Books Recommended by Anthony Bourdain
My Last Supper
50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals / Portraits, Interviews, and Recipes
Melanie Dunea
Source: "[The author] managed to convince a goodly number of the world's best, and best-known, chefs to let it all go." - Anthony Bourdain
Between Meals
A. Liebling
Source: "[The author's] memoir of meals in Paris before and after the war, and it’s fantastic." - Anthony Bourdain
Eating Viet Nam
Dispatches from a Blue Plastic Table
Graham Holliday
Source: "This is—and will remain—an essential account for anyone considering travel to Vietnam." - Anthony Bourdain
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
George Higgins
Source: "The best, most realistic crime novel ever. Best dialogue in a crime novel ever." - Anthony Bourdain
The Quiet American
Graham Greene
Source: "I re-read it frequently. Particularly when visiting Vietnam." - Anthony Bourdain
Essays
George Orwell
Source: "The font of all wisdom. [The author] is right about nearly everything." - Anthony Bourdain
Ripley's Game
Patricia Highsmith
Source: "Elegant, deliciously immoral entry in series of sociopath as hero." - Anthony Bourdain
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
Hunter S. Thompson
Source: "The book that probably influenced me more than any other." - Anthony Bourdain
Naked Lunch
The Restored Text
William S. Burroughs
Source: "Filthy, dangerous, depraved groundbreaking. And funny as Hell." - Anthony Bourdain
The Devil All the Time
Donald Ray Pollock
Source: "[The author] was a revelation when I first read [this book]." - Anthony Bourdain
Thrown
Kerry Howley
Source: "An absolutely wonderful exploration of the poorly understood sport of MMA." - Anthony Bourdain
Ways of Escape
Graham Greene
Source: "A book I’ve read many times but keep coming back to." - Anthony Bourdain
Something to food about
Exploring Creativity with Innovative Chefs
Questlove
Source: "[The author] gets to the heart of the matter." - Anthony Bourdain
Adios, Motherfucker
A Gentleman's Progress Through Rock and Roll
Michael Ruffino
Source: Anthony Bourdain's answer to "what’s the last book that made you laugh?"
Crash
J. G. Ballard
Source: "Violent. Twisted. Hilarious and beautiful." - Anthony Bourdain
You're Better Than Me
A Memoir
Bonnie McFarlane
Source: "Rejuvenating, excoriating genius." - Anthony Bourdain
Under the Volcano
A Novel
Malcolm Lowry
Source: "One of the truly great books." - Anthony Bourdain
The White Album
Essays
Joan Didion
Source: "I wish I could write like [this author]." - Anthony Bourdain
The Wind in the Willows
Kenneth Grahame
Source: "A classic I loved as a child." - Anthony Bourdain
Prune
Gabrielle Hamilton
Source: "A fucking masterpiece." - Anthony Bourdain
FAQ
Did Anthony Bourdain recommend all these books?
Not necessarily. This book list has Anthony Bourdain must-read recommendations, but it also has a mix of mentions and suggestions.
How do you know Anthony Bourdain mentioned these books?
Every suggestion made by Anthony Bourdain is validated by our editors. You can find the sources to the recommendations linked next to the books.
Did Anthony Bourdain actually create this list?
No. This reading list was curated by our editors based on confirmed mentions from Anthony Bourdain, the sources are made available under each recommendation.
120 books
Got feedback? Email us 📧