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The 2025 Lionel Gelber Prize Finalists Announced

On February 11, 2025, a distinguished panel of professionals, journalists, and academics released the shortlist for the Lionel Gelber Prize 2025. This notable award, which is administered annually, recognizes the best English-language book on international affairs published worldwide. The finalists for this prestigious honor reflect diverse topics and perspectives on critical global issues, making significant contributions to our understanding of modern geopolitics.

The Finalists

The following five titles have been selected as the finalists for this year's award:

1. Dollars and Dominion: US Bankers and the Making of a Superpower by Mary Bridges (Princeton University Press)
- In this insightful work, historian Mary Bridges explores the essential role that American multinational banks played in establishing both the global capitalist system and U.S. imperial power at the dawn of the 20th century.

2. The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the CIA, and the Origins of America's Invasion of Iraq by Steve Coll (Penguin Random House)
- Coll investigates the complex relationships and decisions that led to the United States' decision to invade Iraq, drawing on his extensive background in journalism and historical analysis.

3. The Good Allies: How Canada and the United States Fought Together to Defeat Fascism during the Second World War by Tim Cook (Penguin Random House Canada)
- This book celebrates the collaborative military efforts of Canada and the U.S. during World War II, revealing lessons on international cooperation in times of crisis.

4. To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement by Benjamin Nathans (Princeton University Press)
- Nathans chronicles the rich history of the Soviet dissident movement, illuminating the context of individual and collective struggles for freedom under oppressive regimes.

5. To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power by Sergey Radchenko (Cambridge University Press)
- Radchenko offers a comprehensive analysis of the Soviet Union's foreign policy during the Cold War, examining its strategies and implications for contemporary global power dynamics.

The Selection Process

Judith Gelber, chair of the Lionel Gelber Prize board, expressed pride in the selection, stating, "The jury has chosen five exceptional books that explore history in ways critical to our understanding of current geopolitics. Each author has uncovered new perspectives on the intersections of economics, foreign policy, and international cooperation."

The selection committee comprised Prof. Janice Gross Stein (chair), Prof. John Bew, Prof. Francis J. Gavin, Iain Martin, and Prof. Nina Srinivasan Rathbun, with each member bringing diverse expertise to the judging process.

Announcement of the Winner

The winner of the Lionel Gelber Prize will be announced on March 19, 2025. The successful author will participate in a hybrid event hosted by the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy on April 9, 2025.

About the Lionel Gelber Prize

Established in 1989 by Canadian diplomat Lionel Gelber, the Lionel Gelber Prize is awarded for the best non-fiction book on international affairs published in English, with an accompanying cash prize of CAD 50,000. This annual award is administered by the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.

For further information, follow the Lionel Gelber Prize on social media or visit their website at gelber.munkschool.utoronto.ca.