Yesterday the shortlist of the Wolfson History Prize was announced. It is a special year as the prize celebrates its 50th year. Starting in 1972, the prize aims to reflect “qualities of both readability for a general audience and excellence in writing and research”. As such, the books should also be easily readable to the non-specialist.
We have gone through the shortlist and provided you with shortcuts to easily find a copy in Bodleian Libraries.
This year’s exciting shortlist again features some wideranging topics: from medieval religious life, a micro-history of witch-hunting in 17th century Massachusetts, the European perception of 17th century England (Devil-Land gives a clue!) all the way to a broadsweeping retelling of 700 years of Ottoman Empire history, the origins of our oldest religions and the significance of statues in history and modern life.
You can read the comments of judges and learn more about the authors on the Wolfson History Prize announcement of 21 April 2022.
Marc David Baer
The Ottomans : Khans, Caesars and Caliphs. (London, Basic Books, 2021). Find this in SOLO. Read more about this book.
Malcolm Gaskill
The Ruin of All Witches : Life and Death in the New World. (London, Allan Lane, 2021). Find this in SOLO. Read more about this book.
Clare Jackson
Devil-land : England under Siege, 1588-1688. (London, Allan Lane, 2021). Find this in SOLO. Read more about this book.
Nicholas Orme
Going to Church in Medieval England. (New Haven, Yale University Press, 2021). Find this in SOLO. Read more about this book.
Francesca Stavrakopoulou
God : An Anatomy. (London, Picador, 2021). Find this in SOLO. Read more about this book.
Alex Von Tunzelmann
Fallen Idols : Twelve Statues That Made History. (London, Headline, 2021). Find this in SOLO. Read more about this book.
Congratulations go to all authors in the shortlist. The topics all look fascinating. So, who do you think will win? Very difficult to pick. Look out for the announcement of the winner on 22 June 2022.
