National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction

1. 2025
   Empire of AI Karen Hao

   

   Winner

   Empire of AI

   Karen Hao

   The other finalists

   • America, América Greg Grandin

     
     America, América by Greg Grandin
   • Daughters of the Bamboo Grove Barbara Demick

     
     Daughters of the Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick
   • King of Kings Scott Anderson

     
     King of Kings by Scott Anderson
   • No More Tears Gardiner Harris

     
     No More Tears by Gardiner Harris

   All 5 books from 2025

2. 2024
   Challenger Adam Higginbotham

   

   Winner

   Challenger

   Adam Higginbotham

   The other finalists

   • Relinquished Gretchen Sisson

     
     Relinquished by Gretchen Sisson
   • The Achilles Trap Steve Coll

     
     The Achilles Trap by Steve Coll
   • The Freaks Came Out to Write Tricia Romano

     
     The Freaks Came Out to Write by Tricia Romano
   • We’re Alone Edwidge Danticat
     We’re Alone by Edwidge Danticat

   All 5 books from 2024

3. 2023
   We Were Once a Family Roxanna Asgarian

   

   Winner

   We Were Once a Family

   Roxanna Asgarian

   The other finalists

   • Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs Kerry Howley

     
     Bottoms Up and the Devil Laughs by Kerry Howley
   • Ordinary Notes Christina Sharpe

     
     Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe
   • The Undertow Jeff Sharlet

     
     The Undertow by Jeff Sharlet
   • Who Gets Believed? When the Truth Isn’t Enough Dina Nayeri
     Who Gets Believed? When the Truth Isn’t Enough by Dina Nayeri

   All 5 books from 2023

4. 2022
   The Method Isaac Butler

   

   Winner

   The Method

   Isaac Butler

   The other finalists

   • An Immense World Ed Yong

     
     An Immense World by Ed Yong
   • Bad Mexicans Kelly Lytle Hernández

     
     Bad Mexicans by Kelly Lytle Hernández
   • Fen, Bog & Swamp Annie Proulx

     
     Fen, Bog & Swamp by Annie Proulx
   • Virology Joseph Osmundson

     
     Virology by Joseph Osmundson

   All 5 books from 2022

5. 2021
   How the Word Is Passed Clint Smith

   

   Winner

   How the Word Is Passed

   Clint Smith

   The other finalists

   • Empire of Pain Patrick Radden Keefe

     
     Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe
   • Orwell’s Roses Rebecca Solnit

     
     Orwell’s Roses by Rebecca Solnit
   • The Family Roe Joshua Prager

     
     The Family Roe by Joshua Prager
   • The Least of Us Sam Quinones

     
     The Least of Us by Sam Quinones

   All 5 books from 2021

6. 2020
   Island on Fire Tom Zoellner

   

   Winner

   Island on Fire

   Tom Zoellner

   The other finalists

   • Caste Isabel Wilkerson

     
     Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
   • Shakespeare in a Divided America James Shapiro

     
     Shakespeare in a Divided America by James Shapiro
   • She Come by It Natural Sarah Smarsh

     
     She Come by It Natural by Sarah Smarsh
   • The Broken Heart of America Walter Johnson

     
     The Broken Heart of America by Walter Johnson

   All 5 books from 2020

7. 2019
   Say Nothing Patrick Radden Keefe

   

   Winner

   Say Nothing

   Patrick Radden Keefe

   The other finalists

   • Manual for Survival Kate Brown

     
     Manual for Survival by Kate Brown
   • No Visible Bruises Rachel Louise Snyder

     
     No Visible Bruises by Rachel Louise Snyder
   • Out of the Shadows Walt Odets

     
     Out of the Shadows by Walt Odets
   • The Buried Peter Hessler

     
     The Buried by Peter Hessler

   All 5 books from 2019

8. 2018
   Directorate S Steve Coll

   

   Winner

   Directorate S

   Steve Coll

   The other finalists

   • God Save Texas Lawrence Wright

     
     God Save Texas by Lawrence Wright
   • The Coddling of the American Mind Greg Lukianoff

     
     The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
   • The Line Becomes a River Francisco Cantú

     
     The Line Becomes a River by Francisco Cantú
   • We the Corporations Adam Winkler

