Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Deliverance Of Sister Cecilia | 1954 | William Brinkley | Buy |
| 2 | Don’t Go Near the Water | 1956 | William Brinkley | Buy |
| 3 | Quicksand | 1958 | William Brinkley | N/A |
| 4 | The Fun House | 1961 | William Brinkley | Buy |
| 5 | The Two Susans | 1963 | William Brinkley | Buy |
| 6 | The Ninety and Nine | 1966 | William Brinkley | Buy |
| 7 | Breakpoint | 1978 | William Brinkley | Buy |
| 8 | Peeper | 1981 | William Brinkley | Buy |
| 9 | The Last Ship | 1988 | William Brinkley | Buy |
William Brinkley’s nine novels span thirty-four years and cover a surprising range of subjects. His debut, The Deliverance of Sister Cecilia (1954), was followed by the bestselling Don’t Go Near the Water, which turned his wartime experiences into sharp comedy. Later books like The Fun House and The Two Susans moved into social drama, while The Ninety and Nine returned to wartime settings.
The Last Ship, published in 1988, is his most ambitious work. It follows the crew of the USS Nathan James after nuclear war has wiped out most of civilization, exploring what happens to military discipline, human relationships, and moral codes when there is no longer a country to serve. The novel’s reputation grew over the decades, particularly after TNT adapted it into a long-running television series. Brinkley’s body of work is modest in size but varied in subject, held together by clean prose and a keen interest in how institutions shape individual behavior.