Author Guide · Investigative Journalism
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In 2017 Ronan Farrow, then a reporter at NBC News, had spent months gathering accounts of sexual abuse by the film producer Harvey Weinstein, when the network declined to run the story. He took it to The New Yorker, which published it in October 2017, and his reporting shared that year's Pulitzer Prize for Public Service. Only later did he learn that he had been followed by private investigators. Before that he had worked as a diplomat in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This guide covers both of his books in order, and where to start.
By Lisanne Swart · 2 books · Investigative journalism · 2018–2019 · Updated October 2026
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Quick answer
Ronan Farrow has published two books: War on Peace (2018), about the decline of American diplomacy, and Catch and Kill (2019), about his reporting on Harvey Weinstein and the efforts to stop it. In 2025 he also released an audio original, Not a Very Good Murderer, listed further down.
Where to Start with Ronan Farrow
If you want the famous one
→ Catch and Kill (2019).
If you want foreign policy
→ War on Peace (2018).
All 2 Ronan Farrow Books, in Order
War on Peace
Drawing on his years at the State Department, including work for Richard Holbrooke in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Farrow argues that American foreign policy has come to rely on the military rather than diplomats, with interviews with every living former secretary of state.
Catch and Kill
The story behind his Weinstein investigation: the sources who came forward, NBC's decision not to air it, the tabloid practice of buying stories to bury them, and the private intelligence operatives hired to follow reporters and accusers. It was a National Book Critics Circle Award finalist and has a Peabody Award-winning companion podcast.
How Many Books Did Ronan Farrow Write?
Two books, in 2018 and 2019, plus an audio original.
- Books — War on Peace (2018) and Catch and Kill (2019). Read the entries →
- Audio — Not a Very Good Murderer (2025), listed further down. See the full list →
In What Order to Read Ronan Farrow
The two books can be read in either order, but they connect: Farrow has said that his diplomatic and investigative work are, at heart, about the same thing, power and accountability.
A reading path
1. Catch and Kill (2019)
2. War on Peace (2018)
Everything Else Ronan Farrow Wrote: The Full List
Beyond his two books, an audio original.
Open a form with the + to see every book in it.
Audio original
1
1 book · 2025
- 2025Not a Very Good Murderera true-crime story set in Paradise Valley, Arizona
Quick facts about Ronan Farrow
- Works for
- The New Yorker, contributing writer
- Before
- State Department; anchor and reporter at MSNBC and NBC News
- Education
- Yale Law School; member of the New York Bar
- Prizes
- Pulitzer Prize for Public Service (shared), National Magazine Award, George Polk Award
- Lives
- New York
- Books
- 2, War on Peace (2018) and Catch and Kill (2019)
How Ronan Farrow Works: Protecting the Sources
Farrow's investigations depend on persuading people to go on the record about powerful men, and much of Catch and Kill is about that process: the trust built with sources, and the legal and personal pressure they faced.
He writes the book like a thriller, with himself as a character, including the evidence that he and his sources were being watched.
Ronan Farrow at Bowdoin College
Watch the lecture at Bowdoin College →
Ronan Farrow gives the Tom Cassidy Lecture at Bowdoin College, 2025.Frequently asked questions about Ronan Farrow's books
How many books has Ronan Farrow written?
Ronan Farrow has published two books: War on Peace (2018) and Catch and Kill (2019). In 2025 he also released the audio original Not a Very Good Murderer.
What is Catch and Kill about?
Catch and Kill (2019) tells the story of Farrow's investigation into Harvey Weinstein and the efforts by powerful people, including private investigators, to suppress it.
What is War on Peace about?
War on Peace (2018) argues that American diplomacy has been weakened in favour of military solutions, drawing on Farrow's time at the State Department.
Footnotes
Bibliography last verified 1 October 2026.
This list was not put together by a machine.
The notes are all mine,
and the books are all his.
Lisanne x
Written by Lisanne Swart, who has curated reading lists and author guides at lisanneswart.com since 2021.
See more on her personal bookshelf.
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