James Macpherson books in order
British writer, poet, translator and politician
- Lived
- 1736–1796
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 9
- Also writes as
- Ossian
James Macpherson published 1 novel, 1 non-fiction book, 6 poetry collections and 1 other book, beginning with Fragments of Ancient Poetry (1760). The best-known is Poems of Ossian (1796).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with James Macpherson
Start here
Poems of Ossian
James Macpherson's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Works of Ossian (1760)
Non-fiction in order
The Rights of Great Britain Asserted Against the Claims of America (1776)
Poetry in order
Fragments of Ancient Poetry (1760)
Fingal (1763)
The Poems of Ossian, the Son of Fingal (1792)
Poems of Ossian (1796)
The Poems of Ossian, Translated From the Galic Language by James Macpherson, Esq. and Turned Into Blank Verse (1810)
Ossian's Fingal (1814)
Other books in order
The Iliad of Homer (1773)
About James Macpherson
James Macpherson was a Scottish writer, poet, literary collector, and politician. He is known for the Ossian cycle of epic poems, which he claimed to have discovered and translated from Gaelic.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
James Macpherson FAQ
- How many books has James Macpherson written?
- James Macpherson published 1 novel, 1 non-fiction book, 6 poetry collections and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read James Macpherson's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Poems of Ossian.
- What is James Macpherson's last book?
- The Rights of Great Britain Asserted Against the Claims of America (1776).
- What is James Macpherson's most famous book?
- Poems of Ossian (1796) is James Macpherson's most widely read book.
- Does James Macpherson write under a pen name?
- Yes: James Macpherson has also published as Ossian.
- Can I read James Macpherson's books for free?
- Yes. 1 book by James Macpherson is in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like James Macpherson
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.