Best nonfiction book on foreign affairs
AWARD YEAR: 1999
AWARD NAME: The Cornelius Ryan Award 1999
RECIPIENT: Thomas L. Friedman
AFFILIATION: Farrar Straus and Giroux
HONORED WORK: “The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization”
Thomas Friedman’s book is an ambitious work undertaken by an experienced correspondent. In a clear, comprehensive analysis of the post-cold-war universe, he argues that globalization has replaced geopolitics as the engine of world affairs. In his view, financial markets are now as important as politics, culture, and national security. Speaking from the juncture of economics and international affairs, Friedman describes the effects of globalization and the speeding of communication via the Internet, and argues that the most democratized countries will be the winners. Friedman is foreign affairs columnist for The New York Times.
Citation for Excellence:
Mark Bowden
Grove/Atlantic
“Black Hawk Down”