🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Peter Ackroyd
Peter Ackroyd is an English biographer and novelist who has always been fascinated with the culture and history of the city of London. As a twenty two year old, he wrote “Ackroyd’s Notes for New Culture” that he would publish four years later. The title was inspired by “Notes Towards the Definition of Culture” by TS Elliot that was first published in 1948. The publishing of this work showed his tendency to creatively reexamine and explore the works of several London based authors. The author Peter Ackroyd began his literary career writing poetry such as “Diversions Of Purley” and “London Lickpenny.” He would later on go into fiction where he would become an award winning author. In 1987, he was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize in 1998.
All Book Series by Peter Ackroyd
Dan Leno and the Limehouse Golem / The Trial of Elizabeth Cree / The Limehouse
Book 8 of 19 · published 1994
A Traveller's Companion to London
Book 14 of 26 · published 2004 Co-authored · Thomas Wright
The Diversions Of Purley And Other Poems
Latest in the series · book 3 of 3 · published 1987
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Peter Ackroyd?
Peter Ackroyd is an English biographer and novelist who has always been fascinated with the culture and history of the city of London. As a twenty two year old, he wrote “Ackroyd’s Notes for New Culture” that he would publish four years later. The title was inspired by “Notes Towards the Definition of Culture” by TS Elliot that was first published in 1948.
Which Peter Ackroyd series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Ackroyd's Brief Lives series, the earliest of Peter Ackroyd's multi-book series: it opens with Chaucer (1980) and runs to 7 books across 1980–2015, ending with Alfred Hitchcock (2015). Peter Ackroyd's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Peter Ackroyd written?
Peter Ackroyd has 72 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1973 and 2026. 23 of them belong to 4 named series — the largest being the Ackroyd's Brief Lives series with 7 books — and 49 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Peter Ackroyd's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Peter Ackroyd's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Ackroyd's Brief Lives (1980–2015, 7 books), Voyages Through Time (2003–2005, 6 books) and Shakespeare: the Biography (2005, 4 books), plus 1 more.
How are Peter Ackroyd's books organised into series?
This guide splits Peter Ackroyd's 72 books into 4 named series and 49 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Ackroyd's Brief Lives (7 books, 1980–2015); The History of England (6 books, 2011–2021); Voyages Through Time (6 books, 2003–2005); Shakespeare: the Biography (4 books, 2005).