Martin Luther King Jr. books in order
American Baptist minister and civil rights leader
- Lived
- 1929–1968
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 14
Martin Luther King Jr. published 1 novella, 10 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 2 other books, beginning with Letter from Birmingham City Jail (1963). The best-known is Why We Can't Wait (1964).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Martin Luther King Jr.
Start here
Why We Can't Wait
Martin Luther King Jr.'s most-read book.
Novellas in order
Conscience for Change (1968)
Non-fiction in order
Stride Toward Freedom (1958)
Letter from Birmingham City Jail (1963)
Strength to Love (1963)
Why We Can't Wait (1964)
Where Do We Go from Here (1967)
The Trumpet of Conscience (1968)
A Testament of Hope (1986)
Letter From Birmingham Jail I Have A Dream Speech (2007)
A Gift of Love (2012)
The Radical King (2014)
Children's books in order
I Have a Dream (1991)
Other books in order
The Measure of a Man (1959)
Martin Luther King, Jr (1988)
About Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. was an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister who was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. He advanced civil rights for people of color in the United States through the use of nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience against Jim Crow laws and other forms of legalized discrimination, which most commonly affected African Americans.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Martin Luther King Jr. FAQ
- How many books has Martin Luther King Jr. written?
- Martin Luther King Jr. published 1 novella, 10 non-fiction books, 1 children's book and 2 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Martin Luther King Jr.'s books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Why We Can't Wait.
- What is Martin Luther King Jr.'s last book?
- The Trumpet of Conscience (1968).
- What is Martin Luther King Jr.'s most famous book?
- Why We Can't Wait (1964) is Martin Luther King Jr.'s most widely read book.
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.