A Book in Order

Series · 40 books

Elmer Kelton Books in Order

The complete Elmer Kelton reading order — 40 books from 1956–2004.

  1. 01 Hot iron 1956 Amazon — buy Hot iron Bookshop — buy Hot iron ThriftBooks — buy Hot iron eBooks.com — buy Hot iron
  2. 02 Barbed Wire 1957 Amazon — buy Barbed Wire Bookshop — buy Barbed Wire ThriftBooks — buy Barbed Wire eBooks.com — buy Barbed Wire
  3. 03 Buffalo Wagons 1957 Amazon — buy Buffalo Wagons Bookshop — buy Buffalo Wagons ThriftBooks — buy Buffalo Wagons eBooks.com — buy Buffalo Wagons
  4. 04 Shadow of a Star 1959 Amazon — buy Shadow of a Star Bookshop — buy Shadow of a Star ThriftBooks — buy Shadow of a Star eBooks.com — buy Shadow of a Star
  5. 05 Texas Rifles 1960 Amazon — buy Texas Rifles Bookshop — buy Texas Rifles ThriftBooks — buy Texas Rifles eBooks.com — buy Texas Rifles
  6. 06 Bitter Trail 1969 Amazon — buy Bitter Trail Bookshop — buy Bitter Trail ThriftBooks — buy Bitter Trail eBooks.com — buy Bitter Trail
  7. 07 The day the cowboys quit 1971 Amazon — buy The day the cowboys quit Bookshop — buy The day the cowboys quit ThriftBooks — buy The day the cowboys quit eBooks.com — buy The day the cowboys quit
  8. 08 Bowie's mine 1971 Amazon — buy Bowie's mine Bookshop — buy Bowie's mine ThriftBooks — buy Bowie's mine eBooks.com — buy Bowie's mine
  9. 09 Massacre at Goliad 1972 Amazon — buy Massacre at Goliad Bookshop — buy Massacre at Goliad ThriftBooks — buy Massacre at Goliad eBooks.com — buy Massacre at Goliad
  10. 10 The Time It Never Rained 1973 Amazon — buy The Time It Never Rained Bookshop — buy The Time It Never Rained ThriftBooks — buy The Time It Never Rained eBooks.com — buy The Time It Never Rained
  11. 11 The good old boys 1978 Amazon — buy The good old boys Bookshop — buy The good old boys ThriftBooks — buy The good old boys eBooks.com — buy The good old boys
  12. 12 Time Never Rained 1978 Amazon — buy Time Never Rained Bookshop — buy Time Never Rained ThriftBooks — buy Time Never Rained eBooks.com — buy Time Never Rained
  13. 13 The wolf and the buffalo 1980 Amazon — buy The wolf and the buffalo Bookshop — buy The wolf and the buffalo ThriftBooks — buy The wolf and the buffalo eBooks.com — buy The wolf and the buffalo
  14. 14 After the bugles 1981 Amazon — buy After the bugles Bookshop — buy After the bugles ThriftBooks — buy After the bugles eBooks.com — buy After the bugles
  15. 15 Wagontongue 1982 Amazon — buy Wagontongue Bookshop — buy Wagontongue ThriftBooks — buy Wagontongue eBooks.com — buy Wagontongue
  16. 16 Llano River 1982 Amazon — buy Llano River Bookshop — buy Llano River ThriftBooks — buy Llano River eBooks.com — buy Llano River
  17. 17 Eyes of the Hawk 1983 Amazon — buy Eyes of the Hawk Bookshop — buy Eyes of the Hawk ThriftBooks — buy Eyes of the Hawk eBooks.com — buy Eyes of the Hawk
  18. 18 Stand proud 1984 Amazon — buy Stand proud Bookshop — buy Stand proud ThriftBooks — buy Stand proud eBooks.com — buy Stand proud
  19. 19 Hanging Judge 1984 Amazon — buy Hanging Judge Bookshop — buy Hanging Judge ThriftBooks — buy Hanging Judge eBooks.com — buy Hanging Judge
  20. 20 The Texas Rifles 1985 Amazon — buy The Texas Rifles Bookshop — buy The Texas Rifles ThriftBooks — buy The Texas Rifles eBooks.com — buy The Texas Rifles
  21. 21 Dark thicket 1985 Amazon — buy Dark thicket Bookshop — buy Dark thicket ThriftBooks — buy Dark thicket eBooks.com — buy Dark thicket
  22. 22 Donovan 1986 Amazon — buy Donovan Bookshop — buy Donovan ThriftBooks — buy Donovan eBooks.com — buy Donovan
  23. 23 Elmer Kelton 1986 Amazon — buy Elmer Kelton Bookshop — buy Elmer Kelton ThriftBooks — buy Elmer Kelton eBooks.com — buy Elmer Kelton
  24. 24 Joe Pepper 1986 Amazon — buy Joe Pepper Bookshop — buy Joe Pepper ThriftBooks — buy Joe Pepper eBooks.com — buy Joe Pepper
  25. 25 The man who rode midnight 1987 Amazon — buy The man who rode midnight Bookshop — buy The man who rode midnight ThriftBooks — buy The man who rode midnight eBooks.com — buy The man who rode midnight
  26. 26 Elmer Kelton and West Texas 1989 Amazon — buy Elmer Kelton and West Texas Bookshop — buy Elmer Kelton and West Texas ThriftBooks — buy Elmer Kelton and West Texas eBooks.com — buy Elmer Kelton and West Texas
  27. 27 Honor at daybreak 1991 Amazon — buy Honor at daybreak Bookshop — buy Honor at daybreak ThriftBooks — buy Honor at daybreak eBooks.com — buy Honor at daybreak
  28. 28 Slaughter 1992 Amazon — buy Slaughter Bookshop — buy Slaughter ThriftBooks — buy Slaughter eBooks.com — buy Slaughter
  29. 29 The far canyon 1994 Amazon — buy The far canyon Bookshop — buy The far canyon ThriftBooks — buy The far canyon eBooks.com — buy The far canyon
  30. 30 Manhunters 1994 Amazon — buy Manhunters Bookshop — buy Manhunters ThriftBooks — buy Manhunters eBooks.com — buy Manhunters
  31. 31 Good Old Boys, The 1995 Amazon — buy Good Old Boys, The Bookshop — buy Good Old Boys, The ThriftBooks — buy Good Old Boys, The eBooks.com — buy Good Old Boys, The
  32. 32 The Pumpkin Rollers 1996 Amazon — buy The Pumpkin Rollers Bookshop — buy The Pumpkin Rollers ThriftBooks — buy The Pumpkin Rollers eBooks.com — buy The Pumpkin Rollers
  33. 33 Cloudy in the West 1997 Amazon — buy Cloudy in the West Bookshop — buy Cloudy in the West ThriftBooks — buy Cloudy in the West eBooks.com — buy Cloudy in the West
  34. 34 The buckskin line 1999 Amazon — buy The buckskin line Bookshop — buy The buckskin line ThriftBooks — buy The buckskin line eBooks.com — buy The buckskin line
  35. 35 Badger Boy 2001 Amazon — buy Badger Boy Bookshop — buy Badger Boy ThriftBooks — buy Badger Boy eBooks.com — buy Badger Boy
  36. 36 Ranger's trail 2002 Amazon — buy Ranger's trail Bookshop — buy Ranger's trail ThriftBooks — buy Ranger's trail eBooks.com — buy Ranger's trail
  37. 37 Badger Boy (Texas Rangers) 2002 Amazon — buy Badger Boy (Texas Rangers) Bookshop — buy Badger Boy (Texas Rangers) ThriftBooks — buy Badger Boy (Texas Rangers) eBooks.com — buy Badger Boy (Texas Rangers)
  38. 38 The Way of the Coyote (Texas Rangers) 2002 Amazon — buy The Way of the Coyote (Texas Rangers) Bookshop — buy The Way of the Coyote (Texas Rangers) ThriftBooks — buy The Way of the Coyote (Texas Rangers) eBooks.com — buy The Way of the Coyote (Texas Rangers)
  39. 39 Lone Star Rising 2003 Amazon — buy Lone Star Rising Bookshop — buy Lone Star Rising ThriftBooks — buy Lone Star Rising eBooks.com — buy Lone Star Rising
  40. 40 Jericho's road 2004 Amazon — buy Jericho's road Bookshop — buy Jericho's road ThriftBooks — buy Jericho's road eBooks.com — buy Jericho's road

