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Eras · The 1950s

1951 in books

Who ruled 1951? James Jones was Author of the Year on the NYT Hardcover Fiction list. Every #1 bestseller of 1951, the biggest books and the top authors.

NYT Hardcover Fiction

James Jones portrait

Author of the Year 1951

James Jones

20 crowns · 37 weeks among the top five authors · Era Power 513

Top authors of 1951
#AuthorEra PowerCrownsTop-five weeks
1James Jones5132037
2Herman Wouk4922136
3Frances Parkinson Keyes317822
4Budd Schulberg260319
5Nicholas Monsarrat232019
6James A. Michener223018
7J.D. Salinger170013
8F. Van Wyck Mason164012
9Frank Yerby155010
10Paul I. Wellman12704
Every #1 bestseller of 19514 books reached #1 on the NYT Hardcover Fiction list
First week at #1TitleAuthorWeeks at #1
Jan 7, 1951The DisenchantedBudd Schulberg3
Jan 14, 1951Joy StreetFrances Parkinson Keyes8
Mar 25, 1951From Here to EternityJames Jones20
Aug 12, 1951The Caine MutinyHerman Wouk21
Biggest books of 1951Titles that entered the list in 1951, by Book Power
#TitleAuthorPeakWeeksBook Power
1The Caine MutinyHerman Wouk#11231,342.3
2From Here to EternityJames Jones#166599.4
3The Cruel SeaNicholas Monsarrat#261578.9
4The President's LadyIrving Stone#333231.7
5Return to ParadiseJames A. Michener#326222.5
6Melville Goodwin, USAJohn Marquand#323218.6
7The Catcher in the RyeJ.D. Salinger#429190.7
8The End of the AffairGraham Greene#426187.1
9MosesSholem Asch#426165.0
10Proud New FlagsF. Van Wyck Mason#322164.2

Author of the Year and the rankings are the ChartReign Power model: the author with the most chart power over the year, not the most #1s. Crowns are weeks crowned Author of the Week. How it works