TheBestseller
Observatory

Best Sellers

Hardcover Fiction

December 1978

FictionNonfiction
← November 1978
WeekMonth
January 1979 →

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Week of December 3, 1978

Full list →
WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
Herman Wouk
Cover of WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
1

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE

CHESAPEAKE
James A. Michener
Cover of CHESAPEAKE
2

CHESAPEAKE

FOOLS DIE
Mario Puzo
Cover of FOOLS DIE
3

FOOLS DIE

THE FAR PAVILIONS
M.M. Kaye
Cover of THE FAR PAVILIONS
4

THE FAR PAVILIONS

EVERGREEN
Belva Plain
Cover of EVERGREEN
5

EVERGREEN

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
John D. MacDonald
Cover of THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
6

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA

PRELUDE TO TERROR
Helen MacInnes
Cover of PRELUDE TO TERROR
7

PRELUDE TO TERROR

THE SILMARILLION
J.R.R. Tolkien
Cover of THE SILMARILLION
8

THE SILMARILLION

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
Taylor Caldwell
Cover of BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
9

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER

WIFEY
Judy Blume
Cover of WIFEY
10

WIFEY

ILLUSIONS
Richard Bach
Cover of ILLUSIONS
11

ILLUSIONS

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
Harry Kemelman
Cover of THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
12

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT

EYE OF THE NEEDLE
Ken Follett
Cover of EYE OF THE NEEDLE
13

EYE OF THE NEEDLE

SECOND GENERATION
Howard Fast
Cover of SECOND GENERATION
14

SECOND GENERATION

SCRUPLES
Judith Krantz
Cover of SCRUPLES
15

SCRUPLES

Week of December 10, 1978

Full list →
WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
Herman Wouk
Cover of WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
1

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE

CHESAPEAKE
James A. Michener
Cover of CHESAPEAKE
2

CHESAPEAKE

FOOLS DIE
Mario Puzo
Cover of FOOLS DIE
3

FOOLS DIE

THE FAR PAVILIONS
M.M. Kaye
Cover of THE FAR PAVILIONS
4

THE FAR PAVILIONS

SECOND GENERATION
Howard Fast
Cover of SECOND GENERATION
5

SECOND GENERATION

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
Taylor Caldwell
Cover of BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
6

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER

EVERGREEN
Belva Plain
Cover of EVERGREEN
7

EVERGREEN

ILLUSIONS
Richard Bach
Cover of ILLUSIONS
8

ILLUSIONS

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
John D. MacDonald
Cover of THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
9

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA

PRELUDE TO TERROR
Helen MacInnes
Cover of PRELUDE TO TERROR
10

PRELUDE TO TERROR

THE SILMARILLION
J.R.R. Tolkien
Cover of THE SILMARILLION
11

THE SILMARILLION

EYE OF THE NEEDLE
Ken Follett
Cover of EYE OF THE NEEDLE
12

EYE OF THE NEEDLE

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
Harry Kemelman
Cover of THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
13

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT

WIFEY
Judy Blume
Cover of WIFEY
14

WIFEY

SCRUPLES
Judith Krantz
Cover of SCRUPLES
15

SCRUPLES

Week of December 17, 1978

Full list →
WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
Herman Wouk
Cover of WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
1

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE

CHESAPEAKE
James A. Michener
Cover of CHESAPEAKE
2

CHESAPEAKE

THE FAR PAVILIONS
M.M. Kaye
Cover of THE FAR PAVILIONS
3

THE FAR PAVILIONS

FOOLS DIE
Mario Puzo
Cover of FOOLS DIE
4

FOOLS DIE

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
Taylor Caldwell
Cover of BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
5

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER

ILLUSIONS
Richard Bach
Cover of ILLUSIONS
6

ILLUSIONS

EVERGREEN
Belva Plain
Cover of EVERGREEN
7

EVERGREEN

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
John D. MacDonald
Cover of THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
8

