Tom Wolfe books in order
American author and journalist
- Lived
- 1930–2018
- Country
- United States
- Books
- 16
Tom Wolfe published 8 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection and 6 non-fiction books, beginning with The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965). The best-known is The Bonfire of the Vanities (1987).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Tom Wolfe
Start here
The Bonfire of the Vanities
Tom Wolfe's most-read book.
Shortest way in
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test
One of the most-read, at about 416 pages.
Standalone novels in order
The Pumphouse (Pump House) Gang Tom Wolfe Bantam Paperback N4716 1969 (1966)
The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (Aug 1968)
Mauve Gloves & Madmen, Clutter & Vine (1976)
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1987)
A Man in Full (Nov 1998)
I Am Charlotte Simmons (2004)
Back to Blood (2012)
The Kingdom of Speech (2016)
Novellas in order
In Our Time (1980)
Short story collections in order
Hooking Up (2000)
Non-fiction in order
The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965)
Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers (1970)
The New Journalism (1973)
The Painted Word (1975)
The Right Stuff (1979)
From Bauhaus to Our House (1981)
Film and TV adaptations
- The Right Stuff (1983)Film · from The Right Stuff
- The Right StuffTV · from The Right Stuff
- The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)Film · from The Bonfire of the Vanities
- A Man in FullTV · from A Man in Full
About Tom Wolfe
Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. was an American author and journalist widely known for his association with New Journalism, a style of news writing and journalism developed in the 1960s and 1970s that incorporated literary techniques. Much of Wolfe's work is satirical and centers on the counterculture of the 1960s and issues related to class, social status, and the lifestyles of the economic and intellectual elites of New York City.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Tom Wolfe FAQ
- How many books has Tom Wolfe written?
- Tom Wolfe published 8 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection and 6 non-fiction books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Tom Wolfe's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Bonfire of the Vanities.
- What is Tom Wolfe's last book?
- The Kingdom of Speech (2016).
- What is Tom Wolfe's most famous book?
- The Bonfire of the Vanities (1987) is Tom Wolfe's most widely read book.
- Which Tom Wolfe books have been adapted?
- 3 books have been adapted for film or TV, including The Right Stuff (film, 1983), The Bonfire of the Vanities (film, 1990) and A Man in Full (TV).
Authors like Tom Wolfe
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.