It’s been an exciting few months, during which time our five judges have expertly whittled a list of nearly two hundred books, down to just twelve. With so many thoughtful, well-researched and insightful books in contention, the decision was not an easy one to make.  The books which have made the Samuel Johnson Prize 2015 longlist represent what the judges believe to be the very best of the year’s non-fiction writing, from across a huge variety of genres.

“We didn’t plan it this way”, says Chair of Judges Anne Applebaum, “but this year’s Samuel Johnson Prize longlist includes pretty much every important non-fiction genre: biography, history, science writing, travel writing, journalism. There’s something for everybody here, whatever your tastes.”

Read more about the longlist from the Samuel Johnson Prize website here.