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA

SECOND GENERATION
Howard Fast
Cover of SECOND GENERATION
9

SECOND GENERATION

THE SILMARILLION
J.R.R. Tolkien
Cover of THE SILMARILLION
10

THE SILMARILLION

PRELUDE TO TERROR
Helen MacInnes
Cover of PRELUDE TO TERROR
11

PRELUDE TO TERROR

SCRUPLES
Judith Krantz
Cover of SCRUPLES
12

SCRUPLES

WIFEY
Judy Blume
Cover of WIFEY
13

WIFEY

EYE OF THE NEEDLE
Ken Follett
Cover of EYE OF THE NEEDLE
14

EYE OF THE NEEDLE

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
Harry Kemelman
Cover of THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
15

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT

Week of December 24, 1978

Full list →
CHESAPEAKE
James A. Michener
Cover of CHESAPEAKE
1

CHESAPEAKE

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
Herman Wouk
Cover of WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
2

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE

SECOND GENERATION
Howard Fast
Cover of SECOND GENERATION
3

SECOND GENERATION

FOOLS DIE
Mario Puzo
Cover of FOOLS DIE
4

FOOLS DIE

THE FAR PAVILIONS
M.M. Kaye
Cover of THE FAR PAVILIONS
5

THE FAR PAVILIONS

THE SILMARILLION
J.R.R. Tolkien
Cover of THE SILMARILLION
6

THE SILMARILLION

EVERGREEN
Belva Plain
Cover of EVERGREEN
7

EVERGREEN

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
Taylor Caldwell
Cover of BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
8

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER

ILLUSIONS
Richard Bach
Cover of ILLUSIONS
9

ILLUSIONS

PRELUDE TO TERROR
Helen MacInnes
Cover of PRELUDE TO TERROR
10

PRELUDE TO TERROR

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
John D. MacDonald
Cover of THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
11

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA

THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER
John Cheever
Cover of THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER
12

THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER

EYE OF THE NEEDLE
Ken Follett
Cover of EYE OF THE NEEDLE
13

EYE OF THE NEEDLE

WIFEY
Judy Blume
Cover of WIFEY
14

WIFEY

SCRUPLES
Judith Krantz
Cover of SCRUPLES
15

SCRUPLES

Week of December 31, 1978

Full list →
CHESAPEAKE
James A. Michener
Cover of CHESAPEAKE
1

CHESAPEAKE

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
Herman Wouk
Cover of WAR AND REMEMBRANCE
2

WAR AND REMEMBRANCE

SECOND GENERATION
Howard Fast
Cover of SECOND GENERATION
3

SECOND GENERATION

FOOLS DIE
Mario Puzo
Cover of FOOLS DIE
4

FOOLS DIE

THE SILMARILLION
J.R.R. Tolkien
Cover of THE SILMARILLION
5

THE SILMARILLION

THE FAR PAVILIONS
M.M. Kaye
Cover of THE FAR PAVILIONS
6

THE FAR PAVILIONS

EVERGREEN
Belva Plain
Cover of EVERGREEN
7

EVERGREEN

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
Taylor Caldwell
Cover of BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER
8

BRIGHT FLOWS THE RIVER

ILLUSIONS
Richard Bach
Cover of ILLUSIONS
9

ILLUSIONS

THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER
John Cheever
Cover of THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER
10

THE STORIES OF JOHN CHEEVER

EYE OF THE NEEDLE
Ken Follett
Cover of EYE OF THE NEEDLE
11

EYE OF THE NEEDLE

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
John D. MacDonald
Cover of THE EMPTY COPPER SEA
12

THE EMPTY COPPER SEA

PRELUDE TO TERROR
Helen MacInnes
Cover of PRELUDE TO TERROR
13

PRELUDE TO TERROR

WIFEY
Judy Blume
Cover of WIFEY
14

WIFEY

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
Harry Kemelman
Cover of THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT
15

THURSDAY THE RABBI WALKED OUT

Historical bestseller data sourced from the New York Times Book Review, archived by Hawes Publications.