Balkan Trilogy books in order

Q: "How many books are in the Balkan Trilogy series?"

"There are six books in the Balkan Trilogy series, published between 1960 and 1965."

Q: "What is the first book in the Balkan Trilogy series?"

"The first book in the Balkan Trilogy series is Marea şansă, published in 1960."

Q: "Is the Balkan Trilogy based on a true story?"

"The trilogy is fiction, but it draws heavily on Olivia Manning's real experiences. She and her husband, R.D. Smith, lived in Bucharest from 1939 until Romania fell to the Axis powers, then fled to Athens and eventually to Egypt. The main characters, Guy and Harriet Pringle, closely mirror Manning and her husband."

Reading order

#	Title	Published	Author	Buy on Amazon
1	Marea şansă	1960	Olivia Manning	N/A
2	The Great Fortune	1960	Olivia Manning	Buy
3	Oraşul decăzut	1962	Olivia Manning	N/A
4	The Spoilt City	1962	Olivia Manning	Buy
5	Amigos e Heróis	1965	Olivia Manning	N/A
6	Friends and Heroes	1965	Olivia Manning	Buy

The Balkan Trilogy follows Guy and Harriet Pringle, a newly married English couple living in Bucharest at the outbreak of World War II. Guy is a well-meaning but oblivious British Council lecturer, while Harriet watches the political situation deteriorate around them. As Romania’s position becomes more precarious, the couple is drawn into the lives of a sprawling cast of diplomats, refugees, and local figures.

The three novels, The Great Fortune (1960), The Spoilt City (1962), and Friends and Heroes (1965), track the Pringles from Bucharest through the fall of Romania and on to Athens. Manning’s writing is observant and unhurried, with close attention to the textures of daily life as war closes in. The trilogy is the first half of The Fortunes of War, which continues in the Levant Trilogy and shifts the setting to Egypt and Palestine.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Balkan Trilogy series?

There are six books in the Balkan Trilogy series, published between 1960 and 1965.

What is the first book in the Balkan Trilogy series?

The first book in the Balkan Trilogy series is Marea şansă, published in 1960.

Is the Balkan Trilogy based on a true story?

The trilogy is fiction, but it draws heavily on Olivia Manning’s real experiences. She and her husband, R.D. Smith, lived in Bucharest from 1939 until Romania fell to the Axis powers, then fled to Athens and eventually to Egypt. The main characters, Guy and Harriet Pringle, closely mirror Manning and her husband.

Reading order#

Frequently Asked Questions

Reading order