🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Dick Francis
Born Richard Stanley Francis on 31st October 1920 in Coedcanlas, Pembroke, in Wales. Dick Francis was just his pen name which he had chosen to use because it is more memorable. His father was a jockey and was also employed to manage a stable at a firm in Berkshire, England. He dropped out of school at fifteen years intending to become a jockey like his father and ended up becoming an instructor in 1938. At the onset of the World War II, being young and energetic he enlisted in the military where he served as a crew and later a pilot in the Royal Air Force. He worked with the fighter and bomber aircrafts such as the Hurricane. Most of the air travels in his six years of military work took place in distant continents, mostly Africa.
All Book Series by Dick Francis
Dark Horse
Latest in the series · book 7 of 7 · published 2025 Anthology · Felix Francis
Crossfire
Latest in the series · book 37 of 37 · published 2010 Co-authored · Felix Francis
The Sport of Queens: The Autobiography of Dick Francis
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1957
A Jockey's Life: The Biography of Lester Piggot / Lester
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1986
Triple Crown
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 2016 Co-authored · Felix Francis
Galaxy Science Fiction, September 1958
Series opener · book 1 of 6 · published 1958
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Dick Francis?
Born Richard Stanley Francis on 31st October 1920 in Coedcanlas, Pembroke, in Wales. Dick Francis was just his pen name which he had chosen to use because it is more memorable. His father was a jockey and was also employed to manage a stable at a firm in Berkshire, England.
Which Dick Francis series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Sid Halley series, the earliest of Dick Francis's multi-book series: it opens with Odds Against (1965) and runs to 7 books across 1965–2025, ending with Dark Horse (2025). Dick Francis's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Dick Francis written?
Dick Francis has 60 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1957 and 2025. 12 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Sid Halley series with 7 books — and 48 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Dick Francis's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Dick Francis's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Sid Halley (1965–2025, 7 books), Kit Fielding (1985–1986, 2 books) and Jefferson Hinkley (2014–2016, 3 books).
How are Dick Francis's books organised into series?
This guide splits Dick Francis's 60 books into 3 named series and 48 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Sid Halley (7 books, 1965–2025); Jefferson Hinkley (3 books, 2014–2016); Kit Fielding (2 books, 1985–1986).