Ancient History Breaks Mold: Alexander Biography Takes Top Nonfiction Prize
Edmund Richardson's work becomes the first book on ancient history to win the Baillie Gifford Prize, a decision judges linked to a modern surge in interest in Greek classics.
By Grace Anderson ·
A biography of Alexander the Great has claimed the top spot in British nonfiction, marking a first for the genre. The Baillie Gifford Prize for nonfiction, worth 50,000 pounds, was awarded to Edmund Richardson for his book 'Alexander: God, King, Man' at a ceremony in London. This marks the first time a work of ancient history has taken home the award.
The panel selected the book from a field of more than 350 entries. Richardson’s work edged out five other finalists. These included Patrick Radden Keefe’s 'London Falling,' a true crime narrative about a teenager in London’s wealthy circles. Other contenders were Nicholas Boggs’ 'Baldwin: A Love Story,' Matthew Sweet’s 'The Great Dictator,' Anand Gopal’s 'Days of Love and Rage,' and Andrea Wulf’s 'The Traveler.'
Kirsty Lang, the chair of the judging panel, described the winning text as immersive. She stated that it reads like a novel and places the reader directly on battlefields in Central Asia and Egypt. Lang noted that the book contains new research, including Richardson’s own translations from 12 ancient languages. She also drew a parallel between the book’s appeal and the recent success of Christopher Nolan’s film adaptation of 'The Odyssey,' suggesting both tap into basic human emotions.
Richardson is a professor of classics at Durham University. He spent ten years researching the life of the ancient conqueror. He described the process as going down too many rabbit holes. The subject of his study inherited a debt-ridden kingdom at age 20, conquered land from Greece to India, and died at 32. Richardson noted that no one called him Alexander the Great during his lifetime and that he was initially viewed as a minor figure compared to his father.
The professor argued that Alexander’s military campaign changed reality more than almost any other historical event. He explained that the expedition connected the world in ways never seen before. This connection allowed knowledge, religious beliefs, science, and art to flow between Babylon, Greece, modern-day Afghanistan, Egypt, and Italy. The judges called the book a love letter to the humanities and the work of historians and archaeologists, a nod to disciplines currently facing funding cuts in the U.K.
The Baillie Gifford prize has been active since 1999. It recognizes English-language books in fields ranging from current affairs and history to science and the arts. The award is credited with introducing diverse fact-based books to wider audiences. Helen Garner won the previous year’s prize for her collected diaries, 'How to End a Story.'
Richardson’s win places him in a short list of distinguished recipients. The prize continues to highlight titles that blend rigorous research with engaging narrative, a quality the judges found central to Richardson’s portrayal of one of history’s most famous figures.
