National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography

The National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography, established in 1983, is an annual American literary award presented by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English."[1] Awards are presented annually to books published in the U.S. during the preceding calendar year in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Memoir/Autobiography, Biography, and Criticism.

Books previously published in English are not eligible, such as re-issues and paperback editions. They do consider "translations, short story and essay collections, self published books, and any titles that fall under the general categories."[2]

The judges are the volunteer directors of the NBCC who are 24 members serving rotating three-year terms, with eight elected annually by the voting members, namely "professional book review editors and book reviewers."[3] Winners of the awards are announced each year at the NBCC awards ceremony in conjunction with the yearly membership meeting, which takes place in March.[2]

Between 1983 and 2004, the award was presented jointly with autobiography.

Recipients

National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography winners and finalists
Year Author Title Subject Result Ref.
1983 Joyce Johnson Minor Characters the women of the Beat Generation Winner [4]
Kenneth R. Manning Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just Ernest Everett Just (1883–1941), pioneering African-American biologist, academic, and science writer Finalist [4]
Nicholas Gage Eleni the life of his late mother in Greece during World War II and the Greek Civil War
E. Fuller Torrey The Roots of Treason: Ezra Pound and the Secret of St. Elizabeth’s Ezra Pound (1885–1972), American poet and critic
Fred Kaplan Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881), Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher
1984 Joseph Frank Dostoevsky: The Years of Ordeal, 1850–1859 Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881), Russian novelist Winner [5]
Susan Cheever Home Before Dark memoir and biography of her father, author John Cheever Finalist [5]
Elinor Langer Josephine Herbst Josephine Herbst (1892–1969), American writer and journalist
Eudora Welty One Writer’s Beginnings
Paul Zweig Walt Whitman: The Making of a Poet Walt Whitman (1819–1892), American poet, essayist and journalist
1985 Leon Edel Henry James: A Life Henry James (1843–1916), American-born British writer and literary critic Winner [6]
Leonard Arrington Brigham Young: American Moses Brigham Young (1801–1877), Latter Day Saint religious leader Finalist [6]
James Lord Giacometti: A Biography Alberto Giacometti (1901–1966), Swiss sculptor and painter
Elizabeth Frank Louise Bogan Louise Bogan (1897–1970), American poet
Michael Lesy Visible Light: Four Creative Biographies photographers Angelo Rizzuto, Bill Burke, John McWilliams, and Andrea Kovacs
1986 Arnold Rampersad The Life of Langston Hughes, Vol. I: 1902-1941 Langston Hughes (1901–1967), American writer and social activist Winner [7]
Joseph Frank Dostoevsky: The Stir of Liberation, 1860-1865 Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821–1881), Russian novelist Finalist [7]
Art Spiegelman Maus: A Survivor’s Tale the lives of his parents in Poland during the Holocaust and in the U.S. afterward
Theodore Rosengarten Tombee: Portrait of a Cotton Planter Thomas B. Chaplin (1822–1890), American plantation owner and slaveholder
Jonathan Brown Velázquez: Painter and Courtier Diego Velázquez (1599–1660), Spanish painter
1987 Donald R. Howard Chaucer: His Life, His Works, His World Geoffrey Chaucer (1340s–1400), English poet and author, writer of The Canterbury Tales Winner [8]
Annie Dillard An American Childhood Finalist [8]
Prudence Crowther Don’t Tread on Me: The Selected Letters of S.J. Perelman S.J. Perelman (1904–1979), American humorist and screenwriter
Paul Taylor Private Domain
Arthur Miller Timebends: A Life
1988 Richard Ellmann Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Irish poet, playwright, and aesthete Winner [9]
Paul Monette Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir Finalist [9]
Valerie Eliot The Letters of T.S. Eliot, 1909-1922 T. S. Eliot (1888–1965), US-born British poet
Paul Jay The Selected Correspondence of Kenneth Burke and Malcolm Cowley, 1915-1981
Robert Wright Three Scientists and Their Gods: Looking for Meaning in an Age of Information American scientists Edward Fredkin, Edward O. Wilson, and Kenneth Boulding
1989 Geoffrey C. Ward A First-Class Temperament: The Emergence of Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 to 1945 Winner [10]
