Faust Wins Award for her Book on the Civil War

President Drew G. Faust is $50,000 wealthier after her new book won an award from the New York Historical Society last Wednesday.

Louise Mirrer, CEO and President of the New York Historical Society, offered many reasons for the selection of Faust’s book, ‘This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War.’

“It is a great book,” Mirrer said, “a fascinating book.”

According to her, Faust’s book stood out among the other finalists’.

“It is a very different book,” Mirrer said, adding that it deals with a moment in the nation’s history with sweeping changes.

The book is about the impact of death and suffering on the nation’s psyche during the Civil War. Mirrer said the book depicted “a juncture in time where something different happened.”

The Society was thrilled to be giving this award to such a distinguished historian and to the president of such a distinguished university, Mirrer said.

She also added that the Society mainly receives entries for the award that are biographies and narrative accounts.

History Professor Walter Johnson said Faust’s book—which was published early last year—makes readers think about what the phrase ‘the war dead’ means in new ways.

“Its among the handful of books I think everyone should read about the Civil War,” Johnson said in an e-mailed statement yesterday.

Johnson had nothing but praise for the book, and said he thinks it is very deserving of the award.

“I can think of only two other [books]—out of thousands—which compare,” Johnson said.

With this award, Faust will receive $50,000, an engraved medal, and the title ‘American Historian Laureate.’ President Faust will receive the award at a ceremony April 3.

This is the fourth year that the Society, New York City’s oldest museum and research library, has given out the award.

The selection process begins with a jury of five people reading all the entries and deciding on finalists. From these finalists the jurors settle on one winner.