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The Bestselling Books of the Last One Hundred Years: 1952

We started at 1918, bringing you the bestselling books of the last one hundred years. We’re moving along now with more than thirty years covered but it may be a while yet before we’ve completed the entire list.

We’re covering each year at a time and as we make headway into the 1950s today we’re covering 1952.

In 1952 The Mau Mau Rebellion began in Kenya to attempt an end to British rule in the country, Queen Elizabeth II became queen of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth upon the death of her father, the musical Singing in the Rain premiered, London Smog killed 4,000 people, and a home in the USA cost approximately $9,000.

Among all that, there were plenty of books published and read too, and today we’re featuring the bestselling novels of 1952, and some that didn’t make the list but have stood the test of time.

The Silver Chalice – Thomas B. Costain

Buy

The Caine Mutiny – Herman Wouk

Buy

East of Eden – John Steinbeck

Buy

My Cousin Rachel – Daphne du Maurier

Buy

Steamboat Gothic – Frances Parkinson Keyes

Buy

Giant – Edna Ferber

Buy

The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway

Buy

The Gown of Glory – Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Buy

The Saracen Blade – Frank Yerby

Buy

The Houses in Between – Howard Spring

Buy

1952 also saw the release of Ralph Ellison’s,  Invisible Man, and Patricia Highsmith’s groundbreaking  The Price of Salt

We’ll continue this series right through to 2018, keep an eye out for 1953, coming soon!

If you’d like to see all the lists so far, try this search 

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