     
     We the Corporations by Adam Winkler

   All 5 books from 2018

9. 2017
   The Evangelicals Frances FitzGerald

   

   Winner

   The Evangelicals

   Frances FitzGerald

   The other finalists

   • A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived Adam Rutherford

     
     A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived by Adam Rutherford
   • Border Kapka Kassabova

     
     Border by Kapka Kassabova
   • The Future Is History Masha Gessen

     
     The Future Is History by Masha Gessen
   • The Gulf Jack E. Davis

     
     The Gulf by Jack E. Davis

   All 5 books from 2017

10. 2016
    Evicted Matthew Desmond

    

    Winner

    Evicted

    Matthew Desmond

    The other finalists

    • Dark Money Jane Mayer

      
      Dark Money by Jane Mayer
    • Nothing Ever Dies Viet Thanh Nguyen

      
      Nothing Ever Dies by Viet Thanh Nguyen
    • Stamped from the Beginning Ibram X. Kendi

      
      Stamped from the Beginning by Ibram X. Kendi
    • Writing to Save a Life John Edgar Wideman

      
      Writing to Save a Life by John Edgar Wideman

    All 5 books from 2016

11. 2015
    Dreamland Sam Quinones

    

    Winner

    Dreamland

    Sam Quinones

    The other finalists

    • Ghettoside Jill Leovy

      
      Ghettoside by Jill Leovy
    • Give Us the Ballot Ari Berman

      
      Give Us the Ballot by Ari Berman
    • SPQR Mary Beard

      
      SPQR by Mary Beard
    • What the Eye Hears Brian Seibert

      
      What the Eye Hears by Brian Seibert

    All 5 books from 2015

12. 2014
    The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation David Brion Davis

    Winner

    The Problem of Slavery in the Age of Emancipation

    David Brion Davis

    The other finalists

    • Deep Down Dark Héctor Tobar

      
      Deep Down Dark by Héctor Tobar
    • The Sixth Extinction Elizabeth Kolbert

      
      The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
    • The Zhivago Affair Peter Finn

      
      The Zhivago Affair by Peter Finn and Petra Couvee
    • Capital in the Twenty-First Century Thomas Piketty
      Capital in the Twenty-First Century by Thomas Piketty

    All 5 books from 2014

13. 2013
    Five Days at Memorial Sheri Fink

    

    Winner

    Five Days at Memorial

    Sheri Fink

    The other finalists

    • Going Clear Lawrence Wright

      
      Going Clear by Lawrence Wright
    • Thank You for Your Service David Finkel

      
      Thank You for Your Service by David Finkel
    • The Unwinding George Packer

      
      The Unwinding by George Packer
    • Whitey Bulger Kevin Cullen

      
      Whitey Bulger by Kevin Cullen and Shelley Murphy

    All 5 books from 2013

14. 2012
    Far from the Tree Andrew Solomon

    

    Winner

    Far from the Tree

    Andrew Solomon

    The other finalists

    • Behind the Beautiful Forevers Katherine Boo

      
      Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo
    • Private Empire Steve Coll

      
      Private Empire by Steve Coll
    • Spillover David Quammen

      
      Spillover by David Quammen
    • Why Does the World Exist? Jim Holt

      
      Why Does the World Exist? by Jim Holt

    All 5 books from 2012

15. 2011
    Liberty’s Exiles Maya Jasanoff

    

    Winner

    Liberty’s Exiles

    Maya Jasanoff

    The other finalists

    • A World on Fire Amanda Foreman

      
      A World on Fire by Amanda Foreman
    • Pulphead John Jeremiah Sullivan

      
      Pulphead by John Jeremiah Sullivan
    • The Information James Gleick

      
      The Information by James Gleick
    • To End All Wars Adam Hochschild

      
      To End All Wars by Adam Hochschild

    All 5 books from 2011

16. 2010
    The Warmth of Other Suns Isabel Wilkerson

    

    Winner

    The Warmth of Other Suns

    Isabel Wilkerson

    The other finalists

    • Apollo’s Angels Jennifer Homans

      
      Apollo’s Angels by Jennifer Homans
    • Empire of the Summer Moon S. C. Gwynne

      
      Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne
    • Nothing to Envy Barbara Demick

      
      Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
    • The Emperor of All Maladies Siddhartha Mukherjee

      
      The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee

    All 5 books from 2010

17. 2009
    The Age of Wonder Richard Holmes

    

    The Age of Wonder

    Richard Holmes

    The other finalists: Fordlandia; Imperial; Strength in What Remains; The Hindus.

