William W. Johnstone Books in Order (Updated September 9, 2026)

William W. Johnstone was an American novelist whose unusually broad career covered Westerns, survivalist fiction, horror, military action, science fiction, thrillers, and supernatural suspense. He began publishing novels in the late 1970s and eventually became best known for Smoke Jensen, Preacher, Frank Morgan, Ben Raines, and several other long-running characters.

Johnstone died in 2004, but his fictional worlds did not end with him. J.A. Johnstone continued many established series and later expanded the Johnstone Western catalog with additional families, lawmen, outlaws, and frontier settings. That makes authorship important when reading these books: some series began with William W. Johnstone and later continued under the joint William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone name.

Reader’s compass for William W. Johnstone

1. Start with The Last Mountain Man if you want Smoke Jensen and Johnstone’s defining Western world.
2. Start with The First Mountain Man if you prefer the earlier frontier and Preacher’s mountain-man adventures.
3. Start with Out of the Ashes for Johnstone’s post-apocalyptic action fiction and General Ben Raines.
4. Start with The Drifter for Frank Morgan and the Last Gunfighter series.
5. Start with Eyes of Eagles for the multigenerational Eagles Western saga.
6. Start with The Devil’s Kiss if you want Johnstone’s horror rather than his Westerns.

The safest approach is to read one series at a time. Smoke Jensen, Preacher, Frank Morgan, and Ben Raines occupy separate continuities, while several later Jensen books deliberately bring members of the same Western family together.

Ashes books in order

The Ashes series follows Ben Raines after nuclear war destroys the established United States. Raines becomes the leader of a heavily armed movement attempting to create a new society while fighting criminal armies, dictators, extremists, invading forces, and rival political systems.

1. Out of the Ashes (1983): Nuclear catastrophe destroys the old political order and places Ben Raines at the center of a new survivalist movement.
2. Fire in the Ashes (1984): Raines and his followers begin turning survival into organized resistance while hostile groups compete for the ruins of America.
3. Anarchy in the Ashes (1984): The collapse of centralized authority leaves Ben confronting lawlessness and enemies who see the postwar chaos as an opportunity.
4. Blood in the Ashes (1985): The Rebel movement faces another major armed struggle as rebuilding America proves nearly as difficult as surviving its destruction.
5. Alone in the Ashes (1985): Ben is forced into a more isolated fight where personal survival becomes as important as command of the wider Rebel cause.
6. Wind in the Ashes (1986): The expanding conflict pushes the Rebels into another campaign while the political map of postwar America continues to change.
7. Smoke from the Ashes (1987): Raines faces the consequences of earlier battles as new forces rise from territories supposedly brought under control.
8. Danger in the Ashes (1988): Another organized threat tests whether the Rebel system can protect both its people and the territory it has rebuilt.
9. Valor in the Ashes (1988): The Rebels are pushed into a campaign where courage, discipline, and the loyalty of Ben’s fighters determine whether the new society survives.
10. Trapped in the Ashes (1989): Ben and his forces become caught in a dangerous strategic position that narrows their options and increases the cost of escape.
11. Death in the Ashes (1990): Raines confronts another lethal campaign as hostile groups continue exploiting the fractured American landscape.
12. Survival in the Ashes (1990): The practical problem of keeping communities alive becomes inseparable from the military struggle against enemies of the Rebels.
13. Fury in the Ashes (1991): Ben answers escalating violence with an aggressive campaign against forces threatening the fragile society he has helped build.
14. Courage in the Ashes (1991): The Rebels face another widespread challenge that tests both individual fighters and the long-term viability of Ben’s political vision.
15. Terror in the Ashes (1992): Terror tactics and organized brutality become central as the surviving population is again forced into open conflict.
16. Vengeance in the Ashes (1993): Retaliation drives the next campaign as previous atrocities create unfinished personal and military business.
17. Battle in the Ashes (1993): The series moves back toward large-scale warfare with Ben commanding forces against another major enemy.
18. Flames from the Ashes (1993): Violence spreads again across territory the Rebels hoped to stabilize, proving that victory in one region does not secure the continent.
19. Treason in the Ashes (1994): Betrayal inside the political struggle becomes as dangerous as open enemies on the battlefield.
20. D-Day in the Ashes (1994): A massive offensive gives the Ashes saga one of its most overtly military campaign structures.
21. Betrayal in the Ashes (1996): Ben confronts another challenge involving broken loyalties and enemies willing to undermine the Rebels from within.
22. Chaos in the Ashes (1996): Disorder returns on a broad scale as political and military enemies exploit the continuing instability of postwar America.
23. Slaughter in the Ashes (1997): The violence intensifies as Raines’s forces fight opponents prepared to destroy entire communities rather than surrender control.
24. Judgment in the Ashes (1997): Ben is forced to decide how far the Rebels should go when confronting groups responsible for widespread brutality.
25. Ambush in the Ashes (1998): A planned attack threatens the Rebels and turns the next stage of the campaign into a fight for survival and counterattack.
26. Triumph in the Ashes (1998): The Rebels win important ground, but the title’s victory does not mean the wider struggle for the continent has ended.
27. Hatred in the Ashes (1999): Ideological hatred fuels a new enemy and pushes Ben’s forces into another campaign against organized extremism.
28. Standoff in the Ashes (1999): Opposing powers reach a dangerous confrontation where neither side can easily withdraw without surrendering strategic ground.
29. Crisis in the Ashes (2000): Political and military instability once again threatens the society Ben has spent years defending.
30. Tyranny in the Ashes (2000): Raines confronts authoritarian rule and another attempt to replace one destroyed system with a harsher form of control.
31. Warriors from the Ashes (2001): A new generation of hardened fighters becomes increasingly important to the Rebel cause.
32. Destiny in the Ashes (2001): Ben’s long struggle begins moving toward its later-stage consequences as the future of his movement comes into focus.
33. Enemy in the Ashes (2002): Another powerful opponent emerges from the long aftermath of nuclear war and threatens the Rebels’ hard-won stability.
34. Escape from the Ashes (2003): The main Ben Raines sequence reaches its closing stage with survival, withdrawal, and the future of the Rebel society at stake.
35. From the Ashes: America Reborn: This companion volume looks back at the Ashes world and its attempt to rebuild American society rather than functioning as a conventional next adventure.
36. The Last Rebel: Survivor: A later Ashes-related volume returns to the survivalist world and is best treated after the principal Ben Raines sequence.

