This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1949.
Fiction The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1949
Only five novels topped the list that year, which was dominated by John P. Marquand's Point of No Return which spent 22 straight weeks at the top of the list though it only lasted 34 weeks in the top 15 overall. Marquand's book is notable for its lampooning of W. Lloyd Warner, an anthropologist with whom Marquand had a personal grudge.Gordon Milne (1977), The Sense of Society: A History of the American Novel of Manners, Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, pp.183-184 Point of No Return was toppled by Marguerite Steen's Twilight on the Floods and then by John O'Hara's A Rage To Live, which spent 6 weeks at the top. That book stayed in the top five for another 20 weeks but the remainder of the year was dominated by The Egyptian by the Finnish author Mika Waltari.John 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. 39-43 The Egyptian was translated from a Swedish translation by Naomi Walford.Ann-Marie Vinde (2004), "A Translator's Look at 'Flowering Nettle', Harry Martinson's 'Nässlorna blomma' , Swedish Book Review, vol. 1
DateBookAuthor January 2 The Big Fisherman Lloyd Douglas January 9 January 16 January 23 January 30 February 6 February 13 February 20 February 27 March 6 March 13 March 20 March 27 April 3 April 10 Point of No Return John P. Marquand April 17 April 24 May 1 May 8 May 15 May 22 May 29 June 5 June 12 June 19 June 26 July 3 July 10 July 17 July 24 July 31 August 7 August 14 August 21 August 28 September 4 September 11 Twilight on the Floods Marguerite Steen September 18 A Rage To Live John O'Hara September 25 October 2 October 9 October 16 October 23 October 30 The Egyptian Mika Waltari November 6 November 13 November 20 November 27 December 4 December 11 December 18 December 26
Nonfiction The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.Adult New York Times Best Seller Lists for 1949 DateBookAuthor January 2 Crusade in Europe Dwight D. Eisenhower January 9 January 16 January 23 January 30 February 6 February 13 February 20 February 27 March 6 March 13 Cheaper by the Dozen Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey March 20 March 27 April 3 April 10 April 17 April 24 May 1 The Greatest Story Ever Told Fulton Oursler May 8 May 15 May 22 Cheaper by the Dozen Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey May 29 June 5 June 12 June 19 June 26 July 3 July 10 July 17 July 24 July 31 August 7 August 14 August 21 August 28 September 4 White Collar Zoo Clare Barnes Jr. September 11 September 18 September 25 October 2 October 9 October 16 October 23 October 30 November 6 November 13 November 20 November 27 December 4 December 11 December 18 December 26
See also Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United States in the 1940s
References