Reading tracker

Track your progress through Elmer Kelton

Tick books off as you read them — your progress is saved on this device. Print it for a paper checklist, or save it as a PDF.

Read# TitleYear Date finished
1 Hot iron 1956
2 Barbed Wire 1957
3 Buffalo Wagons 1957
4 Shadow of a Star 1959
5 Texas Rifles 1960
6 Bitter Trail 1969
7 The day the cowboys quit 1971
8 Bowie's mine 1971
9 Massacre at Goliad 1972
10 The Time It Never Rained 1973
11 The good old boys 1978
12 Time Never Rained 1978
13 The wolf and the buffalo 1980
14 After the bugles 1981
15 Wagontongue 1982
16 Llano River 1982
17 Eyes of the Hawk 1983
18 Stand proud 1984
19 Hanging Judge 1984
20 The Texas Rifles 1985
21 Dark thicket 1985
22 Donovan 1986
23 Elmer Kelton 1986
24 Joe Pepper 1986
25 The man who rode midnight 1987
26 Elmer Kelton and West Texas 1989
27 Honor at daybreak 1991
28 Slaughter 1992
29 The far canyon 1994
30 Manhunters 1994
31 Good Old Boys, The 1995
32 The Pumpkin Rollers 1996
33 Cloudy in the West 1997
34 The buckskin line 1999
35 Badger Boy 2001
36 Ranger's trail 2002
37 Badger Boy (Texas Rangers) 2002
38 The Way of the Coyote (Texas Rangers) 2002
39 Lone Star Rising 2003
40 Jericho's road 2004

Elmer Kelton reading order — abookinorder.com

Where to start

Begin with Hot iron (1956). The list above follows publication order, which is how most readers approach Elmer Kelton — later books assume you know what happened in earlier ones.

Frequently asked

How many Elmer Kelton books are there?

40 to date, spanning 1956–2004.

What is the newest Elmer Kelton book?

Jericho's road, published in 2004.