Read the Ashes novels in publication order. Ben’s campaigns, political development, allies, losses, and the evolution of the Rebel system build continuously from one book to the next.

Smoke Jensen and the Mountain Man books

The Mountain Man series follows Kirby “Smoke” Jensen, whose early life is shaped by violence, frontier hardship, and his training under the legendary mountain man Preacher. Smoke later becomes a rancher at the Sugarloaf in Colorado, but trouble repeatedly pulls him back into gunfights, manhunts, range wars, rescues, and battles with outlaw gangs.

1. The Last Mountain Man (1984): Young Kirby Jensen heads west, learns from Preacher, and begins the transformation into the gunfighter known as Smoke Jensen.
2. Return of the Mountain Man (1986): Smoke returns to unfinished business and confronts men connected to the violence that shaped his earlier life.
3. Trail of the Mountain Man (1987): Smoke follows another violent trail through the frontier while his reputation as a dangerous gunfighter continues to grow.
4. Revenge of the Mountain Man (1988): A personal score draws Smoke into a campaign where revenge and frontier justice become difficult to separate.
5. Journey of the Mountain Man (1989): Smoke leaves the relative safety of home for another long journey into outlaw territory and escalating conflict.
6. Law of the Mountain Man (1989): Smoke becomes the force standing between ordinary settlers and men who believe money and guns place them above the law.
7. War of the Mountain Man (1990): A large-scale frontier conflict pushes Smoke beyond a single gunfight and into a wider war for control.
8. Code of the Mountain Man (1991): Smoke’s personal code of loyalty and justice determines which side he takes when powerful men abuse weaker settlers.
9. Pursuit of the Mountain Man (1991): Hunters turn Smoke into prey, forcing him to use the frontier skills that made his name legendary.
10. Courage of the Mountain Man (1992): Smoke faces another heavily armed enemy while defending people who cannot withstand the fight alone.
11. Blood of the Mountain Man (1992): Family, reputation, and old violence draw Smoke into another conflict where the Jensen name itself carries consequences.
12. Fury of the Mountain Man (1993): A new provocation brings out Smoke’s most dangerous side as he takes the fight directly to violent opponents.
13. Rage of the Mountain Man (1994): Smoke answers another frontier outrage with a relentless campaign against the men responsible.
14. Cunning of the Mountain Man (1994): Strategy matters as much as gun speed when Smoke faces enemies who try to defeat him through planning rather than a fair fight.
15. Power of the Mountain Man (1995): Smoke’s reputation and ability to rally allies become important in a conflict larger than one man’s personal feud.
16. Spirit of the Mountain Man (1995): The ideals Smoke learned from the old mountain men guide him through another violent challenge to the frontier community.
17. Ordeal of the Mountain Man (1996): Smoke is pushed through a particularly punishing trial where endurance matters as much as marksmanship.
18. Triumph of the Mountain Man (1997): Smoke fights toward victory over another determined enemy threatening his family and neighbors.
19. Vengeance of the Mountain Man (1997): Another personal wrong sets Smoke on the trail of men who underestimate how far he will go for justice.
20. Honor of the Mountain Man (1998): Smoke becomes involved because keeping his word and protecting others matter more than avoiding danger.
21. Battle of the Mountain Man (1998): A major showdown forces Smoke and his allies into sustained fighting rather than a single confrontation.
22. Pride of the Mountain Man (1998): Smoke’s family and reputation become targets as another enemy attempts to break the Jensen name.
23. Creed of the Mountain Man (1999): The rules Smoke lives by place him in direct opposition to men who treat violence as a tool for profit.
