🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About John McPhee
Coming into the Country is a story about Alaska and its inhabitants. This story starts with a brief on Alaska in the early 1960s. During this time, the land was covered with darkness, and the winter had lasted for half a century. While the people of Alaska are resilient and adapted to harsh climatic conditions, they were tired of the cold and snow. A fantastic thing happened early in 1964 when the sun appeared just when Alaska was under siege thanks to the Russian invaders. McPhee, intrigued by the bizarre appearance of the sun only when the Alaskans needed it coupled with visions he had about this region, made a trip to Alaska. Here, he spent his days exploring the land and interviewing people who had lived here for ages.
All Book Series by John McPhee
The Second John McPhee Reader
Latest in the series · book 2 of 2 · published 1996
Instructor's Manual to Accompany Worldly Wisdom by Daniel Bonevac
Book 28 of 37 · published 2001
The Fish Counter
Series opener · book 1 of 5 · published 2025 Anthology · Marion Nestle
The Living Will Say Hello
Latest in the series · book 5 of 5 · published 2025 Anthology · Adam Nicolson
Touchstone Anthology of Contemporary Creative Nonfiction
Book 3 of 4 · published 2007
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is John McPhee?
Coming into the Country is a story about Alaska and its inhabitants. This story starts with a brief on Alaska in the early 1960s. During this time, the land was covered with darkness, and the winter had lasted for half a century.
Which John McPhee series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Annals of the Former World series, the earliest of John McPhee's multi-book series: it opens with Basin and Range (1981) and runs to 5 books across 1981–1998, ending with Annals of the Former World (1998). John McPhee's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has John McPhee written?
John McPhee has 53 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1965 and 2025. 12 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Annals of the Former World series with 5 books — and 41 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should John McPhee's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. John McPhee's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are John McPhee Reader (1976–1996, 2 books), Annals of the Former World (1981–1998, 5 books) and Picador Shorts (2025, 5 books).
How are John McPhee's books organised into series?
This guide splits John McPhee's 53 books into 3 named series and 41 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Annals of the Former World (5 books, 1981–1998); Picador Shorts (5 books, 2025); John McPhee Reader (2 books, 1976–1996).