Jerry Bentley Prize
In 2014 the American Historical Association established the Jerry Bentley Prize in World History, which honors Jerry Bentley’s tireless efforts to promote the field of world history, and his signal contributions to it. A professor at the University of Hawaii, Bentley was one of the leading figures in the world history movement and the founding editor of the Journal of World History. The Bentley prize is awarded annually to the best book in each calendar year in the field of world history. See the list of past recipients.
The general rules for submission are:
- Any book published in English dealing with global or world-scale history, with connections or comparisons across continents, in any period will be eligible.
- Books bearing a copyright of 2019 are eligible for the 2020 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.
- One copy of each entry must be sent to each committee member and clearly labeled “Bentley 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.
Photo of Jerry Bentley, courtesy of University of Hawai'i history department.
The online submission form deadline has now passed, and we are no longer accepting nominations. Only books submitted through the form prior to May 15 will be considered for 2020 prizes. Hard copies of nominations submitted through the online form prior to May 15 can be received by prize judges until June 15, 2020.
Contact Information for Committee Members
Send one copy to each committee member and complete the prize submission form (above).
| Prakash Kumar 1716 Fox Run Ct. Vienna, VA 22182 puk15@psu.edu |
Peter Mancall 1140 Roscomare Rd. Los Angeles, CA 90077 mancall@usc.edu |
Elisabeth McMahon 2314 Soniat St. New Orleans, LA 70115 emcmahon@tulane.edu |
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| Laura Mitchell 24 Twain St. Irvine, CA 92617 mitchell@uci.edu |
Molly Warsh 3040 Brereton St. Pittsburgh, PA 15219 warsh@pitt.edu |
2019 Bentley Prize
Priya Satia, Stanford Univ.
Empire of Guns: The Violent Making of the Industrial Revolution (Penguin and Stanford Univ. Press)
In analyzing the place of gun manufacturing in industrialization, Priya Satia’s Empire of Guns makes an expansive, multi-layered argument with far-reaching contemporary implications. Starting with an English Quaker gun-manufacturing family, Satia uses an ever-broadening circle of archival sites to show the important role of the state and its imperial aims in the violent beginning of industrialization. She compels us to see world history’s unique ability to reckon with the moral and social implications of global economic change.