Books in Order: A Comprehensive Guide to Robert Littell's Novels

Before spy fiction, Robert Littell served four years in the U.S. Navy and then reported for Newsweek through the Cold War — training that shows up in the geopolitical texture of his novels. Brooklyn-raised and an Alfred University graduate, he's spent his retirement in France as an amateur crew rower, and passed something of his gift to his son, Jonathan Littell, who became a successful writer himself.

Littell's career began collaboratively: If Israel Lost the War (1969), an alternate-history "what-if" co-written with Richard Z. Chesnoff and Edward Klein, followed by the 1970 picture book Left and Right with Lion and Ryan. His solo debut, 1973's The Defection of A.J. Lewinter, won the Gold Dagger Award. This guide covers all twenty-two novels released between 1969 and 2020, ending with Comrade Koba.