How many books has Nevil Shute written?

Nevil Shute published 24 novels and 1 play that we list, as of September 2026.

What order should I read Nevil Shute's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with On the Beach.

What is Nevil Shute's last book?

Three of a Kind. Requiem for a Wren. an Old Captivity. Pastoral (1962).

What is Nevil Shute's most famous book?

On the Beach (1957) is Nevil Shute's most widely read book.

Which Nevil Shute books have been adapted?

4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Pied Piper (as The Pied Piper, film, 1942), A Town Like Alice (film, 1956), The Far Country (as A Town Like Alice, TV, 1981) and On the Beach (film, 1959).

Nevil Shute books in order

British writer and engineer

Lived: 1899–1960
Country: United Kingdom
Books: 25

Literary fiction

Nevil Shute published 24 novels and 1 play, beginning with Pied Piper (1941). The best-known is On the Beach (1957).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Nevil Shute

Start here
On the Beach
Nevil Shute's most-read book.

Standalone novels in order

Marazan (1926)
260 pages
Buy
Lonely Road (1932)
248 pages
Buy
Ruined City (1938)
259 pages
Buy
An Old Captivity (1940)
288 pages
Buy
Landfall (1940)
256 pages
Buy
Pied Piper (1941)
305 pages★ 4.6 (5 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
Pastoral (1944)
246 pages
Buy
Most Secret (1945)
287 pages
Buy
The Chequer Board (1947)
298 pages
Buy
No Highway (1948)
314 pages
Buy
A Town Like Alice (1950)
310 pages★ 4.2 (6 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
Round the Bend (1951)
357 pages
Buy
The Far Country (1952)
338 pagesAdapted for TV
Buy
What Happened to the Corbetts (1952)
236 pages
Buy
In the Wet (1953)
354 pages
Buy
Slide Rule (1954)
251 pages
Buy
The Breaking Wave (1955)
282 pages
Buy
Beyond the Black Stump (1956)
297 pages
Buy
On the Beach (1957)
292 pages★ 3.9 (9 ratings)Adapted for film
Buy
The Rainbow and the Rose (1958)
306 pages
Buy
So Disdained (1959)
240 pages
Buy
Trustee from the Toolroom (1960)
312 pages
Buy
Stephen Morris (1961)
273 pages
Buy
Three of a Kind. Requiem for a Wren. an Old Captivity. Pastoral (1962)
636 pages
Buy

Plays in order

Vinland the Good (1946)
127 pages
Buy

Film and TV adaptations

The Pied Piper (1942)Film · from Pied Piper
A Town Like Alice (1956)Film · from A Town Like Alice
A Town Like Alice (1981)TV · from The Far Country
On the Beach (1959)Film · from On the Beach
On the Beach (2000)TV · from On the Beach

About Nevil Shute

Nevil Shute Norway was an English novelist and aeronautical engineer who spent his later years in Australia. He used his full name in his engineering career and Nevil Shute as his pen name to protect his engineering career from inferences by his employers (Vickers) or from fellow engineers that he was "not a serious person" or from potentially adverse publicity in connection with his novels, which included On the Beach and A Town Like Alice.

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

Nevil Shute FAQ

How many books has Nevil Shute written?: Nevil Shute published 24 novels and 1 play that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Nevil Shute's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with On the Beach.
What is Nevil Shute's last book?: Three of a Kind. Requiem for a Wren. an Old Captivity. Pastoral (1962).
What is Nevil Shute's most famous book?: On the Beach (1957) is Nevil Shute's most widely read book.
Which Nevil Shute books have been adapted?: 4 books have been adapted for film or TV, including Pied Piper (as The Pied Piper, film, 1942), A Town Like Alice (film, 1956), The Far Country (as A Town Like Alice, TV, 1981) and On the Beach (film, 1959).