Upton Sinclair Books in Order

Last Updated: May 8, 2025

This reading order guide provides the complete list of Upton Beal Sinclair books in order, from the very first to the latest, and is always updated so you won’t miss anything!

Upton Beal Sinclair was not just an author; he was a force of change. Known for his fearless writing and deep commitment to social justice, Sinclair spent his life using the power of words to uncover uncomfortable truths and spark conversations that others were too afraid to start. Born in 1878 in Baltimore, Maryland, Sinclair lived through a time of great inequality, industrial chaos, and political corruption. These realities shaped his writing and his worldview—and it shows in every page he wrote.

Most readers first discover Upton Sinclair through The Jungle, published in 1906. This powerful novel exposed the shocking conditions of the meat-packing industry in the United States. But Sinclair didn’t just want to reveal how unsanitary the food was. What really broke his heart—and what he wanted to highlight—was the suffering of immigrant workers who lived and worked in horrifying conditions. The public, however, was more outraged by what they were eating than by the lives of the workers. Still, The Jungle made a huge impact. It caused such a stir that it helped lead to the creation of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. That’s the kind of effect Sinclair’s writing had—real change.

But The Jungle was only the beginning. Over the course of his career, Sinclair wrote more than 100 books, many of which tackled powerful institutions and systems. In 1919, he published The Brass Check, an unflinching look at the world of American journalism. In this book, Sinclair criticized the media for prioritizing profits over truth. He introduced readers to the dangers of “yellow journalism”—news that was more about sensation than facts. His work made such an impression that just a few years later, the first code of ethics for American journalists was created.

Sinclair had a special talent for blending fiction with deep, historical insight. His books like King Coal, The Coal War, The Flivver King, and Oil! weren’t just stories—they were documents of a nation struggling to balance industrial power with human dignity. These novels gave a voice to workers in industries like coal mining, auto manufacturing, and oil drilling. He didn’t shy away from criticizing powerful men like J.P. Morgan, Henry Ford, or John D. Rockefeller, especially when he believed their actions hurt ordinary people.

Sinclair was also deeply political. He joined the Socialist Party in 1917 and later ran for public office several times. Though he didn’t win, his most famous campaign was for governor of California in 1934. Running as a Democrat during the Great Depression, Sinclair’s campaign promised to “End Poverty in California” (EPIC). His ideas, while popular among working-class citizens, terrified the wealthy elite and media giants. Despite getting over 870,000 votes, he lost the race—but his campaign marked a historic moment in progressive politics.

What makes Sinclair even more fascinating is his early life. He was raised in a divided household—his mother was a strict religious woman, while his father struggled with alcoholism. This strange mix of wealth and hardship exposed Sinclair to two very different sides of American life. From a young age, he found comfort in books, reading everything he could to understand the world. Even then, he dreamed of becoming a poet and writer.

His personal life was as complex as his novels. He married three times and had one son, David. His first wife, Meta Fuller, shared his intellectual dreams but their relationship became strained, especially after Meta left him for another man. Later, he found companionship with Mary Craig and then Mary Willis, both writers in their own right.

Upton Beal Sinclair was not perfect—he could be intense, stubborn, and even hard to live with. But no one can deny his passion. As Time Magazine once said, he had “every gift except silence and humor.” He truly believed that books could change the world—and for a while, his books did.

Today, Sinclair’s legacy lives on, not just in libraries, but in the very laws and ideas that protect workers, regulate industries, and inspire authors to write boldly. If you’re looking to explore stories that shake you, educate you, and make you think, Upton Beal Sinclair’s books are a must-read.

Annapolis Books in Publication Order

Lanny Budd Books in Publication Order

1
World's End

World's End

Upton Sinclair

1940

2
Between Two Worlds

Between Two Worlds

Upton Sinclair

1941

3
Dragon's Teeth I

Dragon's Teeth I

Upton Sinclair

1942

4
Wide is the Gate

Wide is the Gate

Upton Sinclair

1943

5
Presidential Agent

Presidential Agent

Upton Sinclair

1944

6
Dragon Harvest

Dragon Harvest

Upton Sinclair

1945

7
A World to Win

A World to Win

Upton Sinclair

1946

8
Presidential Mission

Presidential Mission

Upton Sinclair

1947

9
One Clear Call

One Clear Call

Upton Sinclair

1948

10
O Shepherd, Speak!

O Shepherd, Speak!