Otto Friedrich Glenn Gould: A Life and Variations Glenn Gould (1932–1982), Canadian pianist Finalist [10]
Bil Gilbert God Gave Us This Country: Tekamthi and the First American Civil War
Roger Morris Richard Milhous Nixon: The Rise of an American Politician Richard Nixon (1913–1994), 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974
Tobias Wolff This Boy’s Life: A Memoir
1990 Robert A. Caro Means of Ascent: The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Vol. II Lyndon Johnson (1908–1973), 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969 Winner [11]
Richard Rhodes A Hole in the World: An American Boyhood Finalist [11]
T. H. Watkins Righteous Pilgrim: The Life and Times of Harold L. Ickes Harold L. Ickes (1874-1952), American politician
John Espey Strong Drink, Strong Language
Patricia O'Toole The Five of Hearts: An Intimate Portrait of Henry Adams and His Friends, 1880-1918 Henry Adams (1838–1918), American historian and Adams political family member
1991 Philip Roth Patrimony: A True Story Winner [12]
Diane Middlebrook Anne Sexton: A Biography Anne Sexton (1928-1974), American poet Finalist [12]
Art Spiegelman Maus II
John Cheever The Journals of John Cheever John Cheever (1912–1982), American novelist and short story writer
Robert Kanigel The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life of the Genius Ramanujan Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887–1920), Indian mathematician
1992 Carol Brightman Writing Dangerously: Mary McCarthy and Her World Mary McCarthy (1912–1989), American writer Winner [13]
Walter Isaacson Kissinger Henry Kissinger (1923–2023), German-born American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant Finalist [13]
Paul Hendrickson Looking for the Light: The Hidden Life and Art of Marion Post Wolcott Marion Post Wolcott (1910–1990), American photographer
Jack Beatty The Rascal King: The Life and Times of James Michael Curley, 1874-1958 James Michael Curley (1874–1958), American politician
David McCullough Truman Harry S. Truman (1884–1972), 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953
1993 Edmund White Genet Jean Genet (1910–1986), French writer Winner [14]
James Merrill A Different Person Finalist [14]
David Levering Lewis W. E. B. Du Bois: Biography of a Race, 1868–1919 W. E. B. Du Bois (1868–1963), American writer and civil rights activist
Alice Kaplan French Lessons
James Miller The Passion of Michael Foucault Michael Foucault (1926–1984), French philosopher
1994 Mikal Gilmore Shot in the Heart Winner [15]
Brenda Maddox D.H. Lawrence: The Story of a Marriage D. H. Lawrence (1885–1930), English writer and poet Finalist [15]
Edward O. Wilson Naturalist autobiography of Edward O. Wilson (1929–2021), American biologist and entomologist
Julia Frey Toulouse-Lautrec Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901), French painter and illustrator
Neal Gabler Winchell: Gossip, Power and the Culture of Celebrity Walter Winchell (1897–1972), American gossip columnist
1995 Robert Polito Savage Art: A Biography of Jim Thompson Jim Thompson (1906–1977), American writer Winner [16]
Robert Richardson Jr. Emerson: The Mind on Fire Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), American philosopher, essayist, and poet Finalist [16]
John Hockenberry Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs and Declarations of Independence
Mary Karr The Liars’ Club
David S. Reynolds Walt Whitman’s America Walt Whitman (1819–1892), American poet, essayist and journalist
1996 Frank McCourt Angela's Ashes Winner [17]
Jan Swafford Charles Ives: A Life in Music Charles Ives (1874–1954), American modernist composer Finalist [17]
David Hajdu Lush Life: A Biography of Billy Strayhorn Billy Strayhorn (1915–1967), American musician, composer, lyricist and arranger
Peter Conn Pearl S. Buck: A Cultural Biography Pearl S. Buck (1892–1973), American writer
Alan Shapiro The Last Happy Occasion
1997 James Tobin Ernie Pyle's War: America's Eyewitness to World War II Ernie Pyle (1900–1945), American journalist and war correspondent Winner [18]
Joseph Ellis American Sphinx: The Character of Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), 3rd president of the United States, serving from 1801 to 1809 Finalist [18]
Hermione Lee Virginia Woolf Virginia Woolf (1882– 1941), English modernist writer
Doris Lessing Walking in the Shade
1998 Sylvia Nasar A Beautiful Mind John Nash (1928–2015), American mathematician Winner [19]
Amanda Vaill Everybody Was So Young: Gerald and Sara Murphy: A Lost Generation Love Story Finalist [19]
David Remnick King of the World: Muhammad Ali and the Rise of an American Hero Muhammad Ali (1942–2016), American boxer, philanthropist and activist