    All 5 books from 2009

18. 2008
    The Forever War Dexter Filkins

    

    The Forever War

    Dexter Filkins

    The other finalists: From Colony to Superpower; The Dark Side; This Republic of Suffering; White Protestant Nation.

    All 5 books from 2008

19. 2007
    Medical Apartheid Harriet A. Washington

    

    Medical Apartheid

    Harriet A. Washington

    The other finalists: American Transcendentalism; Legacy of Ashes; The World Without Us; What Hath God Wrought.

    All 5 books from 2007

20. 2006
    Rough Crossings Simon Schama

    

    Rough Crossings

    Simon Schama

    The other finalists: The Girls Who Went Away; The Lemon Tree; The Occupation; The Omnivore’s Dilemma.

    All 5 books from 2006

21. 2005
    Voices from Chernobyl Svetlana Alexievich

    Voices from Chernobyl

    Svetlana Alexievich

    The other finalists: Eating Stone; Human Cargo; Night Draws Near; The Great War for Civilisation.

    All 5 books from 2005

22. 2004
    The Reformation Diarmaid MacCulloch

    

    The Reformation

    Diarmaid MacCulloch

    The other finalists: Arc of Justice; Blood Done Sign My Name; Blue Blood; The Working Poor.

    All 5 books from 2004

23. 2003
    Sons of Mississippi Paul Hendrickson

    

    Sons of Mississippi

    Paul Hendrickson

    The other finalists: Gulag; Random Family; Rising Up and Rising Down; The Bounty.

    All 5 books from 2003

24. 2002
    A Problem from Hell Samantha Power

    

    A Problem from Hell

    Samantha Power

    The other finalists: American Ground; Brown; Edison’s Eve; War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning.

    All 5 books from 2002

25. 2001
    Double Fold Nicholson Baker

    

    Double Fold

    Nicholson Baker

    The other finalists: Neighbors; Seabiscuit; The Brother; The Lost Children of Wilder.

    All 5 books from 2001

26. 2000
    Newjack Ted Conover

    

    Newjack

    Ted Conover

    The other finalists: Betrayal of Trust; Crucible of War; The Collaborator; Way Out There in the Blue.

    All 5 books from 2000

27. 1999
    Time, Love, Memory Jonathan Weiner

    

    Time, Love, Memory

    Jonathan Weiner

    The other finalists: Embracing Defeat; Five Thousand Days Like This One; I Could Tell You Stories; The Black Room at Longwood.

    All 5 books from 1999

28. 1998
    We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families Philip Gourevitch

    

    We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families

    Philip Gourevitch

    The other finalists: King Leopold’s Ghost; Many Thousands Gone; The Bible as It Was; The Professor and the Madman.

    All 5 books from 1998

29. 1997
    The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down Anne Fadiman

    

    The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

    Anne Fadiman

    The other finalists: American Scripture; How the Mind Works; Into Thin Air; The Bible as It Was.

    All 5 books from 1997

30. 1996
    Bad Land Jonathan Raban

    

    Bad Land

    Jonathan Raban

    The other finalists: Ashes to Ashes; Great Books; Hitler’s Willing Executioners; The Middle East.

    All 5 books from 1996

31. 1995
    A Civil Action Jonathan Harr

    

    A Civil Action

    Jonathan Harr

    The other finalists: A Gentle Madness; All God’s Children; In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle; Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet of Wonder.

    All 5 books from 1995

32. 1994
    The Rape of Europa Lynn H. Nicholas

    

    The Rape of Europa

    Lynn H. Nicholas

    The other finalists: How We Die; My Own Country; Strange Justice; The Unredeemed Captive.

    All 5 books from 1994

33. 1993
    The Land Where the Blues Began Alan Lomax

    

    The Land Where the Blues Began

    Alan Lomax

    The other finalists: Genie; Lenin’s Tomb; The Last Panda; Whoredom in Kimmage.

    All 5 books from 1993

34. 1992
    Young Men and Fire Norman Maclean

    

    Young Men and Fire

    Norman Maclean

    The other finalists: Breaking the Maya Code; Death Without Weeping; Home Fires; The Diversity of Life.

