Herbert Baxter Adams Prize in European History Grant

The Herbert Baxter Adams Prize in European History, established in 1905 by the American Historical Association, honors distinguished books in European history published in English. It is awarded annually, alternating between works covering ancient history up to 1815 in even years, and those from 1815 to the 20th century in odd years. The prize encourages emerging scholars, requiring submissions to be the author's first substantial book, with a current award amount of $1,000.

The Adams prize was established in 1905 in memory of the first secretary of the Association, Herbert Adams of Johns Hopkins University, who was also one of the Association’s founders.
The American Historical Association offers the Herbert Baxter Adams Prize annually for a distinguished book published in English in the field of European history. The Adams Prize and the Leo Gershoy Award (also bestowed by the AHA) are widely considered to be the most prestigious prizes in the field of European history.
The prize is offered on a rotating basis:

• in even years for books on European history from ancient times to 1815; in odd years for books on European history from 1815 through the 20th century.
• The current prize amount is $1,000.

Eligibility

The general rules for submission are:Since the prize is designed especially to encourage scholars who have not yet obtained an established reputation, the entry must be the author’s first substantial book.Textbooks in the strict sense of the word are not eligible, but a work of wide scope which interprets a major period or area would certainly qualify. Books published in English bearing a copyright of 2023 or 2024 are eligible for the 2025 prize.Nomination submissions may be made by an author or by a publisher. Publishers may submit as many entries as they wish. Authors or publishers may submit the same book for multiple AHA prizes.Nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted.

Ineligibility

Pamphlets, anthologies, edited works, and other small-scale efforts will not qualify.