Willi Paul Adams Award

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2014

The Willi Paul Adams Award is given biennially by the Organization of American Historians to the author of the best book on American history published in a foreign language. The award (formerly the Foreign Language Book Prize) is named for Willi Paul Adams, who was an active member of OAH in Germany and a tireless advocate of the internationalization of American history.

The OAH defines both “history” and “American” broadly. To be eligible, a book should be concerned with the past (recent or distant) or with issues of continuity and change. It should also be concerned with events or processes that began, developed, or ended in what is now the United States. We welcome comparative and international studies that fall within these guidelines. Authors of eligible books are invited to nominate their work. We urge scholars who know of eligible publications written by others to inform those authors of the award. Since the purpose of the award is to expose Americanists to scholarship originally published in a language other than English—to overcome the language barrier that keeps scholars apart—this award is not open to books whose manuscripts were originally submitted for publication in English or by people for whom English is their first language.

Each entry must have been published during the two-year period July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2014.

The award will be presented at the 2015 OAH Annual Meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, April 16-19.

Submission Procedures

Please write a one- to two-page essay (in English) explaining why the book is a significant and original contribution to our understanding of American history.

The application should also include the following information:

• • name
• • mailing address
• • institutional affiliation
• • fax number
• • e-mail address
• • language of submitted book

Copies of the book and statement will be reviewed by contributing editors of the Journal of American History who are proficient in the language of the submission as well as by referees (proficient in the language of the submitted book) who are experts on its subject matter.

Four copies of the essay and book, clearly labeled “2013 Willi Paul Adams Award Entry,” must be mailed to the following address and received by May 1, 2014:

•     Willi Paul Adams Award Committee
•     c/o Organization of American Historians
•     112 N Bryan Avenue
•     Bloomington, IN 47408-4141

Bound page proofs may be used for books to be published after May 1, 2014 and before July 1, 2014. If a bound page proof is submitted, a bound copy of the book must be received no later than July 7, 2014.

If a book carries a copyright date that is different from the publication date, but the actual publication date falls during the correct time frame, making it eligible, please include a letter of explanation from the publisher with each copy of the book.

The final decision will be made by the Willi Paul Adams Award Committee by February 1, 2015. The winner will be provided with details regarding the OAH Annual Meeting and awards presentation, where she or he will receive a cash award and a plaque.

Willi Paul Adams Award Committee

Charles J. McClain (Committee Chair), University of California, Berkeley
Nancy L. Green, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales (France)
Michael Jochen Hochgeschwender, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (Germany)
Masako Iino, Tsuda College (Japan)
Mae M. Ngai, Columbia University

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 1, 2014

List of Past Winners