R. M. Ballantyne books in order
Scottish author of juvenile fiction
- Lived
- 1825–1894
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 78
- Also writes as
- Comus
R. M. Ballantyne published 15 novels, 4 novellas, 3 non-fiction books, 31 children's books, 1 poetry collection and 24 other books, beginning with The Coral Island (1858).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with R. M. Ballantyne
Standalone novels in order
The Coral Island: A Tale of the Pacific Ocean (1858)
The Gorilla Hunters (1861)
Freaks on the Fells (1865)
Erling the Bold (1869)
The Iron Horse (1871)
Black Ivory (1873)
The Settler and the Savage (1877)
Post Haste (1879)
The Lighthouse (1881)
The Young Trawler (1884)
The Lonely Island (1887)
Blue Lights, Or, Hot Work in the Soudan (1888)
The Middy and the Moors (1888)
The Crew of the Water Wagtail: A Story of Newfoundland (1889)
Novellas in order
Fighting the Whales (1860)
Chasing the Sun (1864)
Lost In The Forest (1880)
The Prairie Chief (1886)
Non-fiction in order
Handbook to the New Gold Fields (1858)
Up In the Clouds (1863)
Six Months at the Cape (1878)
Children's books in order
The Cannibal Islands (1850)
Snowflakes and Sunbeams (1856)
Hudson's Bay (1857)
The Three Little Kittens (1857)
Ungava (1857)
The Coral Island (1858)
The World of Ice (1860)
Gascoyne (1863)
Man on the Ocean (1863)
The Wild Man of the West (1863)
Fast in the Ice (1865)
The Lifeboat (1865)
Martin Rattler (1867)
The Silver Lake (1867)
Deep Down (1868)
Away in the Wilderness (1869)
Fighting the Flames (1871)
The Pirate City (1874)
In the Track of the Troops (1878)
The Red Eric (1880)
The Red Man's Revenge (1880)
The Battery and the Boiler (1882)
The Madman and the Pirate (1883)
Twice Bought (1884)
The Big Otter (1885)
Red Rooney (1886)
The Fugitives (1887)
The Pioneers (1889)
The Walrus Hunters (1893)
Poetry in order
Other books in order
The Story of the Rock (1850)
The Eagle Cliff (1855)
Digging for Gold, Or, Adventures in California (1860)
Shifting Winds (1866)
Sunk At Sea (1869)
Tales of Adventure on the Sea (1873)
The Ocean and Its Wonders (1874)
Rivers of Ice (1875)
Wrecked but Not Ruined (1879)
Philosopher Jack (1880)
The Rover of the Andes (1880)
Battles with the Sea (1883)
The Island Queen (1885)
The Lively Poll a Tale of the North Sea (1886)
Life in the Red Brigade; And, Fort Desolation (1887)
Blown to Bits (1889)
Charlie to the Rescue (1890)
Hunted and Harried (1890)
The Buffalo Runners (1890)
The Hot Swamp (1892)
Personal Reminiscences in Book-making (1893)
Saved by the Lifeboat (1894)
Free to read
All free classics
About R. M. Ballantyne
Robert Michael Ballantyne was a Scottish author of juvenile fiction, who wrote more than a hundred books. He was also an accomplished artist: he exhibited some of his water-colours at the Royal Scottish Academy.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
R. M. Ballantyne FAQ
- How many books has R. M. Ballantyne written?
- R. M. Ballantyne published 15 novels, 4 novellas, 3 non-fiction books, 31 children's books, 1 poetry collection and 24 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read R. M. Ballantyne's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Coral Island.
- What is R. M. Ballantyne's last book?
- The Crew of the Water Wagtail: A Story of Newfoundland (1889).
- What is R. M. Ballantyne's most famous book?
- The Coral Island (1858) is R. M. Ballantyne's most widely read book.
- Does R. M. Ballantyne write under a pen name?
- Yes: R. M. Ballantyne has also published as Comus.
- Can I read R. M. Ballantyne's books for free?
- Yes. 37 books by R. M. Ballantyne are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
Authors like R. M. Ballantyne
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Henryk Sienkiewicz
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Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers, free texts from Project Gutenberg. Last updated September 2026.