- Books:
- "Flight of the Intruder" (1970)
- "The Tigers of Tammany Hall" (1975)
- "KGB: The Secret Work of Soviet Secret Agents" (1991)
- "The History of the Vietnam War: An Illustrated History" (1995)
- "The Greatest Spies: A Gallery of the Most Notable Spies in History" (1997)
- "The Battle for North Africa" (2001)
- "The Defence of the West: A History of NATO" (2003)
- "The Second World War: A Military History" (2005)
- Articles:
- "The Bombing of Dresden: A Necessary Wartime Action or a Crime against Humanity?" (2004)
- "Vietnam: The Lessons of a Lost War" (2006)
- "The Future of NATO" (2008)
- "The Rise of China and the New World Order" (2010)
Ian Goodhope Colvin has also contributed articles to various newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, and The New York Times.