W. Bruce Lincoln Book Prize

The W. Bruce Lincoln Book Prize, sponsored by Mary Lincoln, is awarded annually for an author’s first published monograph or scholarly synthesis that is of exceptional merit and lasting significance for the understanding of Russia’s past. The Lincoln Book Prize carries a cash award and is presented at the Annual Convention. The prize was established in 2004 in memory of W. Bruce Lincoln, a Russian historian and a widely-read author.


Rules of Eligibility

Rules of eligibility for the ASEEES W. Bruce Lincoln Book Prize competition are as follows:

  • The book must be an author’s first published monograph or work of synthesis.
  • The publication date inside the book must list the previous calendar year as the date of publication. For example, the book must have been a publication date of 2023 to be eligible for the 2024 competition. If no publication date is listed, the copyright date will be taken as the publication date.
  • The book must be published in English and in North America.
  • Authors may be of any nationality.
  • The geographic area of study is broadly defined as the territories of the former imperial Russian state and the Soviet Union. The book may deal with any period of history.
  • Textbooks, translations (including self-translations), reference works, or edited collections of essays are not eligible.
  • Self-published works are also ineligible.
  • Books that have received other prizes are eligible.

Nominating Instructions

A book can be nominated by the publisher or the author only. The nominator (publisher or author) is responsible for sending copies of the book to the prize committee members.

Fill out and submit this form to notify the Association of your intent to nominate a publication for the Lincoln Book Prize. As of 2020: books may only be nominated for two prizes (e.g., this prize and one other).

Send one copy of eligible monograph to each Committee member (see addresses below). The nomination form must be submitted by no later than April 15. And books must be received by no later than May 15 (books not received by the deadline may not be considered).

Submissions should be clearly marked “Lincoln Book Prize Nomination.”

Please send questions to [email protected].

2026 W. Bruce Lincoln Book Prize Committee

The winner of the 2026 Lincoln Book Prize will be chosen by the following scholars. For questions, please contact ASEEES at [email protected] or 412-648-9911.

Kristin Roth-Ey
University College London (UK), 2024-2026

Print books are preferred. Please email [email protected] for the mailing address. 

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to: [email protected]

Fabian Baumann
U of Heidelberg (Germany), 2026-2028 

Print books are preferred. They can be sent to:
Fabian Baumann
Breisacherstrasse 39
4057 Basel, Switzerland 

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to:
[email protected]

David Hoffmann
Ohio State U, 2025-2027

Print books are preferred. They can be sent to:
David Hoffmann
Dept. of History
Ohio State University
230 Annie and John Glenn Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210

Where needed, ebooks will be accepted. They can be sent to: [email protected]

(For customs use): Please mark the nominated books as “gift” to alert Customs that this is not a commercial shipment/to insure the recipient does not have to pay for the items.

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