Established in 1985 and named in honor of James Henry Breasted, a pioneer in ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern history and president of the Association in 1928, this prize is offered for the best book in English in any field of history prior to CE 1000. The prize was endowed by Joseph O. Losos, a longtime member of the Association. See the list of past recipients.

The general rules for submission are:

1. Only books of a high scholarly nature should be submitted. Research accuracy, originality, and literary merit are important factors.
2. Only books bearing a copyright of 2019 will be eligible for the 2020 award.
3. 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.
4. Nominators must complete an online prize submission form for each book submitted.
5. One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “Breasted Prize Entry.” Print copies preferred unless otherwise indicated. If only e-copy is available, please contact review committee members beforehand to arrange submission format.

Please Note: Given the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis, we are adjusting the submission process for AHA Book Prizes:

• Nominators must complete the online prize submission form by MAY 15.
• When possible, nominators are also encouraged to send hard copies (or e-books, if hard copies are unavailable) by the May 15 deadline to provide prize committees with ample time to review submissions.
• However, we are extending the deadline to receive hard copies of books by JUNE 15.

Entries will not be returned. Recipients will be announced on the AHA website in October 2020 and recognized during a ceremony at the January 2021 AHA annual meeting in Seattle.

For questions, please contact the Prize Administrator.