🎯 Where Should I Start?
ⓘ About Peter Mayle
British author Peter Mayle is known for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France. Peter was born on June 14, 1939 in Brighton, East Sussex, England. The youngest of three children, Mayle and his family moved to Barbados at the end or World War II. At sixteen, Peter dropped out of school and returned to England. In 1957 he began his first job, working as a trainee at the Shell Oil office in London. It wasn’t long before Mayle realized he had an interest in advertising; Ambitiously, Peter wrote to David Ogilvy, head of advertisement for Shell at the time, and requested a job. Ogilvy offered Peter Mayle a position as a junior account executive; However, Mayle was interested in the creative side of advertising.
All Book Series by Peter Mayle
Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France
Book 3 of 4 · published 1999
My Twenty-Five Years in Provence
Latest in the series · book 4 of 4 · published 2018
'What's Happening to Me?': A Guide to Puberty
Series opener · book 1 of 29 · published 1975
Grown-Ups and Other Problems: Help for Small People in a Big World
Book 11 of 29 · published 1982
Provence in Ten Easy Lessons
Latest in the series · book 29 of 29 · published 2014
Twinkle Winkle: Man's Best Friend and Your Star Signs
Book 2 of 9 · published 1985
Wicked Willie's Guide to Women: A Worm's Eye View of the Fair Sex
Book 3 of 9 · published 1986
The Amazing Adventures of Chilly Billy
Series opener · book 1 of 3 · published 1980
? Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Peter Mayle?
British author Peter Mayle is known for his series of books detailing life in Provence, France. Peter was born on June 14, 1939 in Brighton, East Sussex, England. The youngest of three children, Mayle and his family moved to Barbados at the end or World War II.
Which Peter Mayle series should I start with?
The best place to start is the Wicked Willie series, the earliest of Peter Mayle's multi-book series: it opens with Man's Best Friend (1984) and runs to 9 books across 1984–1991, ending with Willie's Leg-Over Handbook (1991). Peter Mayle's other series stand alone, so they can be read in any order.
How many books has Peter Mayle written?
Peter Mayle has 54 books catalogued in this guide, published between 1975 and 2018. 17 of them belong to 3 named series — the largest being the Wicked Willie series with 9 books — and 37 are standalone titles, collections or anthologies.
In what order should Peter Mayle's series be read?
Read each series in publication order — the numbered entries in each series follow the year each book first appeared. Peter Mayle's series do not depend on one another, so they can be started in any order; by start date they are Wicked Willie (1984–1991, 9 books), Provence Non-Fiction (1989–2018, 4 books) and Sam Levitt (2009–2015, 4 books).
How are Peter Mayle's books organised into series?
This guide splits Peter Mayle's 54 books into 3 named series and 37 titles that stand alone or appear only in collections: Wicked Willie (9 books, 1984–1991); Sam Levitt (4 books, 2009–2015); Provence Non-Fiction (4 books, 1989–2018).