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Eminent Lives Books in Order
Below you'll find the complete list of Eminent Lives books in publication order. This is generally the recommended reading order for the series.
Reading order verified: March 2026
Quick Answer
What order should I read the Eminent Lives series? Start with "Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (By: Karen Armstrong)" (1991) and follow publication order through all 13 books.
The complete Eminent Lives reading order is listed below in publication sequence.
Publication Order
Muhammad: A Prophet for Our Time (By: Karen Armstrong)
1991
Ulysses S. Grant: The Unlikely Hero (By: Michael Korda)
2004
George Balanchine (By: Robert Gottlieb)
2004
Beethoven
2005
Thomas Jefferson (By: Christopher Hitchens)
2005
Caravaggio (By: Francine Prose)
2005
Alexander the Great (By: Norman F. Cantor)
2005
Freud (By: Peter D. Kramer)
2006
Francis Crick (By: Matt Ridley)
2006
Alexis de Tocqueville (By: Joseph Epstein)
2006
Shakespeare (By: Bill Bryson)
2007
Machiavelli (By: Ross King)
2007
George Washington (By: Paul Johnson)
2009
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