Homer H. Hickman Jr. Rocket Boys: A Memoir
Ron Chernow Titan: The Life of John D. Rockefeller, Sr. John D. Rockefeller (1839–1937), American business magnate and philanthropist
1999 Henry Wiencek The Hairstons: An American Family in Black and White Winner [20]
Richard Holmes Coleridge: Vol. II: Darker Reflections Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834), English poet Finalist [20]
Jean Strouse Morgan: American Financier J. P. Morgan (1837–1913), American businessman
Judith Thurman Secrets of the Flesh: A Life of Colette Colette (1873–1954), French writeír
Susan E. Tifft and Alex S. Jones The Trust: The Private and Powerful Family Behind the New York Times
2000 Herbert P. Bix Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan Hirohito (1901–1989), Emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989 Winner [21]
Viktor Klemperer I Will Bear Witness: A Diary of the Nazi Years, 1942-1945 Finalist [21]
Jean-Yves Tadie Marcel Proust: A Life Marcel Proust (1871–1922), French novelist, critic and essayist
David Nasaw The Chief: The Life of William Randolph Hearst William Randolph Hearst (1863–1951), American newspaper publisher
Robin Marantz Henig The Monk in the Garden: The Lost and Found Genius of Gregor Mendel, the Father of Genetics Gregor Mendel (1822–1884), Silesian scientist and Augustinian friar
2001 Adam Sisman Boswell's Presumptuous Task: The Making of the Life of Dr. Johnson James Boswell (1740–1795), Scottish lawyer, diarist, and author Winner [22]
Paula Fox Borrowed Finery: A Memoir Finalist [22]
Katherine Clark Milking the Moon: A Southerner’s Story of Life on This Planet
David Hajdu Positively 4th Street: The Lives and Times of Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Mimi Baez Farina and Richard Farina
Barry Werth The Scarlet Professor: Newton Arvin: A Literary Life Shattered by Scandal Newton Arvin (1900–1963), American literary critic and academic
2002 Janet Browne Charles Darwin: The Power of Place, Vol. II Charles Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist and biologist Winner [23]
Edmund S. Morgan Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790), American polymath and a Founding Father of the United States Finalist [23]
Robert A. Caro Master of the Senate: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Johnson (1908–1973), 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969
Elizabeth Gilbert The Last American Man Eustace Conway (born 1961), American naturalist
Mark Zwonitzer with Charles Hirshberg Will You Miss Me When I’m Gone? The Carter Family and Their Legacy in American Music The Carter Family, traditional American folk music group (1927–1956)
2003 William Taubman Khrushchev: The Man and His Era Nikita Khrushchev (1894–1971), First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union Winner [24]
Blake Bailey A Tragic Honesty: The Life and Work of Richard Yates Richard Yates (1926–1992), American novelist Finalist [24]
George Marsden Jonathan Edwards: A Life Jonathan Edwards (1703–1758), American preacher and theologian
Carol Loeb Shloss Lucia Joyce: To Dance in the Wake Lucia Joyce (1907–1982), Professional dancer and the daughter of James Joyce and Nora Barnacle
Paul Elie The Life You Save May Be Your Own: An American Pilgrimage
2004 Mark Stevens and Annalyn Swan de Kooning: An American Master Willem de Kooning, Dutch-American abstract expressionist artist (1904– 1997) Winner [25]
Ron Chernow Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton, American founding father and statesman (1757–1804) Finalist [25]
Bob Dylan Chronicles: Vol. 1 Bob Dylan (born 1941), American singer-songwriter, author and artist
John Guy Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart Mary, Queen of Scots (1542–1587), Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567
Stephen Greenblatt Will in the World: How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare William Shakespeare, English poet, playwright, and actor (1564–1616)
2005 Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer J. Robert Oppenheimer (1904–1967), American theoretical physicist, known as "father of the atomic bomb" Winner [26]
Carolyn Burke Lee Miller: A Life Lee Miller (1907–1977), American photographer Finalist [26]
Jonathan Coe Like a Fiery Elephant: The Story of B.S. Johnson B. S. Johnson (1933–1973), English novelist, poet and critic
Ron Powers Mark Twain: A Life Mark Twain (1835–1910), American author and humorist
Doris Kearns Goodwin Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 to 1865
2006 Julie Phillips James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon James Tiptree Jr. (1915–1987), American writer Winner [27]
