What order should I read Shashi Tharoor's books in?

Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Great Indian Novel.

What is Shashi Tharoor's most famous book?

The Great Indian Novel (1989) is Shashi Tharoor's most widely read book.

Shashi Tharoor books in order

Indian politician, diplomat, author

Born: 1956
Country: India
Books: 21

Shashi Tharoor has published 5 novels, 1 short story collection, 12 non-fiction books and 3 other books, beginning with The Great Indian Novel (1989). The latest is Ambedkar: A Life (2022).

Updated September 2026

Where to start with Shashi Tharoor

Start here
The Great Indian Novel
Shashi Tharoor's most-read book.
Newest
Ambedkar: A Life
Published October 2022.

Standalone novels in order

The Great Indian Novel (Aug 1989)
423 pages
Buy
Show Business (1991)
315 pages
Buy
Riot (2001)
272 pages
Buy
Pax Indica (2012)
456 pages
Buy
Ambedkar: A Life (Oct 2022)
240 pages
Buy

Short story collections in order

The Five-dollar Smile and Other Stories (1993)
175 pages
Buy

Non-fiction in order

India (1997)
416 pages
Buy
India, from Midnight to the Millennium (1997)
392 pages
Buy
Kerala, God's Own Country (2003)
57 pages
Buy
Nehru (2003)
272 pages
Buy
Bookless in Baghdad (2005)
288 pages
Buy
India from Midnight to the Millennium & Beyond (2012)
Buy
An Era of Darkness (2016)
360 pages
Buy
Inglorious Empire (2017)
336 pages
Buy
Why I Am a Hindu (2018)
320 pages
Buy
Paradoxical Prime Minister (2019)
256 pages
Buy
Pride Prejudice & Punditry (2021)
574 pages
Buy
Struggle for India's Soul (2021)
Buy

Other books in order

Reasons of State (1982)
438 pages
Buy
Elephant, the Tiger, and the Cellphone (2008)
507 pages
Buy
Tharoorosaurus (2020)
Buy

About Shashi Tharoor

Shashi Tharoor is an Indian politician, civil servant, author, public intellectual, diplomat, and bureaucrat. A member of the Indian National Congress, he has represented Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, in the Lok Sabha since 2009. He was formerly an Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and ran for the office of Secretary-General in 2006, coming second.

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

Shashi Tharoor FAQ

How many books has Shashi Tharoor written?: Shashi Tharoor has published 5 novels, 1 short story collection, 12 non-fiction books and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Shashi Tharoor's books in?: Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Great Indian Novel.
What is Shashi Tharoor's latest book?: Ambedkar: A Life (2022).
What is Shashi Tharoor's most famous book?: The Great Indian Novel (1989) is Shashi Tharoor's most widely read book.