24. Guns of the Mountain Man (1999): The action intensifies as Smoke faces opponents whose numbers make a peaceful solution unlikely.
25. Heart of the Mountain Man (2000): Smoke’s loyalty to family and friends drives a conflict that reveals the quieter values beneath his gunfighter reputation.
26. Justice of the Mountain Man (2000): Smoke becomes the instrument of frontier justice when corrupt or violent men escape normal punishment.
27. Valor of the Mountain Man (2001): Smoke’s willingness to stand against overwhelming odds places him at the center of another dangerous frontier struggle.
28. Warpath of the Mountain Man (2002): Smoke takes to the trail against another enemy, turning pursuit into an increasingly violent campaign.
29. Trek of the Mountain Man (2002): A difficult journey across dangerous country exposes Smoke and his companions to enemies far from the Sugarloaf.
30. Quest of the Mountain Man (2003): Smoke pursues another mission where reaching the destination is only part of the challenge.
31. Ambush of the Mountain Man (2003): Enemies attempt to end Smoke’s career with a planned attack, but catching him by surprise is not the same as defeating him.
32. Wrath of the Mountain Man (2004): One of the last Mountain Man novels from William W. Johnstone’s lifetime brings Smoke into another violent confrontation over justice and revenge.

The series continued after William W. Johnstone’s death under the joint William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone branding. Later Smoke Jensen books should remain in publication order if you want the full continuing Western saga.

Preacher and The First Mountain Man books

Preacher belongs to an earlier frontier generation than Smoke Jensen. His books focus more heavily on trapping, wilderness travel, Native nations, early settlements, mountain rendezvous, territorial conflict, and the dangerous period before much of the West had become organized into towns and states.

1. The First Mountain Man (1991): Preacher emerges as an experienced frontiersman whose wilderness knowledge and fighting ability make him indispensable in dangerous country.
2. Blood on the Divide (1992): Preacher crosses another violent frontier where rival interests and hostile men turn the wilderness into a battleground.
3. Absaroka Ambush (1993): An ambush in mountain country forces Preacher to survive first and settle the score afterward.
4. Forty Guns West (1993): A heavily armed threat gives Preacher another reason to defend travelers and settlers moving into dangerous territory.
5. Cheyenne Challenge (1995): Preacher becomes caught in conflict involving the Cheyenne and competing frontier interests.
6. Preacher and the Mountain Caesar (1995): A self-styled ruler in remote country creates a challenge even Preacher cannot simply ride around.
7. Blackfoot Messiah (1996): Preacher confronts a dangerous figure whose influence over others threatens to ignite wider frontier violence.
8. Preacher (2002): This later entry returns directly to the legendary mountain man’s own adventures and reinforces his role as one of the Johnstone frontier’s foundational figures.
9. Preacher’s Peace (2003): Preacher discovers that attempts to leave conflict behind rarely last long in a frontier where violence follows opportunity.
10. Preacher’s Justice (2004): Preacher takes action when ordinary law cannot protect people facing ruthless frontier enemies.

The Preacher series continued extensively after 2004. Later installments remain part of the same character continuity but were produced during the J.A. Johnstone continuation era.

The Eagles saga in order

The Eagles books form another multigenerational Western lane. Rather than centering on Smoke Jensen or Preacher, the series follows the Jensen-connected frontier world through different eras and family conflicts.

