For a distinguished book upon the history of the United States, Ten thousand dollars ($10,000).
Awarded to "The Race Beat: The Press, the Civil Rights Struggle, and the Awakening of a Nation" by Gene Roberts and Hank Klibanoff (Alfred A. Knopf).
Also nominated as finalists in this category were: "Middle Passages: African American Journeys to Africa, 1787-2005" by James T. Campbell (The Penguin Press), and "Mayflower: A Story of Courage, Community, and War" by Nathaniel Philbrick (Viking).