Biography:
* E. M. Forster: A Life (1977): A biography of E.M. Forster. This book is considered a definitive biography of the novelist and is widely respected for its thoroughness and insight.
Literary Criticism:
* The Companion to Modern English Literature (1977): A collection of essays on modern English literature.
* The Changing Shape of English Literature (1983): A study of the development of English literature.
* The Study of Literature (1984): An exploration of the methods and approaches to literary studies.
* The Work of a Lifetime: The Complete Collected Letters of E. M. Forster, Vol. 1: 1899-1939 (1995): Furbank co-edited this volume of Forster's letters with J.K. Johnson.
* The Work of a Lifetime: The Complete Collected Letters of E. M. Forster, Vol. 2: 1940-1970 (2001): Furbank again co-edited this volume of Forster's letters with J.K. Johnson.
* The Pleasures of the Text (2014): A collection of essays on literature.
Other:
* The French Revolution (1988): A study of the French Revolution.
* The Life and Times of William Hazlitt (1989): A biography of William Hazlitt, a 19th-century English essayist and literary critic.
Furbank is known for his meticulous research and insightful analysis. He has also written a number of articles and essays on literature and other topics.