1966 in books
Who ruled 1966? Jacqueline Susann was Author of the Year on the NYT Hardcover Fiction list. Every #1 bestseller of 1966, the biggest books and the top authors.
NYT Hardcover Fiction
Author of the Year 1966
28 crowns · 40 weeks among the top five authors · Era Power 550
| # | Author | Era Power | Crowns | Top-five weeks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacqueline Susann | 550 | 28 | 40 |
| 2 | James Michener | 493 | 18 | 39 |
| 3 | Harold Robbins | 389 | 0 | 29 |
| 4 | Helen MacInnes | 302 | 0 | 25 |
| 5 | Irving Stone | 270 | 0 | 16 |
| 6 | James Clavell | 268 | 0 | 20 |
| 7 | Louis Auchincloss | 217 | 0 | 14 |
| 8 | Adela Rogers St. Johns | 196 | 0 | 7 |
| 9 | Robert Crichton | 181 | 6 | 13 |
| 10 | Bel Kaufman | 165 | 0 | 10 |
| First week at #1 | Title | Author | Weeks at #1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2, 1966 | The Source | James Michener | 18 |
| May 8, 1966 | Valley of the Dolls | Jacqueline Susann | 28 |
| Nov 20, 1966 | The Secret of Santa Vittoria | Robert Crichton | 6 |
| # | Title | Author | Peak | Weeks | Book Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valley of the Dolls | Jacqueline Susann | #1 | 65 | 764.2 |
| 2 | The Secret of Santa Vittoria | Robert Crichton | #1 | 47 | 541.1 |
| 3 | Capable of Honor | Allen Drury | #2 | 41 | 405.5 |
| 4 | The Adventurers | Harold Robbins | #2 | 41 | 397.7 |
| 5 | Tai-Pan | James Clavell | #2 | 44 | 351.0 |
| 6 | The Double Image | Helen MacInnes | #2 | 33 | 302.2 |
| 7 | The Embezzler | Louis Auchincloss | #2 | 27 | 217.0 |
| 8 | The Birds Fall Down | Rebecca West | #3 | 25 | 211.5 |
| 9 | Tell No Man | Adela Rogers St. Johns | #4 | 29 | 196.2 |
| 10 | The Mask of Apollo | Mary Renault | #4 | 22 | 162.2 |
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