christiaan Barnard's most famous book?
Christiaan Barnard (1969) is Christiaan Barnard's most widely read book.

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.