Order of Book Series
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Survivalist Books in Order by Jerry Ahern

Survivalist by Jerry Ahern contains 39 books, published between 1981 and 2019. The first book is Total War (1981) and the newest is Operation Phoenix (2019). Publication order is the reading order below.

Other series are also called Survivalist: Survivalist Books in Order: 2 Different Series.

Books
39
Published
1981–2019
Pages on record
7,297 in 29 of 39 books
Reading time
122–182 hours

Reading time is an estimate, not a recorded figure: 7,297 pages at 300 words a page, read at 200–300 words a minute, covering the 29 of 39 titles with a page count on record.

See all 39 books in order Printable Survivalist checklist

Survivalist is a post-apocalyptic series by Jerry Ahern featuring John Thomas Rourke, with World War III and nuclear warfare among its subject tags. Total War, The Nightmare Begins, The Quest and The Doomsayer all appeared in 1981. The listing reaches 39 books and ends with Operation Phoenix (2019). Sharon Ahern and Bob Anderson are each credited on 7 of the books. A chronological reading order is available.

How many Survivalist books are there?

Survivalist has 39 books, released between 1981 and 2019.

Survivalist Books in Publication Order

The table lists all 39 Survivalist books in the order they were published, with the release year, the page count where one is on record, and how many independent book listings confirm each title. Catalogue data as of September 2026.

  1. Cover of Total War by Jerry Ahern, book 1 of the Survivalist series (1981)
  2. Cover of The Nightmare Begins by Jerry Ahern, book 2 of the Survivalist series (1981)
  3. Cover of The Doomsayer by Jerry Ahern, book 4 of the Survivalist series (1981)
  4. Cover of The Savage Horde by Jerry Ahern, book 6 of the Survivalist series (1983)
  5. Cover of The Prophet by Jerry Ahern, book 7 of the Survivalist series (1984)
  6. Cover of The Reprisal by Jerry Ahern, book 11 of the Survivalist series (1985)
  7. Cover of Pursuit by Jerry Ahern, book 13 of the Survivalist series (1986)
  8. Cover of The Arsenal by Jerry Ahern, book 16 of the Survivalist series (1987)
  9. Cover of The Ordeal by Jerry Ahern, book 17 of the Survivalist series (1988)
  10. Cover of Mid-Wake by Jerry Ahern, book 18 of the Survivalist series (1988)
  11. Cover of The Struggle by Jerry Ahern, book 19 of the Survivalist series (1989)
  12. Cover of Final Rain by Jerry Ahern, book 20 of the Survivalist series (1989)
  13. Cover of Firestorm by Jerry Ahern, book 21 of the Survivalist series (1990)
  14. Cover of To End All War by Jerry Ahern, book 22 of the Survivalist series (1990)
  15. Cover of The Legend by Jerry Ahern, book 23 of the Survivalist series (1991)
  16. Cover of Call to Battle by Jerry Ahern, book 25 of the Survivalist series (1992)
  17. Cover of Blood Assassins by Jerry Ahern, book 26 of the Survivalist series (1992)
  18. Cover of Death Watch by Jerry Ahern, book 29 of the Survivalist series (1993)
  19. Cover of The Inheritors of Earth, book 30 of the Survivalist series (2013)
  20. Cover of Earth Shine, book 31 of the Survivalist series (2014)
  21. Cover of The Quisling Covenant, book 32 of the Survivalist series (2014)
  22. Cover of Deep Star, book 33 of the Survivalist series (2015)
  23. Cover of Lodestar, book 34 of the Survivalist series (2016)
  24. Cover of Blood Moon, book 35 of the Survivalist series (2018)
  1. 1
    Total War1981 · 218 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1981218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 1
    Shades of Love2013 · confirmed 2/4
    2013–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 2
    The Nightmare Begins1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 2
    Once Upon a Time2014 · confirmed 2/4
    2014–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 3
    The Quest1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 3
    Light Dreams The Survivalist Short Story Collection Book 32014 · confirmed 2/4
    2014–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 4
    The Doomsayer1981 · 222 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1981222
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 5
    The Web1983 · 222 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1983222
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 6
    The Savage Horde1983 · confirmed 2/4
    1983–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 7
    The Prophet1984 · 239 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984239
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 8
    The End is Coming1984 · 234 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984234
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 9
    Earth Fire1984 · confirmed 2/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 10
    The Awakening1984 · 235 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984235
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 11
    The Reprisal1985 · 224 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1985224
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 12
    The Rebellion1985 · confirmed 2/4
    1985–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 13
    Pursuit1986 · 240 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1986240
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 14
    The Terror1987 · confirmed 2/4
    1987–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 15
    Overlord1987 · 252 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987252
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 16
    The Arsenal1987 · 236 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987236
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 17
    The Ordeal1988 · 220 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1988220
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 18
    Mid-Wake1988 · 476 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1988476
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 19
    The Struggle1989 · 223 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1989223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 20
    Final Rain1989 · 220 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1989220
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 21
    Firestorm1990 · 192 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1990192
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 22
    To End All War1990 · 223 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1990223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 23
    The Legend1991 · confirmed 2/4
    1991–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 24
    Brutal Conquest1991 · 254 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1991254
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 25
    Call to Battle1992 · 253 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1992253
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 26
    Blood Assassins1992 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1992384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 27
    War Mountain1993 · 320 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  31. 28
    Countdown1993 · 351 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993351
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  32. 29
    Death Watch1993 · 256 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  33. 30
    The Inheritors of Earth2013 · 180 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2013180
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  34. 31
    Earth Shine2014 · 202 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2014202
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  35. 32
    The Quisling Covenant2014 · 214 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2014214
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  36. 33
    Deep Star2015 · 258 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2015258
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  37. 34
    Lodestar2016 · 228 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2016228
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  38. 35
    Blood Moon2018 · 237 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2018237
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  39. 36
    Operation Phoenix2019 · 284 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2019284
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Survivalist Books in Chronological Order

