Perrin wrote essays for many publications and was a regular contributor to the "Washington Post" for more than 20 years, covering a wide variety of subjects. His "Washington Post" essays later were published as "A Reader's Delight" (1988), one of his 12 books. His later "Washington Post" columns about forgotten works of children's literature were collected in "A Child's Delight" (1997). His second book was "Dr. Bowdler's Legacy: A History of Expurgated Books in England and America" (1969) and was nominated for the National Book Award. His sixth book was "Giving up the Gun: Japan's Reversion to the Sword, 1543–1879".