By Leland Fiegel
Web Editor
Every year, the George Washington Book Prize honors a single work related to Washington College’s namesake (or his era) that stands apart from the rest. The prize, which is co-sponsored by WC, is worth $50,000. The prize finalists for the year were just announced this past February, in honor of Washington’s birthday. These include: John Fea’s “Was America Founded As A Christian Nation?: A Historical Introduction,” Benjamin H. Irvin’s “Clothed in Robes of Sovereignty: The Continental Congress and the People Out of Doors,” and Maya Jasanoff’s” Liberty’s Exiles: American Loyalists in the Revolutionary World.”
George Washington Book Prize Coordinator Lois Kitz tracks down eligible books each year. She searches publishers’ catalogs, “Publisher’s Weekly,” Amazon.com, and other internet searches each spring and summer, and is also contacted directly by publishers and authors.
“I create a master list of eligible books and then contact the publishers, asking them to submit copies to the jury,” she said. “Some books come from the biggest publishers in the country, some from prestigious academic presses and some even from small, independent presses or even self-published. We try to include everything written about the period whether it be biography, military history, cultural history or some other approach. As the books come in I collect them and forward them in batches to the jury.”
The jury this year consisted of a three-person panel selected by Director of the C.V. Starr Center and WC history professor Adam Goodheart. This group of distinguished scholars is tasked with reading all of the books submitted books and selecting the finalists.
“They take into consideration the quality of the writing, the depth of research and scholarship and how much it adds to the ongoing conversation about the founding era. Books that have the potential to reach a general readership and advance broad public understanding are especially welcomed,” Kitz said.
The final books are submitted to the selection committee, comprised of two representatives from each of the three sponsoring organizations, plus one independent scholar. These include Mount Vernon, the Gilder Lehrman Institute, and WC.
The ultimate winner will be announced at a black tie event at Mount Vernon on June 4.
“The three books are available at Miller library and the bookstore,” Kitz said. “Check them out and pick your favorite or take a stab at guessing the winner.”