In story order, Total War comes first and Operation Phoenix comes last. Chronological order follows the events inside the story rather than the release dates. The 36 books with a recorded story position run in that sequence below.

  1. 1
    Total War1981 · 218 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1981218
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  2. 2
    The Nightmare Begins1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  3. 3
    The Quest1981 · confirmed 2/4
    1981–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  4. 4
    The Doomsayer1981 · 222 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1981222
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  5. 5
    The Web1983 · 222 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1983222
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  6. 6
    The Savage Horde1983 · confirmed 2/4
    1983–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  7. 7
    The Prophet1984 · 239 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984239
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  8. 8
    The End is Coming1984 · 234 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984234
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  9. 9
    Earth Fire1984 · confirmed 2/4
    1984–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  10. 10
    The Awakening1984 · 235 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1984235
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  11. 11
    The Reprisal1985 · 224 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1985224
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  12. 12
    The Rebellion1985 · confirmed 2/4
    1985–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  13. 13
    Pursuit1986 · 240 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1986240
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  14. 14
    The Terror1987 · confirmed 2/4
    1987–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  15. 15
    Overlord1987 · 252 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987252
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  16. 16
    The Arsenal1987 · 236 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1987236
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  17. 17
    The Ordeal1988 · 220 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1988220
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  18. 19
    The Struggle1989 · 223 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1989223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  19. 20
    Final Rain1989 · 220 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1989220
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  20. 21
    Firestorm1990 · 192 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1990192
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  21. 22
    To End All War1990 · 223 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1990223
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  22. 24
    Brutal Conquest1991 · 254 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1991254
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  23. 25
    Call to Battle1992 · 253 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1992253
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  24. 26
    Blood Assassins1992 · 384 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1992384
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  25. 27
    War Mountain1993 · 320 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993320
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  26. 28
    Countdown1993 · 351 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993351
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  27. 29
    Death Watch1993 · 256 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1993256
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  28. 18
    Mid-Wake1988 · 476 pages · confirmed 2/4
    1988476
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  29. 23
    The Legend1991 · confirmed 2/4
    1991–
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  30. 30
    The Inheritors of Earth2013 · 180 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2013180
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  31. 31
    Earth Shine2014 · 202 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2014202
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  32. 32
    The Quisling Covenant2014 · 214 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2014214
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  33. 33
    Deep Star2015 · 258 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2015258
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  34. 34
    Lodestar2016 · 228 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2016228
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  35. 35
    Blood Moon2018 · 237 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2018237
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK
  36. 36
    Operation Phoenix2019 · 284 pages · confirmed 2/4
    2019284
    Buy at Amazon USAmazon UK

Do you have to read Survivalist books in order?

You should read the Survivalist books in publication order, the order of the numbered table above. The catalogue does not record whether each Survivalist book also stands alone.

Where to start with Survivalist

Start with Total War (1981), the earliest published title.

What is the newest Survivalist book?

Operation Phoenix (2019) is the newest Survivalist book released so far.

Is there a new Survivalist book coming?

No next Survivalist book is announced in the catalogue, which is a gap in the listings it merges rather than a sign that the run has ended.

Survivalist at a glance

No recent titles
The newest Survivalist title on record dates from 2019, 7 years ago. No later title is catalogued.
Release pace
Survivalist books have appeared about one a year on average.
Length
7,297 pages across the 29 of 39 books with a recorded length, a median of 235 pages each.
Busiest decade
Most Survivalist books, 20 of 39, were published in the 1980s.
Attribution
Of the 39 titles, 39 are credited to Jerry Ahern, 7 to Sharon Ahern and 7 to Bob Anderson.

What the Survivalist books are about

21 of the 39 Survivalist books carry subject tags in Open Library's catalogue. The subjects below are the ones that recur across them, most frequent first: john thomas rourke (fictitious character) is tagged on 10 of 21. The subjects are cataloguers’ headings, not a plot summary.

  • John Thomas Rourke (Fictitious character) 10 of 21 books
  • World War III 10 of 21 books
  • Espionage 4 of 21 books
  • Mystery & detective 3 of 21 books
  • Espionage/Intrigue 2 of 21 books
  • Fiction - Espionage / Thriller 2 of 21 books
  • Nuclear warfare 2 of 21 books
  • Post-apocalypse 2 of 21 books
  • Science fiction 2 of 21 books
  • Survival 2 of 21 books

More books by Jerry Ahern

The author page linked below lists every book in publication order.

Other series by Jerry Ahern

Each series linked below has its own reading-order page.