Los Angeles Times Book Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 33 (2012) Winner
Fergus M. Bordewich
ファーガス・M・ボーデウィッチ
Fergus M. Bordewich
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1947-11-01 （New York City）
- Nationality
- American
- Languages
- English
- Residence History
- Yonkers, New York → New York City → Beijing (short-term) → San Francisco → Alaska (work period)
Career
- Occupations
- Writer, Historian, Editor, Journalist
- Active Years
- 1970-
- Influenced By
- LaVerne Madigan Bordewich (mother) and her work with Native American affairs, Tradition of American historians
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City College of New York | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Columbia University | — | — | — | — | United States |
City College of New York
Country:
United States
Columbia University
Country:
United States
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | American Booksellers Association: Ten Best Nonfiction (selection) | Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America | 選出リスト | American Booksellers Association | 選出 |
| 2005 | Great Lakes Booksellers' Association Best Non-Fiction | Bound for Canaan | 選出リスト | Great Lakes Booksellers' Association | 受賞/選出 |
| 2005 | New York Public Library: Ten Books to Remember (selection) | Bound for Canaan | 選出リスト | New York Public Library | 選出 |
American Booksellers Association: Ten Best Nonfiction (selection)
2005
Work:
Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America
Category:
選出リスト
Organization:
American Booksellers Association
Result:
選出
Great Lakes Booksellers' Association Best Non-Fiction
2005
Work:
Bound for Canaan
Category:
選出リスト
Organization:
Great Lakes Booksellers' Association
Result:
受賞/選出
New York Public Library: Ten Books to Remember (selection)
2005
Work:
Bound for Canaan
Category:
選出リスト
Organization:
New York Public Library
Result:
選出
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction
2023 History nonfictionA study of the struggle against the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction and Ulysses S. Grant's role.
ReconstructionRacismPolitical conflict
Congress at War: How Republican Reformers Fought The Civil War, Defied Lincoln, Ended Slavery, And Remade America
2020 History nonfictionCovers legislative activism and ascendancy of Radical Republicans after Southern members left Congress.
Civil WarLegislationPolitical ideology
The First Congress: How James Madison, George Washington, and a Group of Extraordinary Men Invented the Government
2016 History nonfictionNarrates the formation of America's first Congress and how its members shaped the new government.
Founding historyLegislative processBiographical portraits
America's Great Debate: Henry Clay, Stephen A. Douglas, and the Compromise That Preserved the Union
2012 History nonfictionExamines 19th-century political debates and compromises that helped preserve the Union.
Political historyCompromiseSlavery
Washington: The Making of the American Capital
2008 History nonfictionExplores the political maneuvering behind the founding of Washington, D.C., and the role of enslaved labor.
Urban historySlaveryPolitics
Bound for Canaan: The Underground Railroad and the War for the Soul of America
2005 History nonfictionTells the story of the Underground Railroad and the struggle over slavery in America.
SlaveryResistanceHuman rights
My Mother's Ghost
2001 MemoirA memoir about the author's relationship with his mother and family history.
FamilyMemory
Killing the White Man's Indian: Reinventing Native Americans at the End of the Twentieth Century
1996 NonfictionDiscusses the reinvention and social construction of Native American identity in the late 20th century.
Native AmericansCultural historyIdentity
Cathay: A Journey in Search of Old China
1991 Travel / NonfictionA travel narrative exploring China's history and culture.
ChinaTravelCulture
Peach Blossom Spring
1994 Children's fictionAn illustrated children's book.
ChildrenCulture
Bibliography
- Klan War: Ulysses S. Grant and the Battle to Save Reconstruction (2023)
- Congress at War (2020)
- The First Congress (2016)
- America's Great Debate (2012)
- Washington (2008)
- Bound for Canaan (2005)
- My Mother's Ghost (2001)
- Killing the White Man's Indian (1996)
- Cathay (1991)
- Peach Blossom Spring (children's book, 1994)
Adaptations
- Mr. Jefferson's University (script for PBS documentary)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Narrative, accessible scholarly nonfictionPrimary-source driven narrative
- Recurring Motifs
- American founding historySlavery and raceLegislation and political maneuveringNative American and frontier history
Legacy
Fergus Bordewich has authored numerous well-researched popular histories on early America, slavery, and Reconstruction, serving as a bridge between academic scholarship and general readers. His books have been recognized by critics, libraries, and booksellers.
Trivia
- In his youth he did voter registration work for the NAACP.
- Worked as a roustabout in Alaska's oil fields.
- Has worked as a taxi driver in New York and as a deckhand on a Norwegian freighter.
- Served briefly as an editor/writer for the Tehran Journal in 1972–1973.
- Worked as a press officer for the United Nations in 1980–1982.
- Served as an advisor to the New China News Agency (Xinhua) in 1982–1983.