The pandemic of 2020 caused disruption and delays in the publishing industry just as it did to so many other facets of the global economy. There were nonetheless many noteworthy new titles released concerning the American Revolution and Founding era. During 2020, our dedicated contributors reviewed thirty-two titles. From these distinguished books, the Journal of the American Revolution is pleased to announce in alphabetical order the five finalists for the 2020 JAR Book-of-the-Year Award:
The Boston Massacre: a Family History by Serena Zabin (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
The Cabinet: George Washington and the Creation of an American Institution by Lindsay M. Chervinsky (Belknap Press/Harvard University Press)
Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics of Vengeance in the American Revolution by T. Cole Jones (University of Pennsylvania Press)
A Crisis of Peace: George Washington, the Newburgh Conspiracy and the Fate of the American Revolution by David Head (Pegasus Books)
Franklin & Washington: The Founding Partnership by Edward J. Larson (William Morrow)
The winner and honorable mention will be announced on January 29.
The Journal of the American Revolution Book-of-the-Year is an international award dedicated to highlighting nonfiction books of distinction on the Revolutionary and Founding era. The award has been given annually since 2014 to the work that best reflects the mission of the journal: to deliver engaging, creative, and original research or compelling synthesis in a well-crafted narrative that appeals to scholars and lay readers alike. Past winners include Quarters by John Gilbert McCurdy, The Indian World of George Washington by Colin G. Calloway, The Martyr and the Traitor by Virginia DeJohn Anderson, Brothers at Arms by Larrie D. Ferreiro, and Independence Lost by Kathleen DuVal. The award is judged by a panel of both professional and public historians.
Don N. Hagist
Editor, Journal of the American Revolution
(Note: Books published by Westholme Publishing are not eligible for the award since JAR is published by Westholme.)
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