This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1948.
Fiction The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.
The American publisher Bennett Cerf noted that there had been "only three novels published [in 1948] that were worth reading ... Cry, The Beloved Country, The Ides of March, and The Naked and the Dead."(No author.) "Reader's digest: Gossip, news: J. F. Albright reports on A.B.A. meeting," The Dallas Morning News, 30 May 1948, page 6. Only Cry did not top the list that year. A total of ten other novels did, however, with most titles spending only a few weeks at the top. The strongest performing title was The Naked and the Dead, Norman Mailer's first best seller, published when he was just 25 years old, which spent 19 weeks at Number 1 and more than 6 months in the top 10. It was the first "big" novel about World War II, based on his own experiences. The Ides of March was by Thornton Wilder and it spent 2 weeks at Number 1 but only 13 weeks in the top 15. The year ended with The Big Fisherman heading the list, Lloyd C. Douglas's follow-up to his huge 1942 best seller, The Robe.Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1948John Bear, The #1 New York Times Best Seller: intriguing facts about the 484 books that have been #1 New York Times bestsellers since the first list, 50 years ago, Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 1992, pp. 31-39
DateBookAuthor January 4 House Divided Ben Ames Williams January 11 January 18 January 25 February 1 February 8 East Side, West Side Marcia Davenport February 15 February 22 House Divided Ben Ames Williams February 29 March 7 Eagle in the Sky Van Wyck Mason March 14 March 21 March 28 April 4 The Ides of March Thornton Wilder April 11 Eagle in the Sky Van Wyck Mason April 18 The Ides of March Thornton Wilder April 25 Raintree County Ross Lockridge Jr. May 2 May 9 Pilgrim's Inn Elizabeth Goudge May 16 Raintree County Ross Lockridge Jr. May 23 Pilgrim's Inn Elizabeth Goudge May 30 Raintree County Ross Lockridge Jr. June 6 Pilgrim's Inn Elizabeth Goudge June 13 June 20 The Naked and the Dead Norman Mailer June 27 July 4 July 11 July 18 July 25 August 1 August 8 August 15 August 22 August 29 September 5 Shannon's Way A. J. Cronin September 12 September 19 The Naked and the Dead Norman Mailer September 26 Shannon's Way A. J. Cronin October 3 The Naked and the Dead Norman Mailer October 10 October 17 October 24 October 31 November 7 The Young Lions Irwin Shaw November 14 The Naked and the Dead Norman Mailer November 21 November 28 The Young Lions Irwin Shaw December 5 December 12 December 19 The Big Fisherman Lloyd C. Douglas December 26
Nonfiction The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1948 DateBookAuthor January 4 Speaking Frankly James F. Byrnes January 11 Inside U.S.A. John Gunther January 18 January 25 February 1 February 8 February 15 February 22 Peace of Mind Joshua L. Liebman February 29 March 7 March 14 March 21 March 28 April 4 April 11 April 18 April 25 May 2 May 9 May 16 May 23 Sexual Behavior in the Human Male Alfred Kinsey May 30 Peace of Mind Joshua L. Liebman June 6 June 13 June 20 June 27 July 4 July 11 July 18 July 25 August 1 How to Stop Worrying and Start Living Dale Carnegie August 8 The Gathering Storm Winston Churchill August 15 Peace of Mind Joshua L. Liebman August 22 The Gathering Storm Winston Churchill August 29 September 5 September 12 September 19 How to Stop Worrying and Start Living Dale Carnegie September 26 October 3 October 10 October 17 October 24 October 31 November 7 November 14 November 21 November 28 December 5 December 12 December 19 Roosevelt and Hopkins Robert E. Sherwood December 26 Crusade in Europe Dwight D. Eisenhower
See also Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United States in the 1940s
References