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Explore the Tarzan books in order by Edgar Rice Burroughs, with quick summaries, reading order help, series background, and the best place to start.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

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Tarzan books in publication order

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24 books

1

Tarzan of the Apes

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1912

An orphaned child is raised by apes in Africa and grows into Tarzan, a fearless hunter who learns to navigate both jungle law and human society. When Jane Porter arrives, Tarzan must choose between two worlds.

2

The Return of Tarzan

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1913

Tarzan follows a trail that leads from Africa to Europe and back again, discovering hidden identities and new enemies. The adventure expands his world, adds allies, and sets up recurring threats that will follow him for years.

3

The Beasts of Tarzan

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1914

Jane and Tarzan’s young son are taken, and Tarzan gathers an unlikely band of animal allies to track them down. The chase moves from jungle paths to criminal plots, testing Tarzan’s family, and his ruthless determination.

4

Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1916

Tarzan becomes entangled with the lost city of Opar, its treasure, and the dangerous priestess who rules its rituals. With lives at stake, he must balance duty, temptation, and a brutal struggle for control in the jungle.

5

The Son of Tarzan

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1916

Tarzan’s son is kidnapped and grows up in the jungle under a new name, learning hard lessons about trust and violence. His path crosses that of Meriem, another lost child, as both fight to survive and find home.

6

Jungle Tales of Tarzan

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1919

A collection of short adventures from Tarzan’s early years, showing how he learned jungle skills, made enemies, and built his own code. Each story adds texture to his legend without slowing the pace.

7

Tarzan the Untamed

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1919

During wartime, Tarzan is driven into a relentless hunt that takes him across dangerous territory and into human conflicts he never wanted. Revenge, rescue, and survival collide as he fights enemies who do not play by jungle rules.

8

Tarzan the Terrible

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1921

Tarzan ventures into a hidden land beyond the known jungle, where strange tribes and ancient rivalries shape daily life. To survive and escape, he must learn new rules fast and outthink enemies who know the terrain.

9

Tarzan and the Golden Lion

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1923

Tarzan befriends a rare golden lion and is pulled into a conflict that mixes jungle danger with human treachery. Protecting the animal and the people around him means facing hunters and enemies who want power at any cost.

10

Tarzan and the Ant Men

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1924

Tarzan is drawn into a bizarre miniature civilization, where size and strength mean something new. Cut off from his usual advantages, he must survive captivity and political intrigue while trying to return to the wider world.

11

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1927

This volume pairs two late Tarzan adventures, one involving a film crew and a “lion man,” and another featuring a deadly leopard-men cult. Together they show Tarzan dealing with human deception as much as jungle danger.

12

The Tarzan Twins

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1927

Two adventurous youngsters, known as the Tarzan Twins, get separated from safety and must survive deep in the African jungle. Cannibals, wild animals, and hidden dangers test their courage until Tarzan tracks their trail.

13

Tarzan and the Lost Empire

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1928

Tarzan’s search for missing friends leads him to a hidden realm in Africa that feels like a surviving fragment of an ancient empire. To escape its politics and dangers, he must outfight enemies who have ruled in secret for generations.

14

Tarzan the Invincible

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1930

Tarzan uncovers a dangerous plot involving foreign agents, hidden strongholds, and people willing to sell out entire communities. To stop the scheme, he must fight through traps that are more political than animal, and just as lethal.

15

Tarzan Triumphant

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1931

Tarzan becomes entangled in a struggle over power in a remote African region, where slavers and warlords exploit fear. A rescue turns into a larger campaign, and Tarzan must outthink enemies who count on intimidation to win.

16

Tarzan and the City of Gold

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1932

Tarzan returns to a hidden land of strange tribes and lost riches when danger threatens friends and allies. The journey forces him into brutal contests, uneasy alliances, and a fight to keep power from falling into the wrong hands.

17

Tarzan and the Lion Man

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1934

Tarzan crosses paths with a Hollywood expedition and a mysterious “lion man,” and what starts as a stunt turns into real danger. He must untangle deception, rescue the vulnerable, and restore order in a jungle that does not forgive mistakes.

18

Tarzan and the Leopard Men

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1935

A secretive leopard-men cult spreads fear through the jungle, and Tarzan must track the killers without knowing who wears the mask. The hunt becomes a tense mix of mystery and action as Tarzan closes in on enemies hiding in plain sight.

19

Tarzan's Quest

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1935

Jane is kidnapped, and Tarzan follows her trail into remote country where legends of a life-extending secret draw ruthless men. The quest becomes a race through hidden valleys and brutal fights, with Tarzan unwilling to lose his family again.

20

Tarzan and the Forbidden City

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1938

Tarzan enters a forbidden city where outsiders are not meant to return and finds a web of politics and danger inside its walls. Rescue becomes harder than the journey in, and Tarzan must fight smart as well as hard to get out.

21

Tarzan the Magnificent

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1939

Tarzan escorts a dangerous prisoner through hostile territory and discovers that justice is rarely simple in the jungle. Betrayal, pursuit, and unexpected alliances turn a straightforward mission into a test of Tarzan’s judgment and restraint.

