Václav Havel books in order
Czech statesman, playwright, and former dissident, the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic
- Lived
- 1936–2011
- Country
- Czechoslovakia
- Books
- 22
Václav Havel published 2 novels, 7 non-fiction books, 5 plays and 8 other books, beginning with The Power of the Powerless (1978).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Václav Havel
Start here
The Power of the Powerless
Václav Havel's most-read book.
Standalone novels in order
The Power of the Powerless (1978)
Failure to Protect (2008)
Non-fiction in order
Letters to Olga (1985)
Disturbing the Peace (1986)
Living in Truth (1990)
Open Letters (1991)
Summer Meditations (1991)
The Art of the Impossible (1997)
To the Castle and Back (2006)
Plays in order
The Memorandum (1965)
Audience (1975)
Largo Desolato (1984)
The Garden Party (1993)
Leaving (2010)
Other books in order
The Increased Difficulty of Concentration (1972)
Temptation (1988)
Three Vaněk Plays (1990)
Private View (1991)
Selected Plays 1984-1987 (1994)
The Beggar's Opera (2001)
The Memo (2012)
The Vaněk Plays (2012)
About Václav Havel
Václav Havel was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and dissident. Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until 1992, prior to the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 31 December, before he became the first president of the Czech Republic from 1993 to 2003. He was the first democratically elected president of either country after the fall of communism. As a writer of Czech literature, he is known for his plays, essays and memoirs.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Václav Havel FAQ
- How many books has Václav Havel written?
- Václav Havel published 2 novels, 7 non-fiction books, 5 plays and 8 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Václav Havel's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with The Power of the Powerless.
- What is Václav Havel's last book?
- Failure to Protect (2008).
- What is Václav Havel's most famous book?
- The Power of the Powerless (1978) is Václav Havel's most widely read book.
Authors like Václav Havel
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.