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Shortlist: 2014 Cundill Prize in Historical Literature

Six books to compete for US$75,000 grand prize: Repercussions of war, genocide and slavery themes of this year鈥檚 titles

The six books vying for the 2014 Cundill Prize in historical literature were announced today by Professor Christopher Manfredi, Dean of 苹果淫院鈥檚 Faculty of Arts.

Published: 29 September 2014

鈥淭he Cundill jury has once again delivered an impressive list of books for this year鈥檚 shortlist,鈥 said Prof. Manfredi, who serves as Administrative Chair of the Cundill Prize. 鈥淭he Cundill Prize aims to introduce outstanding history books to the wider public, shining a spotlight on a diverse range of topics that appeal to experts, informed readers, and history buffs.鈥

Now in its seventh year, the Cundill Prize is the world鈥檚 most lucrative international award for a nonfiction book, featuring a grand prize of US$75,000, with two 鈥淩ecognition of Excellence鈥 prizes of US$10,000 each.听

The six shortlisted titles, chosen from a field of 165 submissions, are:



  • Gary Bass 鈥 The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide (Knopf)
  • David Brion Davis 鈥 The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation (Knopf)
  • Andrew O鈥橲haughnessy 鈥 The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire (Yale University Press)
  • Richard Overy 鈥 The Bombing War: Europe 1939-45 (Allen Lane)
  • David Van Reybrouck 鈥 Congo: The Epic History of a People (Fourth Estate)
  • Geoffrey Wawro 鈥 A Mad Catastrophe: The Outbreak of World War I and the Collapse of the Habsburg Empire (Basic Books)

鈥淭his year鈥檚 shortlist takes us across time and around the globe: the monumental history of the Democratic Republic of Congo; the American Revolution and the fate of the British Empire; the history of the Blitz; the collapse of the Habsburg Empire and the start of WWI; slavery in the Age of Emancipation; and the 1971 atrocities in Bangladesh and the shaping of Asia,鈥 said Manfredi. 鈥淓ach book is a thorough examination of a time and place, and highlights how history shapes our present understanding of world events. The jury will have a tough time choosing the three finalists, and eventually the winner.鈥

The three finalists will be announced in mid-October. The grand prize winner of the 2014 Cundill Prize will be announced at an awards ceremony in Toronto on Thursday, November 20, 2014.听 听

This year鈥檚 Cundill Jury includes David Frum, author and a senior editor for The Atlantic; Marla R. Miller, Professor and Director, Public History Program and Graduate Program Director, the University of Massachusetts; Stuart Schwartz, Professor, Department of History, Yale University and the winner of the inaugural Cundill Prize; Thomas H.B. Symons, Founding President and Professor Emeritus, Trent University; and Althia Raj, Ottawa Bureau Chief, Huffington Post Canada.

About the Prize: The Cundill Prize in Historical Literature at 苹果淫院 is the world鈥檚 most important international nonfiction historical literature prize. It was established in 2008 by 苹果淫院 alumnus F. Peter Cundill, who passed away in January 2011. The prize is administered by 苹果淫院鈥檚 Dean of Arts, with the help of the 苹果淫院 Institute for the Study of Canada (MISC), and is awarded annually to an individual who has published a book determined to have had a profound literary, social and academic impact in the area of history.

For more information on the Cundill Prize:

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Shortlisted authors are available for comment and interview.

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