Jason Roberts A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler James Holman (1786–1857), British adventurer Finalist [27]
Taylor Branch At Canaan’s Edge: America in the King Years, 1965-1968
Frederick Brown Flaubert: A Biography Gustave Flaubert (1821–1880), French novelist
Debby Applegate The Most Famous Man in America: The Biography of Henry Ward Beecher Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887), American clergyman and abolitionist
2007 Tim Jeal Stanley: The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer Henry Morton Stanley (1841–1904), Welsh-American explorer, journalist and politician Winner [28][29][30]
John Richardson A Life of Picasso: The Triumphant Years, 1917–1932 Pablo Picasso (1881–1973), Spanish painter and sculptor, known for co-founding the Cubist movement Finalist [29]
Hermione Lee Edith Wharton Edith Wharton (1862 –1937), American novelist, short story writer, designer
Arnold Rampersad Ralph Ellison Ralph Ellison (1913-1994), American novelist, literary critic, scholar and writer
Claire Tomalin Thomas Hardy: the Time-Torn Man Thomas Hardy (1840–1928), English novelist and poet
2008 Patrick French The World is What it is: The Authorized Biography of V.S. Naipaul V. S. Naipaul (1932–2018), British novelist and non-fiction writer Winner [31]
Paul J. Giddings Ida, A Sword Among Lions: Ida B. Wells and the Campaign Against Lynching Ida B. Wells, African-American civil rights activist (1862–1931) Finalist [32][31]
Steve Coll The Bin Ladens: An Arabian Family in an American Century
Annette Gordon-Reed The Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family
Brenda Wineapple White Heat: The Friendship of Emily Dickinson & Thomas Wentworth Higginson
2009 Blake Bailey Cheever: A Life John Cheever (1912–1982), American novelist and short story writer Winner [33][34][35]
Stanislao G. Pugliese Bitter Spring: A Life of Ignazio Silone Ignazio Silone (1900–1978), Italian political leader and writer, known for his anti-Fascist novels during World War II Finalist [33]
Brad Gooch Flannery: A Life of Flannery O'Connor Flannery O'Connor (1925–1964), American writer
Martha A. Sandweiss Passing Strange: A Gilded Age Tale of Love and Deception Across the Color Line
Benjamin Moser Why This World: A Biography of Clarice Lispector Clarice Lispector (1920–1977), Brazilian novelist and short story writer
2010 Sarah Bakewell How To Live, Or A Life Of Montaigne Michel de Montaigne (1533-1592), French-Occitan author, humanistic philosopher, and statesman Winner [36][37]
Yunte Huang Charlie Chan: The Untold Story of the Honorable Detective And His Rendezvous With American History Charlie Chan, Fictional detective Finalist [36]
Tom Segev Simon Wiesenthal: The Lives And Legends Simon Wiesenthal (1908–2005), Jewish Austrian Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter
Thomas Powers The Killing Of Crazy Horse
Selina Hastings The Secret Lives Of Somerset Maugham: A Biography W. Somerset Maugham (1874–1965), English playwright and writer
2011 John Lewis Gaddis George F. Kennan: An American Life George F. Kennan (1904–2005), American advisor, diplomat, political scientist and historian Winner [38][39]
Ezra F. Vogel Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China Deng Xiaoping (1904–1997), Chinese politician and leader from 1978 to 1989 Finalist [38][39][40]
Paul Hendrickson Hemingway's Boat: Everything He Loved in Life, and Lost, 1934–1961 Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961), American author and journalist
Mary Gabriel Love and Capital: Karl and Jenny Marx and the Birth of the Revolution Karl Marx (1818–1883), German philosopher
Manning Marable Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention Malcolm X (1925–1965), African-American human rights activist
2012 Robert A. Caro The Passage of Power: The Years of Lyndon Johnson Lyndon Johnson (1908–1973), 36th president of the United States, serving from 1963 to 1969 Winner [41][42]
Lisa Cohen All We Know: Three Lives Finalist [41][43][44]
Michael Gorra Portrait of a Novel: Henry James and the Making of an American Masterpiece Henry James (1843–1916), American-born British writer and literary critic
Lisa Jarnot Robert Duncan, The Ambassador from Venus: A Biography Robert Duncan (1919–1988), American poet
Tom Reiss The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo
2013 Leo Damrosch Jonathan Swift: His Life and His World Jonathan Swift (1667–1745), Anglo-Irish satirist, essayist, and cleric Winner [45][46]
John Elio Gardiner Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), German composer Finalist [47][45]
