Washington Irving Books In Order

Publication Order of Short Stories/Novellas

Publication Order of Collections

Publication Order of Non-Fiction Books

Publication Order of Little Golden Books Books

Publication Order of Anthologies

Washington Irving was a biographer, writer, diplomat, historian, and essayist who is best known for the short stories “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle.”

The two short stories were published in “The Sketch Book,” a short story collection, and went on to win international acclaim. For his exploits, Irving has often been called the father of the American short story.

As for his early beginnings, the author was born in New York City in 1783 to a Scottish-American merchant named William and a mother who was the daughter of a clergyman from England.

He was born just in time for the end of the American Revolution and since his mother was so patriotic, she named him after General Washington.

His interest in writing and storytelling was evident from very early on, as he used to read the likes of “The World Displayed,” “Sinbad the Sailor,” and “Robinson Crusoe” while still a boy.
He then attended elementary school until his mid-teens and was known for his excellent performance.

According to Mary Weatherspoon Bowden who was Irving’s biographer, the author always maintained close contact with his mother, father, and siblings for most of his life.

Irving was just 19 when he started working as a journalist under the pen name Jonathan Oldstyle. While reporting for “The Morning Chronicle,” which belonged to his brother Peter, he was charged with covering the treason trial of Aaron Burr.
Between 1804 and 1806 he traveled widely as his family fronted him money for a grand tour.

Following his return, he adopted the pen name Dietrich Knickerbocker under which he published “A History of New York,” a comic work that detailed Dutch life in New York. According to some scholars, this is Irving’s magnum opus.
In 1807, he graduated from law school and went on to pass the bar exam. Eight years later he was back in Europe where he made his home for 17 years.

It was in 1820 that he published his collection of short stories “The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent” which contained “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” and “Rip Van Winkle” his best-known works.
Humorous and gothic, these are some of the earliest examples of the short story genre.

In 1846, he moved back to the US to live in Tarrytown, New York. He penned some poetry, biography, travel writing, and essays during this time even if he wrote less.

As a very popular writer, Washington Irving continued writing well into his 70s. It was only eight months to his demise that he completed the writing of the George Washington biography.
Irving died in New York of a heart attack in 1859 and seemingly foretold his death as he wished that his life would end as he arranged his pillows for the night.

He is now best known for making short stories a popular genre, even as he stripped it of its didactic elements and made it a form that could only be used for entertainment.
He also added unity of tone, richness of atmosphere, actual American people and scenery, locality, lightness of touch, humor, patient workmanship, and nicety of execution.

“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” is the story of a schoolteacher named Ichabod Crane who lives in Sleepy Hollow. He has for several years been trying to woo Katrina Van Tassel a wealthy heiress who is engaged to Brom Bones.
In addition to the story of Ichabod, The work tells of the life of the Dutch community particularly in upstate New York during the 19th century.

Irving writes some very detailed descriptions of meadows and hills, animal farms, peasant occupations, and the area around the Hudson, which is the setting of the play during the autumn.
Since Ichabod Crane the lead loves food a lot, Washington also talks about markets and different types of foods.

At its core, this is the story of a love triangle as the world-famous headless horseman only makes something of a cameo appearance in the closing chapters of the work.
The best thing about it all is that it has managed to survive through time, particularly the climax of the novel and the headless horseman myth.

Washington Irving’s novel “Rip Van Winkle” introduces a self-absorbed, lazy, and amiable character named Rip. He is a guy who gets his kicks criticizing and scorning his wife whom he believes emasculates him.
But all his wife does is try to make him provide for the family and not leave everything to her. Surprisingly, he spends a lot of time with other kids in the community except for his own, probably out of spite.
Instead of working on his farm he helps out the neighbors and carries out the duties and errands for wives whose husbands have shirked their responsibilities.

He is also known for loving the bottle too much and can always be found drinking whenever he has some money and a little time.

At some point in the story, he takes his dog and hunting rifle and heads for the mountains to get away from his wife’s tongue-lashing. When he meets a man carrying a heavy keg he helps him out and his reward is an evening of camaraderie and drink.
He falls asleep only to come to two centuries later to realize that governments have been formed, wars and revolutions have been fought and nothing is like what he remembers.

He is an object of curiosity and would have been sent to an asylum had it not been for his daughter who takes him in.

“Tales of the Alhambra” by Washington Irving is the story of how the author visited the Alhambra.

It was in 1829 when he made his journey to the world-famous Curiosity which was then home to a small garrison of Spanish soldiers rather than a major tourist attraction.

Since tourism at the time was a pursuit for the rich, Irving lived in the fortress itself sleeping wherever he pleased as he observed obscure courtyards by moonlight.

The description seems to indicate that the Spain of 1929 was a Don Quixote-like backwater rather than a massive empire full of a dream country convulsing with political turmoil.
Interspersed with Irving’s recollections of Spanish folktales involving the Moors and the Alhambra, forgotten buried treasures, or a combination of all three, it is a fascinating look into 19th-century Spain.