Where to start with Colleen McCullough
Begin with First Man in Rome, the first book in the Masters of Rome series, published in 1990. This series spans seven novels and follows the life of Gaius Marius and the transformation of the Roman Republic. Read the series in publication order to experience the chronological unfolding of the historical narrative. After completing the Masters of Rome series, turn to The Thorn Birds, a standalone novel first published in 1977 and later reissued in 2013. It is a well-known work that established McCullough’s international reputation. The novel stands independently and does not require prior reading of other books. The other standalone titles, An Indecent Obsession and The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet, are not part of a series and can be read in any order following the main series or The Thorn Birds.
Series by Colleen McCullough
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1990 · Colleen McCullough
The First Man in Rome is a 1990 historical novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough. It is the first novel in her Masters of Rome series.…
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Buy on Amazon1991 · Colleen McCullough
The Grass Crown is a 1993 book by Colleen McCullough. It is book 2 of the series Masters of Rome. Catalog genres: Literary Fiction, History,…
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Buy on Amazon1993 · Colleen McCullough
Masters of Rome is a series of historical novels by Australian author Colleen McCullough, set in ancient Rome during the last days of the old Roman…
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Buy on Amazon1996 · Colleen McCullough
Caesar's Women is a 1999 book by Colleen McCullough. It is book 4 of the series Masters of Rome. Catalog genres: Historical Fiction, Literary…
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1997 · Colleen McCullough
Caesar: Let the Dice Fly is a 1997 novel by Australian author Colleen McCullough. It is the fifth book in her Masters of Rome series, which focuses…
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Buy on Amazon2002 · Colleen McCullough
The October Horse is the sixth novel in Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, published in 2002 by Century in the UK and Simon & Schuster in…
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Buy on Amazon2007 · Colleen McCullough
A novel by Colleen McCullough explores the legendary love triangle between Cleopatra, Mark Antony, and Octavian during the Roman era. Mark Antony, a…
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Standalone books
Frequently asked questions
How many books has Colleen McCullough written?
We list 11 books by Colleen McCullough across 1 series, published between 1977–2008 — each shown in full reading order.
What order should I read Colleen McCullough's books?
Read each series in publication order. A good place to start is “First Man in Rome.” Open any series above for its complete numbered reading order.
Where can I buy Colleen McCullough's books?
Every title links to Amazon from its series page — see our affiliate disclosure in the footer for how that supports the site.
Reading order compiled from author/publisher guidance and verified bibliographic data. Spotted a wrong order, a missing book, or any other mistake? and we'll correct it.
Some summaries adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.