Mark Thompson Birth Certificate: The Story of Danilo Kis Danilo Kis (1935–1989), Yugoslav writer
Linda Leavell Holding On Upside Down: The Life and Work of Marianne Moore Marianne Moore (1887–1972), American poet
Scott Anderson Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East
2014 John Lahr Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh Tennessee Williams (1911-1983), American playwright Winner [48][49]
Ian S. MacNiven Literchoor Is My Beat: A Life of James Laughlin, Publisher of New Directions James Laughlin (1914–1997), American publisher and poet Finalist [50][48]
S. C. Gwynne Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson Stonewall Jackson (1824–1863), Confederate States Army general
Miriam Pawel The Crusades of Cesar Chavez: A Biography Cesar Chavez (1927–1993), American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist
Ezra Greenspan William Wells Brown: An African American Life William Wells Brown (1814–1884), African-American abolitionist lecturer, novelist, playwright, and historian
2015 Charlotte Gordon Romantic Outlaws: The Extraordinary Lives of Mary Wollstonecraft and Her Daughter Mary Shelley Mary Wollstonecraft (1759–1797), English writer and intellectual and Mary Shelley (1797–1851), English writer Winner [51]
T. J. Stiles Custer's Trials: A Life on the Frontier of a New America George Armstrong Custer (1839–1876), American general Finalist [51]
Karin Wieland and Shelly Frisch Dietrich and Riefenstahl: Hollywood, Berlin, and a Century in Two Lives
Terry Alford Fortune’s Fool: The Life of John Wilkes Booth John Wilkes Booth (1838–1865), American stage actor and assassin of Abraham Lincoln
Rosemary Sullivan Stalin's Daughter: The Extraordinary and Tumultuous Life of Svetlana Alliluyeva Svetlana Alliluyeva (1926 –2011), Youngest child of Josef Stalin who defected to the U.S. in 1967
2016 Ruth Franklin Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life Shirley Jackson (1916–1965), American writer Winner [52]
Joe Jackson Black Elk: The Life of an American Visionary Black Elk (1863–1950), Native American religious figure Finalist [52]
Frances Wilson Guilty Thing: A Life of Thomas De Quincey Thomas De Quincey (1785–1859), English essayist
Michael Tisserand Krazy: George Herriman, a Life in Black and White George Herriman (1880–1944), American cartoonist (1880–1944)
Nigel Cliff Moscow Nights: The Van Cliburn Story Van Cliburn (1934–February 27, 2013), American pianist
2017 Caroline Fraser Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957), American writer, teacher, and journalist Winner [53][54][55]
William Taubman Gorbachev: His Life and Times Mikhail Gorbachev (born 1931), Leader of the Soviet Union from 1985 to 1991 Finalist [56][53]
Ken Whyte Hoover: An Extraordinary Life in Extraordinary Times Herbert Hoover (1874–1964), 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933
Edmund Gordon The Invention of Angela Carter: A Biography Angela Carter (1940–1992), English novelist
Howard Markel The Kelloggs: The Battling Brothers of Battle Creek
2018 Christopher Bonanos Flash: The Making of Weegee the Famous Arthur Fellig, also known as Weegee, (1899–1968), American photographer and photojournalist Winner [57][58][59][60]
Yunte Huang Inseparable: The Original Siamese Twins and Their Rendezvous with American History Chang and Eng Bunker, (1811–1874) Siamese-American cojoined twin brothers Finalist [57]
Craig Brown Ma'am Darling: Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon (1930–2002), Daughter of King George VI
Jane Leavy The Big Fella: Babe Ruth and the World He Created Babe Ruth (1895–1948), American baseball player
Mark Lamster The Man in the Glass House: Philip Johnson, Architect of the Modern Century Philip Johnson (1906–2005), American architect
2019 Josh Levin The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth Linda Taylor Winner [61][62]
Sonia Purnell A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II Virginia Hall (1906–1982), American spy Finalist [61]
Charles King Gods of the Upper Air: How A Circle of Renegade Anthropologists Reinvented Race, Sex, and Gender in the Twentieth Century
Lucasta Miller L.E.L.: The Lost Life and Scandalous Death of Letitia Elizabeth Landon, the Celebrated Female Byron Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838), British poet and novelist
George Packer Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century Richard Holbrooke (1941–2010), American diplomat and author
2020 Amy Stanley Stranger in the Shogun's City: A Japanese Woman and Her World Winner [63][64][65]
Heather Clark Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath, American poet, novelist and short story writer (1932–1963) Finalist [64]
