List of The New York Times number-one books of 1948
This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1948.
Fiction
[edit]The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.
The American publisher Bennett Cerf noted that there had been "only three novels published [in 1948] that were worth reading ... Cry, The Beloved Country, The Ides of March, and The Naked and the Dead."[1] Only Cry did not top the list that year. A total of ten other novels did, however, with most titles spending only a few weeks at the top. The strongest performing title was The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer's first best seller, published when he was just 25 years old, which spent 19 weeks at Number 1 and more than 6 months in the top 10. It was the first "big" novel about World War II, based on his own experiences. The Ides of March was by Thornton Wilder and it spent 2 weeks at Number 1 but only 13 weeks in the top 15. The year ended with The Big Fisherman heading the list, Lloyd C. Douglas's follow-up to his huge 1942 best seller, The Robe.[2][3]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 4 | House Divided | Ben Ames Williams |
| January 11 | ||
| January 18 | ||
| January 25 | ||
| February 1 | ||
| February 8 | East Side, West Side | Marcia Davenport |
| February 15 | ||
| February 22 | House Divided | Ben Ames Williams |
| February 29 | ||
| March 7 | Eagle in the Sky | Van Wyck Mason |
| March 14 | ||
| March 21 | ||
| March 28 | ||
| April 4 | The Ides of March | Thornton Wilder |
| April 11 | Eagle in the Sky | Van Wyck Mason |
| April 18 | The Ides of March | Thornton Wilder |
| April 25 | Raintree County | Ross Lockridge Jr. |
| May 2 | ||
| May 9 | Pilgrim's Inn | Elizabeth Goudge |
| May 16 | Raintree County | Ross Lockridge |
| May 23 | Pilgrim's Inn | Elizabeth Goudge |
| May 30 | Raintree County | Ross Lockridge |
| June 6 | Pilgrim's Inn | Elizabeth Goudge |
| June 13 | ||
| June 20 | The Naked and the Dead | Norman Mailer |
| June 27 | ||
| July 4 | ||
| July 11 | ||
| July 18 | ||
| July 25 | ||
| August 1 | ||
| August 8 | ||
| August 15 | ||
| August 22 | ||
| August 29 | ||
| September 5 | Shannon's Way | A. J. Cronin |
| September 12 | ||
| September 19 | The Naked and the Dead | Norman Mailer |
| September 26 | Shannon's Way | A. J. Cronin |
| October 3 | The Naked and the Dead | Norman Mailer |
| October 10 | ||
| October 17 | ||
| October 24 | ||
| October 31 | ||
| November 7 | The Young Lions | Irwin Shaw |
| November 14 | The Naked and the Dead | Norman Mailer |
| November 21 | ||
| November 28 | The Young Lions | Irwin Shaw |
| December 5 | ||
| December 12 | ||
| December 19 | The Big Fisherman | Lloyd C. Douglas |
| December 26 |
Nonfiction
[edit]The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.[4]
| Date | Book | Author |
|---|---|---|
| January 4 | Speaking Frankly | James F. Byrnes |
| January 11 | Inside U.S.A. | John Gunther |
| January 18 | ||
| January 25 | ||
| February 1 | ||
| February 8 | ||
| February 15 | ||
| February 22 | Peace of Mind | Joshua L. Liebman |
| February 29 | ||
| March 7 | ||
| March 14 | ||
| March 21 | ||
| March 28 | ||
| April 4 | ||
| April 11 | ||
| April 18 | ||
| April 25 | ||
| May 2 | ||
| May 9 | ||
| May 16 | ||
| May 23 | Sexual Behavior in the Human Male | Alfred Kinsey |
| May 30 | Peace of Mind | Joshua L. Liebman |
| June 6 | ||
| June 13 | ||
| June 20 | ||
| June 27 | ||
| July 4 | ||
| July 11 | ||
| July 18 | ||
| July 25 | ||
| August 1 | How to Stop Worrying and Start Living | Dale Carnegie |
| August 8 | The Gathering Storm | Winston Churchill |
| August 15 | Peace of Mind | Joshua L. Liebman |
| August 22 | The Gathering Storm | Winston Churchill |
| August 29 | ||
| September 5 | ||
| September 12 | ||
| September 19 | How to Stop Worrying and Start Living | Dale Carnegie |
| September 26 | ||
| October 3 | ||
| October 10 | ||
| October 17 | ||
| October 24 | ||
| October 31 | ||
| November 7 | ||
| November 14 | ||
| November 21 | ||
| November 28 | ||
| December 5 | ||
| December 12 | ||
| December 19 | Roosevelt and Hopkins | Robert E. Sherwood |
| December 26 | Crusade in Europe | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ (No author.) "Reader's digest: Gossip, news: J. F. Albright reports on A.B.A. meeting," The Dallas Morning News, 30 May 1948, page 6.
- ^ Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1948
- ^ John Bear, The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times bestsellers since the first list, 50 years ago, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1992, pp. 31-39
- ^ Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1948