1. Eyes of Eagles (1993): The saga begins with Jamie Ian MacCallister and the violent frontier events that establish the family line.
2. Dreams of Eagles (1994): Jamie’s story expands as family ambitions and the growth of the frontier create new dangers.
3. Talons of Eagles (1996): The MacCallister family becomes more deeply involved in the conflicts shaping the developing West.
4. Scream of Eagles (1997): The family’s enemies and frontier struggles intensify as the saga moves into another generation of conflict.
5. Rage of Eagles (1998): Violence against the family triggers another campaign of pursuit and retaliation.
6. Song of Eagles (1999): Family continuity remains central as the series balances settlement, loyalty, and armed conflict.
7. Cry of Eagles (1999): Another threat to the family draws the MacCallisters into a struggle stretching beyond one isolated frontier town.
8. Blood of Eagles (2000): The cost of the family’s long frontier history becomes literal as another generation faces violent enemies.
9. Destiny of Eagles (2004): The series reaches an important late point in William W. Johnstone’s lifetime as family destiny and frontier change come together.

Later Eagles books continued after Johnstone’s death. Read the entire saga in publication order if you want the generational relationships to remain clear.

Frank Morgan and The Last Gunfighter

Frank Morgan is an aging gunfighter trying to live beyond his violent reputation. The problem is that old enemies, new killers, frightened towns, and men seeking fame by defeating a legend continually pull him back into trouble.

1. The Drifter (2000): Frank Morgan is introduced as a wandering gunfighter whose reputation makes anonymity almost impossible.
2. Reprisal (2000): Frank is drawn into another fight where retaliation and frontier justice threaten to become indistinguishable.
3. Ghost Valley (2001): A seemingly isolated valley places Frank among secrets, enemies, and unfinished violence.
4. The Forbidden (2001): Frank becomes involved in a dangerous conflict where powerful men expect fear to keep others obedient.
5. Showdown (2002): The gunfighter’s reputation finally points him toward the kind of confrontation everyone around him has been expecting.
6. Imposter (2002): Someone using Frank Morgan’s identity creates trouble that only the real gunfighter can settle.
7. Rescue (2003): Frank takes on a dangerous recovery mission in which protecting another person becomes more important than avoiding a fight.
8. The Burning (2003): Destruction and frontier vengeance put Frank on another trail toward violent men.
9. No Man’s Land (2004): Frank rides into territory where conventional law has little authority and survival depends on reputation and gun skill.
10. Manhunt (2004): Frank becomes either hunter or hunted in one of the final Last Gunfighter books from William W. Johnstone’s lifetime.

The series later continued with J.A. Johnstone. The continuity remains Frank Morgan’s, so readers should not restart when the authorship period changes.

William W. Johnstone’s horror starting shelf

Before the Western catalog became dominant, Johnstone wrote extensively in horror and supernatural fiction. These books are separate from the Jensen and Preacher worlds.

1. The Devil’s Kiss (1979): Johnstone’s first published novel introduces occult horror, demonic influence, and a small community facing supernatural evil.
2. The Devil’s Heart: The supernatural conflict continues with evil spreading beyond the events of the first Devil novel.
3. The Devil’s Touch: Demonic power again enters ordinary lives, extending Johnstone’s early Satanic-horror sequence.
4. The Devil’s Cat: The Devil cycle turns toward another manifestation of supernatural evil while keeping the broader occult mythology intact.
5. Cats: Predatory animals and supernatural horror combine in one of Johnstone’s better-known creature-oriented novels.
6. Toy Cemetery: Childhood objects and buried local history become the source of supernatural danger.
7. The Nursery: Johnstone turns another apparently safe domestic setting into the center of occult horror.
8. The Uninvited: Unwelcome supernatural forces transform a human conflict into something far more dangerous.
9. Rockinghorse: A familiar childhood object becomes the focus of a darker supernatural threat.
10. The Devil’s Laughter: Johnstone returns to his Satanic-horror tradition with another story about evil operating through human weakness.
11. The Devil’s Legion: Occult forces expand from individual terror toward a larger organized threat.
12. The Devil’s Apostle: A human agent of supernatural evil becomes central to another entry in Johnstone’s Devil mythology.
13. The Devil’s Kiss of Death: The series revisits the demonic framework that began Johnstone’s publishing career.
14. Them (2001): A later horror novel brings Johnstone’s taste for extreme supernatural and speculative threats into the final phase of his career.

Readers who know Johnstone only through Westerns may find this part of his career unexpectedly different. The horror novels should be treated as their own shelf rather than inserted into Western series chronology.

