Irwin Shaw published 17 novels, 5 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books, 2 plays and 5 other books, beginning with The Young Lions (1948). The best-known is Rich Man, Poor Man (1970).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Irwin Shaw
Start here
Rich Man, Poor Man
Irwin Shaw's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
Sailor Off the Bremen, and Other Stories (1939)
The Gentle People (1939)
Act of Faith (1946)
The Young Lions (1948)
The Troubled Air (1951)
Lucy Crown (1956)
Selected Short Stories of Irwin Shaw (1962)
Voices of a Summer Day (1965)
Two Weeks in Another Town (1967)
Rich Man, Poor Man (Sep 1970)
Evening in Byzantium (1973)
Nightwork (1975)
Short Stories (1978)
Beggarman, Thief (Jul 1978)
The Top of the Hill (1979)
Acceptable Losses (1982)
Bread Upon the Waters (1982)
Short story collections in order
Mixed Company (1950)
Tip on a Dead Jockey (1957)
Love on a Dark Street (1965)
God Was Here but He Left Early (1972)
Short Stories, Five Decades (1978)
Non-fiction in order
Report on Israel (1950)
Paris! Paris! (1977)
Plays in order
Bury the Dead (1936)
The Assassin (1946)
Other books in order
The Young Lions Part 1 of 2 (1948)
Children from Their Games (1962)
Troubled Air, The (1978)
Irwin Shaw/stories (1982)
Hard Way Home, The (1983)
Film and TV adaptations
- Rich Man Poor Man (1982)Film · from Rich Man, Poor Man
- Rich Man, Poor ManTV · from Rich Man, Poor Man
About Irwin Shaw
Irwin Shaw was an American playwright, screenwriter, novelist, and short-story author whose written works have sold more than 14 million copies. He is best known for two of his novels: The Young Lions (1948), about the fate of three soldiers during World War II, which was made into a film of the same name starring Marlon Brando and Montgomery Clift, and Rich Man, Poor Man (1970), about the fate of two brothers and a sister in the post-World War II decades, which in 1976 was made into a popular miniseries starring Peter Strauss, Nick Nolte, and Susan Blakely.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Irwin Shaw FAQ
- How many books has Irwin Shaw written?
- Irwin Shaw published 17 novels, 5 short story collections, 2 non-fiction books, 2 plays and 5 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Irwin Shaw's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Rich Man, Poor Man.
- What is Irwin Shaw's last book?
- Bread Upon the Waters (1982).
- What is Irwin Shaw's most famous book?
- Rich Man, Poor Man (1970) is Irwin Shaw's most widely read book.
- Which Irwin Shaw books have been adapted?
- 1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Rich Man, Poor Man (as Rich Man Poor Man, film, 1982).
Authors like Irwin Shaw
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.