Authors · NYT Hardcover Fiction

Joseph Wambaugh

Charting Feb 7, 1971 → Apr 20, 2008 · 167 weeks with chart power

Peak Power: 10.44%; week of Apr 25, 1976
Career Power: 1,147; share-weeks
Weeks at #1: 0; weeks as the top author

Peak Year: 281; June 1975 – June 1976
Peak Five Years: 490; April 1971 – March 1976
Top-five weeks: 63; weeks ranked 1–5
Longevity: 167; weeks with chart power
Dominance: 12.64%; week of Jun 27, 1971
Comebacks: 5; December 1975, February 1978, August 1981, April 1983, November 1985

Comebacks (thresholds from `config/scoring.json`)
Kind	Trough began	Returned	Trough weeks	Longest absence	Prior peak	Return share
After absence	Aug 20, 1972	Dec 28, 1975	175	171	9.70%	3.66%
After decline	Aug 22, 1976	Feb 12, 1978	77	71	10.44%	4.31%
After absence	Jun 11, 1978	Aug 2, 1981	151	146	10.44%	4.28%
After decline	Dec 27, 1981	Apr 10, 1983	67	63	10.44%	3.75%
After absence	Jul 10, 1983	Nov 24, 1985	124	117	10.44%	3.66%

Ranked by weekly Power Share, part of the ChartReign Power model — not the list's own positions (config version 4, Sep 22, 2026). How it works →

Exponentially smoothed share of the week's total power (the primary metric).

Titles on the NYT Hardcover Fiction

12 books · 1,147 share-weeks of Career Power

Power contributed is what each book earned this author: their weekly Power Share, split across their books (a featured credit takes its reduced share). Book Power is the book's own figure, the same for every author on it. Bar length compares books within this list.

Title	Peak	Weeks	On chart	Power contributedPower	Book Power
The Choirboys	#2February 1976	28	November 1975 – June 1976	281.3	281.3
The New Centurions	#2June 1971	32	February 1971 – September 1971	260.7	260.7
The Glitter Dome	#3July 1981	22	June 1981 – November 1981	140.8	140.8
The Black Marble	#3February 1978	18	January 1978 – May 1978	112.9	112.9
The Blue Knight	#6April 1972	17	March 1972 – July 1972	88.6	88.6
The Secrets of Harry Bright	#5October 1985	17	October 1985 – February 1986	88.3	88.2
The Delta Star	#3March 1983	13	March 1983 – June 1983	80.8	80.8
The Golden Orange	#5June 1990	11	May 1990 – July 1990	52.1	52.1
Fugitive Nights	#7February 1992	5	February 1992 – March 1992	24.5	24.5
Hollywood Crows	#5April 2008	2	April 2008 – April 2008	12.0	12.0
Floaters	#13June 1996	1	June 1996	2.8	2.8
Finnegan's Week	#14November 1993	1	November 1993	2.5	2.4