Upton Sinclair

1949

11
The Return of Lanny Budd

The Return of Lanny Budd

Upton Sinclair

1953

West Point Books in Publication Order

1
Off for West Point

Off for West Point

Upton Sinclair

1903

2
A Cadet's Honor

A Cadet's Honor

Upton Sinclair

1903

3
On Guard

On Guard

Upton Sinclair

1903

4
A West Point Treasure

A West Point Treasure

Upton Sinclair

1903

5
The West Point Rivals

The West Point Rivals

Upton Sinclair

1903

Lanny Budd Non-Fiction Books in Publication Order

1

Standalone Novels in Publication Order

2
Prince Hagen

Prince Hagen

Upton Sinclair

1903

3
4
The Jungle

The Jungle

Upton Sinclair

1906

5
A Captain Of Industry

A Captain Of Industry

Upton Sinclair

1906

6
The Condemned Meat Industry

The Condemned Meat Industry

Upton Sinclair

1906

7
Markets and Misery

Markets and Misery

Upton Sinclair

1907

8
The Metropolis

The Metropolis

Upton Sinclair

1908

9
The Moneychangers

The Moneychangers

Upton Sinclair

1908

10
Love's Pilgrimage

Love's Pilgrimage

Upton Sinclair

1911

11
Damaged Goods

Damaged Goods

Upton Sinclair

1913

12
Sylvia

Sylvia

Upton Sinclair

1913

13
Sylvia's Marriage

Sylvia's Marriage

Upton Sinclair

1914

14
King Coal

King Coal

Upton Sinclair

1917

15
16
The Overman

The Overman

Upton Sinclair

1919

17
Samuel the Seeker

Samuel the Seeker

Upton Sinclair

1919

18
100%

100%

Upton Sinclair

1920

19
The Spy

The Spy

Upton Sinclair

1921

20
The Book of Life

The Book of Life

Upton Sinclair

1922

21
They Call Me Carpenter

They Call Me Carpenter

Upton Sinclair

1922

22
The Millennium

The Millennium

Upton Sinclair

1924

23
Oil!

Oil!

Upton Sinclair

1926

24
Mountain City

Mountain City

Upton Sinclair

1930

25
Roman Holiday

Roman Holiday

Upton Sinclair

1931

26
Jimmie Higgins

Jimmie Higgins

Upton Sinclair

1933

27
The Lie Factory Starts

The Lie Factory Starts

Upton Sinclair

1934

28
Depression Island,

Depression Island,

Upton Sinclair

1935

29
Co-op

Co-op

Upton Sinclair

1936

30
The Gnomobile

The Gnomobile

Upton Sinclair

1936

31
William Fox

William Fox

Upton Sinclair

1936

32
Our Lady

Our Lady

Upton Sinclair

1937

33
Little Steel

Little Steel

Upton Sinclair

1946

34
Mellem To Verdener

Mellem To Verdener

Upton Sinclair

1947

35
Limbo on the Loose

Limbo on the Loose

Upton Sinclair

1948

36
Another Pamela

Another Pamela

Upton Sinclair

1950

37
Enemy in the Mouth

Enemy in the Mouth

Upton Sinclair

1954

38
What Didymus Did

What Didymus Did

Upton Sinclair

1954

39
The Cup of Fury

The Cup of Fury

Upton Sinclair

1956

40
Affectionately Eve

Affectionately Eve

Upton Sinclair

1961

41
Boston

Boston

Upton Sinclair

1965

42
The Flivver King

The Flivver King

Upton Sinclair

1971

43
The Coal War

The Coal War

Upton Sinclair

1976

44
The Pot Boiler

The Pot Boiler

Upton Sinclair

2003

Short Story Collections in Publication Order

1
Plays of Protest

Plays of Protest

Upton Sinclair

2015

Standalone Plays in Publication Order

1
Hell

Hell

Upton Sinclair

1923

2
Marie Antoinette

Marie Antoinette

Upton Sinclair

1939

3
Enemy Had It Too

Enemy Had It Too

Upton Sinclair

1950

4
The Machine

The Machine

Upton Sinclair

2004

5
The Naturewoman

The Naturewoman

Upton Sinclair

2014

Non-Fiction Books in Publication Order

1
The Profits of Religion

The Profits of Religion

Upton Sinclair

1900

2
3
The Fasting Cure

The Fasting Cure

Upton Sinclair

1911

4
The Sinclair-Astor Letters

The Sinclair-Astor Letters

Upton Sinclair

1914

5
The High Cost of Living

The High Cost of Living

Upton Sinclair

1919

6
The Industrial Republic

The Industrial Republic

Upton Sinclair

1919

7
Russia: a Challenge

Russia: a Challenge

Upton Sinclair

1919

8
9
The Goose Step

The Goose Step

Upton Sinclair

1922

10
The Goslings

The Goslings

Upton Sinclair

1924

13
Money Writes

Money Writes

Upton Sinclair

1927

15
Mental Radio

Mental Radio

Upton Sinclair

1929

17
Upton Sinclair, Station A

Upton Sinclair, Station A

Upton Sinclair

1931

22
The Epic Plan for California

The Epic Plan for California

Upton Sinclair

1934

24
Immediate EPIC

Immediate EPIC

Upton Sinclair

1934

25
Epic Answers

Epic Answers

Upton Sinclair

1935

26
I, Candidate for Governor

I, Candidate for Governor

Upton Sinclair

1935

27
Wally For Queen

Wally For Queen

Upton Sinclair

1936

28
We, People of America

We, People of America

Upton Sinclair

1936

29
No Pasaran!

No Pasaran!

Upton Sinclair

1937

30
Letters to a Millionaire

Letters to a Millionaire

Upton Sinclair

1938

31
Terror in Russia?

Terror in Russia?

Upton Sinclair

1938

33
Your Million Dollars

Your Million Dollars

Upton Sinclair

1939

34
Peace or War in America

Peace or War in America

Upton Sinclair

1941

36
To Solve the German Problem

To Solve the German Problem

Upton Sinclair

1943

38
A Personal Jesus

A Personal Jesus

Upton Sinclair

1954

39
40
My Lifetime in Letters

My Lifetime in Letters

Upton Sinclair

1960

42
The Secret Life of Jesus

The Secret Life of Jesus

Upton Sinclair

1962

43
The Brass Check

The Brass Check

Upton Sinclair

1970

45
Mammonart

Mammonart

Upton Sinclair

1975

Anthologies in Publication Order

1
The Cry for Justice

The Cry for Justice

Upton Sinclair

1915

2
Writing Los Angeles

Writing Los Angeles

Upton Sinclair

2002