BFI Film Classics Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of BFI Film Classics books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: January 2026
Publication Order
Napoleon: Abel Gance's Classic Film (By: Kevin Brownlow)
Buy on Amazon1982
The Seventh Seal (By: Melvyn Bragg)
Buy on Amazon1993
L'Atalante (By: Marina Warner)
Buy on Amazon1993
It's a Gift (By: Simon Louvish)
Buy on Amazon1994
Things to Come (By: Christopher Frayling)
Buy on Amazon1995
The Big Sleep (By: David Thomson)
Buy on Amazon1997
The Thing (By: Anne Billson)
Buy on Amazon1997
The Birds (By: Camille Paglia)
Buy on Amazon1998
Crash (By: Iain Sinclair)
Buy on Amazon1999
Sanshô Dayû (By: Dudley Andrew)
Buy on Amazon1999
Titanic (By: David M. Lubin)
Buy on Amazon2000
Belle de Jour (By: Michael Wood)
Buy on Amazon2001
The Manchurian Candidate (By: Greil Marcus)
Buy on Amazon2002
The Exorcist (By: Mark Kermode)
Buy on Amazon2003
Kind Hearts and Coronets (By: Michael Newton)
Buy on Amazon2003
The Matrix (By: Joshua Clover)
Buy on Amazon2004
City Lights (By: Charles J. Maland)
Buy on Amazon2007
Ratcatcher (By: Annette Kuhn)
Buy on Amazon2008
2001: A Space Odyssey (By: Peter Krämer)
Buy on Amazon2010
The Best Years of Our Lives
Buy on Amazon2011
Meshes of the Afternoon (By: John David Rhodes)
Buy on Amazon2011
Caché (By: Catherine Wheatley)
Buy on Amazon2012
Spirited Away (By: AndrewOsmond)
Buy on Amazon2014
The Shawshank Redemption (By: Mark Kermode)
Buy on Amazon2019
The Silence of the Lambs (By: Yvonne Tasker)
Buy on Amazon2019
Silent Running (By: Mark Kermode)
Buy on Amazon2019
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (By: A.L. Kennedy)
Buy on Amazon2020
The Big Lebowski (By: J.M. Tyree)
Buy on Amazon2020
Fear Eats the Soul (By: Laura Cottingham)
Buy on Amazon2020
Frequently Asked Questions
The recommended reading order for the BFI Film Classics series is publication order: 1. Napoleon: Abel Gance's Classic Film (By: Kevin Brownlow) (1982), 2. The Seventh Seal (By: Melvyn Bragg) (1993), 3. L'Atalante (By: Marina Warner) (1993), 4. It's a Gift (By: Simon Louvish) (1994), 5. Things to Come (By: Christopher Frayling) (1995), and 24 more. This is generally the best way to experience the story as the author intended.
The BFI Film Classics series by Sarah Kozloff contains 29 books. The series began in 1982 and continues to be a popular choice for readers.
The BFI Film Classics series is written by Sarah Kozloff. You can find more books and series by this author on our website.
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