Hiro originally trained as an engineer in India and the United States before moving to the UK to further his career and "explore the West".^[1]

He was also a frequent contributor to the following online magazines: The Guardian’s Commentisfree;^[2] Yale University’s Yale Globalist;^[3] and the New York-based Nation Institute’s website TomDispatch.

Non-Fiction

• Cold War in the Islamic World: Saudi Arabia, Iran and the Struggle for Supremacy (2018) ISBN 9780190944650
• The Age of Aspiration: Power, Wealth, and Conflict in Globalizing India (2016) ISBN 1620971305
• The Longest August: The Unflinching Rivalry Between India and Pakistan (2015) ISBN 1568587341
• Indians in a Globalizing World: Their Skewed Rise (2014)
• A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Middle East (2013)
• Apocalyptic Realm: Jihadists in South Asia (2012)
• After Empire: The Birth of a Multipolar World (2010) (shortlisted for the Mirabaud Prize of the Forum International Médias Nord-Sud)
• Inside Central Asia: A Political and Cultural History of Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Iran (2009) (on The Financial Times’s List of Best History Books of the Year)
• Blood of the Earth: The Battle for the World’s Vanishing Oil Resources (2007)
• The Timeline History of India (2006)^{[citation needed]}
• The Iranian Labyrinth: Journeys through Theocratic Iran and Its Furies (2005)
• Secrets and Lies: Operation 'Iraqi Freedom' and After (2004)/ (Financial Times’ Best Politics and Religion Book of the Year) / (Long-listed for the George Orwell Prize for Political Writing)
• The Essential Middle East: A Comprehensive Guide (2003)
• Iraq: In The Eye Of The Storm (2002) (Best-seller in the US and UK)
• War Without End: The Rise of Islamist Terrorism and Global Response (2002), ISBN 9781136485565; Re-issued 2013)
• The Rough Guide History of India (2002)
• Neighbors, Not Friends: Iraq and Iran after the Gulf Wars (2001)
• Sharing the Promised Land: A Tale of Israelis and Palestinians (1998)
• Dictionary of the Middle East (1996)^{[citation needed]}
• The Middle East (1996)^{[citation needed]}
• Between Marx and Muhammad: The Changing Face of Central Asia (1995)
• Lebanon, Fire and Embers: A History of the Lebanese Civil War (1993)
• Desert Shield to Desert Storm: The Second Gulf War (1992)
• Black British, White British: A History of Race Relations in Britain (1991)
• The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict (1991)
• Holy Wars: The Rise of Islamic Fundamentalism (1989, Re-issued 2013)
• Iran: The Revolution Within (1988)^{[citation needed]}
• Iran under the Ayatollahs (1985; Re-issued 2011)
• Inside the Middle East (1982; Re-issued 2013)
• Inside India Today (1976; Re-issued 2013) (Banned in India during 1976-77 Emergency)
• The Untouchables of India (1975)
• Black British, White British (1973)
• The Indian Family in Britain (1969)

Fiction

• Three Plays (1985)^{[citation needed]}
• Interior, Exchange, Exterior (Poems, 1980)^{[citation needed]}
• Apply, Apply, No Reply & A Clean Break (Two Plays, 1978)^{[citation needed]}
• To Anchor a Cloud (Play, 1972)^{[citation needed]}
• A Triangular View (Novel, 1969)^{[citation needed]}

• Babur Nama: Journal of Emperor Babur (2006)

• A World Connected: Globalization In The 21st Century (ed.) Nayan Chanda (2013)
• Encyclopedia Of Global Studies (eds.) Helmut Anheier & Mark Juergensmeyer (2012)
• The World According To Tomdispatch: America In The New Age Of Empire (ed.) Tom Englehardt (2008)
• New Makers Of Modern Culture, Vol. 2, (ed.) Justin Wintle (2007)
• New Makers Of Modern Culture, Vol. 1 (ed.) Justin Wintle (2007)
• The Iraq War Reader (eds) Micah Sifri & Christopher Serf (2003)
• A Concise History Of India (a new chapter), (2002)
• A Just Response: The Nation On Terrorism, Democracy And 11 September 2001 (ed.) Katrina vanden Heuvel (2002)
• What's it like? Life And Culture In Britain Today (eds) Joanne Collie & Alex Martin (2000)
• Iran And The Arab World (ed.) Hooshang Amirahmadi (1993)
• The Gulf War Reader (eds) Micah Sifri & Christopher Serf (1991)
• Makers Of Nineteenth Century Culture (ed.) Justin Wintle (1984)
• Pieces Of Hate (ed.) Brian Redhead & Kenneth McLeish (1982)
• Makers Of Modern Culture (ed.) Justin Wintle (1982)
• World Minorities, Vol II (ed.) Georgina Ashworth (1977)
• World Minorities, Vol I (ed.) Georgina Ashworth (1977)
• Colour, Culture And Consciousness (ed.) Bhikhu Parekh (1974)
• One For Sorrow, Two For Joy (ed.) Paul Barker (1972)

• Nations without a cause The Economist's review of Hiro's "Inside Central Asia", 24 September 2009
• Blood of the Earth: Dilip Hiro on the Battle for the World’s Vanishing Oil Resources Video, Democracy Now! 31 January 2007
• Articles at Tomdispatch.com
• Articles at The Nation

• [1] 10 Great Films of 1974 "A Private Enterprise" Peter Smith and Dilip Hiro co-authors]