Robert Littell Standalone Novels books in order

Robert Littell's standalone novels are works of espionage fiction and political thrillers spanning the Cold War to the present day.

Reading order

# Title Published Author Buy on Amazon
1 If Israel Lost the War 1969 Robert Littell Buy
2 The Defection of A.J. Lewinter 1973 Robert Littell Buy
3 Sweet Reason 1974 Robert Littell Buy
4 The October Circle 1976 Robert Littell Buy
5 Mother Russia 1978 Robert Littell Buy
6 The Debriefing 1979 Robert Littell Buy
7 The Amateur 1981 Robert Littell Buy
8 The Sisters 1985 Robert Littell Buy
9 The Revolutionist 1988 Robert Littell Buy
10 The Once and Future Spy 1990 Robert Littell Buy
11 An Agent in Place 1992 Robert Littell Buy
12 The Visiting Professor 1993 Robert Littell Buy
13 Walking Back the Cat 1997 Robert Littell Buy
14 The Company 2002 Robert Littell Buy
15 Legends 2005 Robert Littell Buy
16 Vicious Circle 2006 Robert Littell Buy
17 The Stalin Epigram 2009 Robert Littell Buy
18 Young Philby 2011 Robert Littell Buy
19 A Nasty Piece of Work 2013 Robert Littell Buy
20 The Mayakovsky Tapes 2016 Robert Littell Buy
21 Vladimir M. 2017 Robert Littell Buy
22 Comrade Koba 2020 Robert Littell Buy
23 A Plague on Both Your Houses 2024 Robert Littell Buy
24 Bronshtein in the Bronx 2025 Robert Littell Buy

Robert Littell’s 24 standalone novels form one of the richest bodies of espionage fiction in American literature. His career began with If Israel Lost the War (1969) and The Defection of A.J. Lewinter (1973), and his most celebrated work is The Company (2002), a panoramic novel following CIA officers from the agency’s founding through the Cold War’s end.

Other notable works include The Amateur (1981), The Sisters (1985), Legends (2005), and The Stalin Epigram (2009). His most recent novels — A Plague on Both Your Houses (2024) and Bronshtein in the Bronx (2025) — show a writer still active after more than five decades.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books are in the Robert Littell Standalone Novels series?

There are 24 books in the Robert Littell Standalone Novels series, published between 1969 and 2025.

What is the first book in the Robert Littell Standalone Novels series?

The first book in the Robert Littell Standalone Novels series is If Israel Lost the War, published in 1969.

What are Robert Littell's most notable novels?

Robert Littell’s most notable novels include The Company (2002) about the history of the CIA, The Amateur (1981) about a CIA cryptographer turned assassin, Legends (2005) about a spy with multiple identities, and The Stalin Epigram (2009) set in 1930s Moscow. His 24 novels span from 1969 to 2025.

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