22

Tarzan and the Foreign Legion

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1947

During World War II, Tarzan becomes involved in a rescue and sabotage mission alongside a foreign legion. Jungle skills meet modern warfare as he fights to save captives and outmaneuver enemies in a conflict larger than any one man.

23

Tarzan and the Madman

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1964

Tarzan encounters a man who looks like him, and the double becomes the center of a dangerous scheme. Confusion, captivity, and a fight for identity push Tarzan into a mystery where brute force is not enough.

24

Tarzan and the Castaways

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

1965

This late Tarzan collection sends him into remote coasts and sudden rescues, where castaways and criminals collide. The stories lean into short, fast plots, with Tarzan solving problems quickly and leaving before trouble can settle.

Tarzan books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Tarzan of the Apes"

    Tarzan of the Apes

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1912Tarzan, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "The Return of Tarzan"

    The Return of Tarzan

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1913Tarzan, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "The Beasts of Tarzan"

    The Beasts of Tarzan

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1914Tarzan, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "The Son of Tarzan"

    The Son of Tarzan

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1916Tarzan, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar"

    Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1916Tarzan, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Jungle Tales of Tarzan"

    Jungle Tales of Tarzan

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1919Tarzan, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Tarzan the Untamed"

    Tarzan the Untamed

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1919Tarzan, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Tarzan the Terrible"

    Tarzan the Terrible

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1921Tarzan, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Golden Lion"

    Tarzan and the Golden Lion

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1923Tarzan, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Ant Men"

    Tarzan and the Ant Men

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1924Tarzan, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "The Tarzan Twins"

    The Tarzan Twins

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1927Tarzan, Book 11
  12. Book cover for "Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle"

    Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1927Tarzan, Book 12
  13. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Lost Empire"

    Tarzan and the Lost Empire

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1928Tarzan, Book 13
  14. Book cover for "Tarzan the Invincible"

    Tarzan the Invincible

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1930Tarzan, Book 14
  15. Book cover for "Tarzan Triumphant"

    Tarzan Triumphant

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1931Tarzan, Book 15
  16. Book cover for "Tarzan and the City of Gold"

    Tarzan and the City of Gold

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1932Tarzan, Book 16
  17. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Lion Man"

    Tarzan and the Lion Man

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1934Tarzan, Book 17
  18. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Leopard Men"

    Tarzan and the Leopard Men

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1935Tarzan, Book 18
  19. Book cover for "Tarzan's Quest"

    Tarzan's Quest

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1935Tarzan, Book 19
  20. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Forbidden City"

    Tarzan and the Forbidden City

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1938Tarzan, Book 20
  21. Book cover for "Tarzan the Magnificent"

    Tarzan the Magnificent

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1939Tarzan, Book 21
  22. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Foreign Legion"

    Tarzan and the Foreign Legion

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1947Tarzan, Book 22
  23. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Madman"

    Tarzan and the Madman

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1964Tarzan, Book 23
  24. Book cover for "Tarzan and the Castaways"

    Tarzan and the Castaways

    by Edgar Rice Burroughs

    1965Tarzan, Book 24

Series background & context

The Tarzan books start with a simple hook and then refuse to stay in one lane. A baby is orphaned on the African coast and raised by apes, growing up as Tarzan, quick, curious, and fiercely protective of his home. When he finally meets other humans, including Jane Porter, the story becomes a tug-of-war between two lives: the wild freedom of the jungle and the pull of the wider world.

Tarzan is often called a lord, but he’s also an outsider. He learns by watching, listens more than he talks, and judges people by what they do when nobody is keeping score. That point of view is part of the series’ engine. It lets Burroughs move Tarzan from jungle dangers to city streets and high-society rooms, and then throw him back into the trees without losing who he is.

The jungle is never just scenery.

After Tarzan of the Apes and The Return of Tarzan set the foundation, the books branch into all kinds of adventures. Some are straight survival tales with predators, hostile camps, and ruthless intruders. Others lean into lost-world pulp, with hidden valleys, forgotten tribes, and ruins where the old rules still apply. A recurring pattern is the tug between Tarzan’s instinct to be left alone and the way trouble keeps finding him, often through someone he’s sworn to protect.

Over time, Tarzan’s circle grows. Allies like the Waziri give him a community that feels earned, not inherited, and later stories bring his son into the spotlight as well. You’ll also see Burroughs revisit favorite threads, such as the lost city of Opar and the temptations of treasure and power that come with it. Some books have a tight, novel-length plot; others are shorter adventures bundled together, like Jungle Tales of Tarzan or the family-focused The Tarzan Twins. Either way, the series keeps returning to the same pressure cooker, put Tarzan between danger and someone who can’t fight back.

Even in the quiet chapters, something is stalking the edge of the clearing.

The tone stays direct even when the settings change. Tarzan may cross paths with spies, get pulled into a rescue he never asked for, or chase a vanished friend into an unknown country, but the heart of the series is physical action and quick decisions. If you want the cleanest start, begin with Tarzan of the Apes, then read forward into The Return of Tarzan and The Beasts of Tarzan before sampling the later, more standalone quests.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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