Top 10 best-selling books of all time

Historically, books have been the most important and widely used source of information, education and entertainment. And even now, in the age of the internet and television, books are hugely popular, with millions of people buying them every week. But what are the 10 best-selling books of all time? The following updated 2021 rankings will show you this historic bestseller list.

Top 10 best selling books of all time

1. Bible

~5 billion copies sold

2. Quotes from Chairman Mao Zedong

~1.1 billion copies sold

3. Koran

~800 million copies sold

4. The Lord of the Rings

~ 155 million copies sold

5. The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)

~ 140 million copies sold

6. Harry Potter and the Philosopber's Stone

~125 million copies sold

7. Scouting For Boys

~ 120 million copies sold

8. And then were none

~ 115 million copies sold

9. The Hobbits

~ 110 million copies sold

10. The Dream of the Red Chamber

~ 105 million copies sold

ảnh chụp nhiều cuốn sách cổ — Top 10 cuốn sách bán chạy nhất mọi Thời đại

1. Bible

~5 billion copies sold

Genre: Religion

Author: Several authors

Year of original release: ~ 1st century AD

Original language: Hebrew / Aramaic

The Bible is the best-selling book of all time, having sold about 5 billion copies to date. The book has many authors and can be divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Bible was written somewhere between the 8th century BC and the 1st century AD. Most of it is written in Hebrew, although some parts are also Aramaic. The Bible is now also the most translated book in human history. It primarily serves as the basis of the world's largest religion: Christianity.

2. Quote from Chairman Mao Zedong

~1.1 billion copies sold

Genre: Politics

Author: Mao Zedong (aka Mao Tse-Tung)

Year of original release: 1964

Original language: Chinese

Quotes of Chairman Mao Tse-Tsung, also known as "The Little Red Book", is the second best-selling book in the world, having sold about 1.1 billion copies worldwide. The book includes 427 quotes on 33 different topics by Mao Zedong (formerly translated as Mao Tse-Tung), leader of the Communist revolution in China in 1949 and Chairman of the Communist Party. made in China. The latter fact made Zedong the most powerful man and leader of China until his death in 1976. His book of quotations was first distributed only to scholars. military leadership, but was soon distributed to the Chinese public. Zedong even paused distribution of other books for a while to avoid competition for his work. Starting in 1967, Quotes of Chairman Mao Tse-Tsung has been translated into many languages and sold to millions of people outside of China.

3. Koran

~800 million copies sold

Genre: Religion

Author: Several authors

Year of original release: ~ 7th century AD

Original language: Arabic

The Koran is another religious book that is in the Top 10 bestsellers of all time. It has sold about 800 million copies to date. The Quran was written in the 7th century C.E., originally in Arabic, and is the basis for the world's second-largest religion: Islam. Practitioners of Islam understand the book as a revelation from God ("Allah") conveyed by his earthly prophet Muhammad and use the book for guidance and as the basis for customs and practices. their religious behavior. Several authors, many of whom are contemporary eyewitnesses, contributed to the book.

4. Lord of the Rings

~ 155 million copies sold

Genre: Fantasy

Author: John Tolkien (aka JRR Tolkien)

Year of original release: 1954

Original language: English

Coming in at number four in the Top 10 Best Sellers of All Time, The Lord of the Rings by British author John Tolkien (aka JRR Tolkien) is the best-selling novel in history. history. To date, it has sold approximately 155 million copies worldwide. The book is sometimes mis-characterized as a series because it technically consists of three parts ("The Fellowship of the Ring", The Two Towers "& The Return of the King"), but the book really written as a story, not a trilogy. The decision to market the three books was made by the original publishers Allen & Unwin. Tolkien's fantasy novels have succeeded far beyond the book market. Decades after the author's death in 1973, the film gained worldwide acclaim, and the three films based on the book were also wildly successful.

5. The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince)

~ 140 million copies sold

Genre: Children's Fiction

Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Year of original release: 1943

Original language: French

French aristocrat, aviator, journalist and book author Antoine de Saint-Exupery wrote the fifth best-selling book in history. The Little Prince (original title "Le Petit Prince") is by far the best-selling children's book of all time, selling around 140 million copies worldwide. Saint-Exupery published the book in 1943 while living in exile in the United States after France surrendered to the Nazi invasion in 1940. The Little Prince would become the most successful French book, but also his last book. He died after joining the French army and crashed in the Mediterranean Sea in 1944.