List of The New York Times number-one books of 1961

This is a list of books that topped The New York Times best-seller list in 1961.

Fiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling fiction books.

The most popular titles of the year were Hawaii by James Michener, The Agony and the Ecstasy, by Irving Stone and Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger with respectively 12, 27 and 10 weeks at the top. Hawaii had previously dominated the 1960 list, and Franney and Zooey continued into 1962 at the top of the list for a total run of 26 weeks.

The only other book to top the list in 1961 was The Last of the Just by André Schwarz-Bart. That book, a multi-generational saga translated from the French, spent 18 weeks slowly rising to the top, and spent 4 weeks there before being toppled by The Agony and the Ecstasy. It continued among the top 15 best sellers for another 20 weeks.

Nonfiction

The following list ranks the number-one best-selling nonfiction books.

See also

• Publishers Weekly list of bestselling novels in the United States in the 1960s

References

1. Lists of The New York Times number-one books
2. List of The New York Times number-one books of 1962
3. The New York Times
4. Online platforms of The New York Times
5. History of The New York Times (1945–1998)
6. Times Square
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8. New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
9. List of best-selling books
10. List of books banned by governments
11. New York Times Co. v. United States
12. List of New York University alumni
13. List of literary works by number of translations
14. Queens
15. Great Books of the Western World
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18. Ken Follett
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