Les Payne and Tamara Payne The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X Malcolm X (1925–1965), African-American human rights activist
Maggie Doherty The Equivalents: A Story of Art, Female Friendship, and Liberation in the 1960s
Zachary D. Carter The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy, and the Life of John Maynard Keynes John Maynard Keynes (1883–1946), English economist
2021 Rebecca Donner All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler Mildred Harnack (1902-1943), American literary historian, author, and member of the German resistance against the Nazi regime Winner [66]
Susan Bernofsky Clairvoyant of the Small: The Life of Robert Walser Robert Walser (1878-1956), Swiss-German modernist author Finalist [67][68][69]
Alexander Nemerov Fierce Poise: Helen Frankenthaler and 1950s New York Helen Frankenthaler (1928–2011), American abstract expressionist painter
Mark Harris Mike Nichols: A Life Mike Nichols (1931–2014), American television director, writer, producer and comedian
Keisha N. Blain Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamer’s Enduring Message to America Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977), American civil rights activist
2022 Beverly Gage G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century J. Edgar Hoover (1895–1972), American, first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Winner [70]
Kerri K. Greenidge The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family Finalist [70]
Jennifer Homans Mr. B: George Balanchine's 20th Century George Balanchine (1904–1983), Georgian-American ballet choreographer
Clare Mac Cumhaill and Rachael Wiseman Metaphysical Animals: How Four Women Brought Philosophy Back to Life
Aaron Sachs Up From the Depths: Herman Melville, Louis Mumford, and Rediscovery in Dark Times
2023 Jonny Steinberg Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage Winner [71]
Jonathan Eig King: A Life Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968), African-American civil rights leader Finalist [72]
Gregg Hecimovich The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts: The True Story of the Bondwoman's Narrative Hannah Crafts, African-American writer
Yunte Huang Daughter of the Dragon: Anna May Wong’s Rendezvous with American History Anna May Wong (1905–1961), Chinese-American actress
Rachel Shteir Betty Friedan: Magnificent Disruptor Betty Friedan (1921–2006), American feminist writer and activist

References

  1. ^ "How We Pick Our Awards". National Book Critics Circle. Archived from the original on June 8, 2020. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
  2. ^ a b "Frequently Asked Questions". National Book Critics Circle. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
  3. ^ "Membership". National Book Critics Circle. Retrieved 2022-01-24.
  4. ^ a b "1983 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  5. ^ a b "1984 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  6. ^ a b "1985 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  7. ^ a b "1986 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  8. ^ a b "1987 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  9. ^ a b "1988 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  10. ^ a b "1989 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  11. ^ a b "1990 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  12. ^ a b "1991 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  13. ^ a b "1992 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  14. ^ a b "1993 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  15. ^ a b "1994 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  16. ^ a b "1995 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  17. ^ a b "1996 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  18. ^ a b "1997 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  19. ^ a b "1998 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  20. ^ a b "1999 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  21. ^ a b "2000 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  22. ^ a b "2001 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  23. ^ a b "2002 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography/Autobiography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  24. ^ a b "2003 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  25. ^ a b "2004 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
  26. ^ a b "2005 National Book Critics Circle Award - Biography Winner and Nominees". Awards Archive. 2020-03-28. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
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