Other major William W. Johnstone series to know

• Blood Bond: Begin with Blood Bond for the adventures of Matt Bodine and Sam Two Wolves, blood brothers who repeatedly ride into violent frontier disputes.
• Code Name: Begin with Code Name: Payback for Johnstone’s modern military and covert-action fiction rather than his nineteenth-century Westerns.
• Rig Warrior: Begin with the first Rig Warrior novel for a post-collapse action series built around heavily armed truckers and survival on dangerous highways.
• Dog Team: This action series moves away from horseback Westerns into modern covert warfare and elite military operations.
• A Town Called Fury: The series begins with A Town Called Fury and follows settlers attempting to establish a community while enemies try to destroy it.
• Blood Valley: Start with Blood Valley for a Western built around law, town conflict, and the violent struggle to impose order.
• The Last Gunfighter: Start with The Drifter and keep Frank Morgan’s books together rather than mixing them with Smoke Jensen.

William W. Johnstone and William Mason

Johnstone also used the name William Mason for two books, Eagle Down and Dagger. These belong to his bibliography even when older editions do not display the William W. Johnstone name prominently.

• Eagle Down: A military and political action novel published under the William Mason name.
• Dagger: Another William Mason title that belongs to Johnstone’s modern action and thriller work rather than his Western series.

Where William W. Johnstone’s books end and J.A. Johnstone begins

William W. Johnstone died on February 8, 2004. Books published later under the joint William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone name continue characters, settings, and series he established, while J.A. also developed newer series within the Johnstone publishing tradition.

This means a recent Smoke Jensen or Preacher novel is still part of the correct series reading order even though William W. Johnstone could not personally have written a book released in the 2010s or 2020s.

Best reading route if you are new to Johnstone Country

1. The Last Mountain Man: Start here for Smoke Jensen and the Western world most closely associated with the Johnstone name.
2. Return of the Mountain Man: Continue Smoke’s early arc before branching into related Jensen books.
3. The First Mountain Man: Move backward historically to meet Preacher in the earlier frontier generation.
4. Eyes of Eagles: Use the Eagles saga for another multigenerational Western route.
5. The Drifter: Meet Frank Morgan if you prefer an older gunfighter with a reputation he cannot escape.
6. Out of the Ashes: Switch genres completely for Ben Raines and post-nuclear survivalist action.
7. The Devil’s Kiss: Finish the sampler with Johnstone’s early horror and see how different his career was before the Western catalog dominated.

Current William W. Johnstone franchise status

The William W. Johnstone name remains active on new books through the continuing work of J.A. Johnstone and the Johnstone publishing program. In 2026, new releases include Smoke Jensen, Preacher, Murphy’s Law, Whiskey Woods, and other Western titles.

Born to Be Killed and Rampage of the Desert Wolf expanded the younger Smoke Jensen line in 2026. Preacher’s Hell continued the First Mountain Man series, while Reckoning of the Mountain Man is scheduled for October 2026 and Preacher’s Wrath is scheduled for December 2026.

These are modern continuations under the William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone name, not newly discovered manuscripts written by William before his death.

Questions readers usually have about William W. Johnstone

What William W. Johnstone book should I read first?

The Last Mountain Man is the safest starting point for Western readers. Out of the Ashes is the better starting point for post-apocalyptic action.

Should Smoke Jensen be read before Preacher?

No strict cross-series order is required. Preacher belongs to an earlier frontier generation and appears in Smoke’s background, but each series has its own entry point.

What is the first Ashes book?

Out of the Ashes begins Ben Raines’s post-nuclear saga and should be read before the later Ashes novels.

What is the first Preacher book?

The First Mountain Man is the first Preacher novel in publication order.

Who is the Last Gunfighter?

Frank Morgan is the central character of The Last Gunfighter, beginning with The Drifter.

Did William W. Johnstone write books published after 2004?

William died in 2004. Later books carrying his name are continuations of the Johnstone literary brand, generally associated with J.A. Johnstone and the continuing family publishing program.

Are William W. Johnstone and J.A. Johnstone the same person?

No. J.A. Johnstone is William W. Johnstone’s nephew and worked with him as an assistant, researcher, typist, and fact checker before continuing the Johnstone storytelling tradition.

Closing reading guidance

For Westerns, begin with Smoke Jensen in The Last Mountain Man, then use Preacher, Frank Morgan, Blood Bond, and the Eagles books as separate reading lanes. Do not mix all of those titles into one supposed chronology simply because they share the Johnstone name.

For non-Western fiction, keep the Ashes, horror, military-action, and science-fiction books on their own shelves. William W. Johnstone wrote across too many genres for one blended publication list to be useful, so series order provides the clearest and least confusing way through his very large bibliography.