    All 5 books from 1992

35. 1991
    Backlash Susan Faludi

    

    Backlash

    Susan Faludi

    The other finalists: Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos; Praying for Sheetrock; Savage Inequalities; Which Side Are You on? Trying to Be for Labor When It’s Flat on Its Back.

    All 5 books from 1991

36. 1990
    The Content of Our Character Shelby Steele

    The Content of Our Character

    Shelby Steele

    The other finalists: City of Quartz; Disappearing Through the Skylight; Samba; The Politics of Rich and Poor.

    All 5 books from 1990

37. 1989
    The Broken Cord Michael Dorris

    The Broken Cord

    Michael Dorris

    The other finalists: A Peace to End All Peace; Among Schoolchildren; Fear of Falling; The Rainy Season.

    All 5 books from 1989

38. 1988
    Parting the Waters Taylor Branch

    Parting the Waters

    Taylor Branch

    The other finalists: A Bright Shining Lie; Battle Cry of Freedom; Europeans; Reconstruction.

    All 5 books from 1988

39. 1987
    The Making of the Atomic Bomb Richard Rhodes

    The Making of the Atomic Bomb

    Richard Rhodes

    The other finalists: And the Band Played On; Democracy Is in the Streets; The Genius of the People; Time’s Arrow, Time’s Cycle.

    All 5 books from 1987

40. 1986
    Arctic Dreams Barry Lopez

    Arctic Dreams

    Barry Lopez

    The other finalists: Bird of Life, Bird of Death; Cadillac Desert; Voyagers to the West; War Without Mercy.

    All 5 books from 1986

41. 1985
    Common Ground J. Anthony Lukas

    Common Ground

    J. Anthony Lukas

    The other finalists: Distant Neighbors; House; The Body in Pain; The Reign of the Phallus.

    All 5 books from 1985

42. 1984
    Weapons and Hope Freeman Dyson

    Weapons and Hope

    Freeman Dyson

    The other finalists: Brothers and Keepers; Son of the Morning Star; The Abandonment of the Jews; The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History.

    All 5 books from 1984

43. 1983
    The Price of Power Seymour M. Hersh

    The Price of Power

    Seymour M. Hersh

    The other finalists: Children of War; Distant Water; Present History; Revolution in Time.

    All 5 books from 1983

44. 1982
    The Path to Power Robert A. Caro

    The Path to Power

    Robert A. Caro

    The other finalists: Bronx Primitive; Stolen Lightning; The Fate of the Earth; The Nuclear Delusion.

    All 5 books from 1982

45. 1981
    The Mismeasure of Man Stephen Jay Gould

    The Mismeasure of Man

    Stephen Jay Gould

    The other finalists: Forms of Talk; National Defense; No Place of Grace; The Sage of Monticello.

    All 5 books from 1981

46. 1980
    Walter Lippmann and the American Century Ronald Steel

    Walter Lippmann and the American Century

    Ronald Steel

    The other finalists: Alice James; China Men; Christianity, Social Tolerance, and Homosexuality; Walt Whitman.

    All 5 books from 1980

47. 1979
    Munich Telford Taylor

    Munich

    Telford Taylor

    The other finalists: African Calliope; Gödel, Escher, Bach; The Right Stuff; The White Album.

    All 5 books from 1979

48. 1978
    Facts of Life Maureen Howard

    Facts of Life

    Maureen Howard

    The other finalists: A Distant Mirror; In Search of History; Injustice; Lying; Max Perkins; New York Jew; Seeing Through Clothes; The Snow Leopard.

    All 10 books from 1978

49. 1977
    Samuel Johnson Walter Jackson Bate

    Samuel Johnson

    Walter Jackson Bate

    The other finalists: Coming into the Country; Dispatches; The Dragons of Eden; The Path Between the Seas.

    All 5 books from 1977

50. 1976
    The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingston

    The Woman Warrior

    Maxine Hong Kingston

    The other finalists: Roots; Simple Justice; The Damnable Question; World of Our Fathers.

    All 5 books from 1976

51. 1975
    Edith Wharton R. W. B. Lewis

    Edith Wharton

    R. W. B. Lewis

Earlier years list the winner only.