David Nasaw has won the New-York Historical Society American Book Prize for his book Andrew Carnegie (Penguin). They’re giving him $50,000 even though he’s not a poet. From the New York Times (”Carnegie Biography Wins History Prize“):
David Nasaw has been named the winner of the $50,000 New-York Historical Society American Book Prize for his biography, "Andrew Carnegie" (The Penguin Press). Mr. Nasaw is the Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. Professor of History at the City University of New York Graduate Center. His book tells the rags-to-riches story of Carnegie, who became a steel baron and the richest man in the world before deciding to give away his fortune.
Historical Society board chairman Roger Hertog called it “magisterial,” which, incidentally, pops up 63 times in the 100,000-plus reviews on Booklist Online. Oh, the fun I have.
