Samuel Smiles books in order
Scottish author
- Lived
- 1812–1904
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Books
- 23
Samuel Smiles published 2 novels, 15 non-fiction books and 6 other books, beginning with Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Samuel Smiles
Standalone novels in order
Duty (1880)
Non-fiction in order
The Life of George Stephenson, Railway Engineer (1857)
The Life of George Stephenson (1859)
Lives of the Engineers (1861)
Industrial Biography (1863)
Lives of Boulton and Watt (1865)
The Huguenots in France (1873)
The Huguenots in France After the Revocation of the Edict of Nantes (1873)
Life of a Scotch Naturalist: Thomas Edward (1876)
Life of a Scotch Naturalist (1877)
Brief Biographies (1881)
A Publisher and His Friends (1891)
Jasmin, Barber, Poet, Philanthropist (1892)
Self-help with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance (1905)
Other books in order
Free to read
All free classics
About Samuel Smiles
Samuel Smiles was a British author and government reformer. Although he campaigned on a Chartist platform, he promoted the idea that more progress would come from new attitudes than from new laws. His primary work, Self-Help (1859), promoted thrift and claimed that poverty was caused largely by irresponsible habits, while also attacking materialism and laissez-faire government. It has been called "the bible of mid-Victorian liberalism" and had lasting effects on British political thought.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Samuel Smiles FAQ
- How many books has Samuel Smiles written?
- Samuel Smiles published 2 novels, 15 non-fiction books and 6 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Samuel Smiles's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct.
- What is Samuel Smiles's last book?
- Self-help with Illustrations of Conduct and Perseverance (1905).
- What is Samuel Smiles's most famous book?
- Self-Help; with Illustrations of Character and Conduct (1859) is Samuel Smiles's most widely read book.
- Can I read Samuel Smiles's books for free?
- Yes. 13 books by Samuel Smiles are in the public domain in the US and free to read online or download here.
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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.