Goodreads Choice Awards Finalists 2025
Olivia Manning

Olivia Manning’s Followers (172)

member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo
member photo

Olivia Manning


Born
in Portsmouth, England, The United Kingdom
March 02, 1908

Died
July 23, 1980

Genre
Literature & Fiction, Nonfiction


Olivia Manning CBE was a British novelist, poet, writer and reviewer. Her fiction and non-fiction, frequently detailing journeys and personal odysseys, were principally set in England, Ireland, Europe and the Middle East. She often wrote from her personal experience, though her books also demonstrate strengths in imaginative writing. Her books are widely admired for her artistic eye and vivid descriptions of place.
In August 1939 she married R.D. Smith ("Reggie"), a British Council lecturer posted in Bucharest, Romania, and subsequently in Greece, Egypt and Palestine as the Nazis over-ran Eastern Europe. Her experiences formed the basis for her best known work, the six novels making up "The Balkan Trilogy" and "The Levant Trilogy," known col ...more

Combine Editions

Average rating: 4.04 · 9,965 ratings · 1,193 reviews · 39 distinct works • Similar authors
The Balkan Trilogy
4.17 avg rating — 2,920 ratings — published 1960 — 18 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Great Fortune (Balkan T...
3.78 avg rating — 2,094 ratings — published 1960 — 12 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Levant Trilogy
4.34 avg rating — 1,494 ratings — published 1980 — 23 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Spoilt City (Balkan Tri...
4.10 avg rating — 951 ratings — published 1962 — 23 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
Friends and Heroes (Balkan ...
4.03 avg rating — 829 ratings — published 1965 — 24 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
School for Love
by
3.87 avg rating — 736 ratings — published 1951 — 11 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Danger Tree
3.89 avg rating — 272 ratings — published 1977 — 3 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Battle Lost and Won
4.09 avg rating — 207 ratings — published 1978 — 4 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Sum of Things
4.05 avg rating — 198 ratings — published 1981 — 6 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
The Doves of Venus
3.64 avg rating — 176 ratings — published 1955 — 11 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars
More books by Olivia Manning…

Series by Olivia Manning

The Great Fortune The Spoilt City Friends and Heroes The Danger Tree The Battle Lost and Won The Sum of Things
(6 books)
by
4.08 avg rating — 8,965 ratings

The Great Fortune The Spoilt City Friends and Heroes
(3 books)
by
4.02 avg rating — 6,793 ratings

The Danger Tree The Battle Lost and Won The Sum of Things
(3 books)
by
4.24 avg rating — 2,171 ratings

Quotes by Olivia Manning  (?)
Quotes are added by the Goodreads community and are not verified by Goodreads. (Learn more)

“The sense of belonging together had been deeper than love.”
― Olivia Manning, The Danger Tree
tags: belonging, friendship, love, separation
7 likes
Like

“Enjoy yourself while you've still got the chance.”
― Olivia Manning, The Danger Tree
tags: chances, enjoy-life, life
7 likes
Like

“Don't be silly, you only catch what you fear to catch", and, fearing nothing, he saw himself immune.”
― Olivia Manning, The Danger Tree
tags: fear
5 likes
Like

Polls

More...

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Historical Fictio...: Eastern European History through Novels 14 413 Aug 21, 2012 03:11AM  
Around the World: This topic has been closed to new comments. Where in the World Are You?!?! (Currently Reading) 1227 467 Jan 02, 2013 05:25AM  
The Next Best Boo...: This topic has been closed to new comments. Last Letter Game (Writers/Authors) 1686 1309 May 30, 2013 12:55PM  
2015: The Year of...: * February 2015 13 239 Feb 13, 2015 01:20PM  
Fiction Fanatics: Teacher's Top 100 reads 15 88 Jul 21, 2015 11:31AM  
2015: The Year of...: The Balkan Trilogy by Olivia Manning 56 92 Aug 23, 2015 12:42PM  
Bright Young Things: "The Great Fortune" by Olivia Manning 61 22 Aug 30, 2015 05:51AM