The Award

The Colby Award recognizes a first work of fiction or nonfiction that has made a major contribution to the understanding of military history, intelligence operations or international affairs.

A $5,000 author honorarium is provided to the award winner through a grant from the Chicago-based Tawani Foundation. The award and honorarium will be presented at Norwich University during the 2013 Colby Military Writers’ Symposium on April 10 and 11, 2013.

To qualify for consideration:

1. The book must be an author’s first work, published between Jan. 1, 2011, and Oct. 31, 2012.
2. Submissions must be received no later than Oct. 15, 2012. Submissions must include:
   1. Seven (7) copies of the book,
   2. Seven (7) copies of the nomination form, and
   3. A certified or company check in the amount of fifty dollars ($50.00) per submission, payable to Norwich University Colby Award.

   Send entries to: Norwich University Colby Award, 158 Harmon Drive, Box 60, Northfield, VT 05663.

3. Self nominations and/or self-published books will not be accepted.
4. The Colby Award winner must be present at the 2013 Colby Symposium.

Nomination form

Past Winners

• 2013, Thomas P. McKenna, Kontum: The Battle to Save South Vietnam (The University Press of Kentucky, 2011)
• 2012, Michael Franzak, A Nightmare’s Prayer (Threshold Editions)
• 2011, Karl Marlantes, Matterhorn (Atlantic Monthly Press)
• 2010, Colonel Jack Jacobs (Ret.) and Douglas Century, If Not Now, When? (Berkley Caliber 2008)
• 2009, Dexter Filkins, The Forever War (Knopf 2008); Marcus Luttrell, Lone Survivor (Little, Brown and Company, 2007)
• 2008, R. Alan King, Twice Armed: An American Soldier’s Battle for Hearts and Minds in Iraq (Zenith Press 2006)
• 2007, Ian W. Toll, Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy (W.W. Norton & Company 2006); John A Glusman, Conduct Under Fire: Four American Doctors and Their Fight for Life as Prisoners of the Japanese 1941-1945 (Viking 2005)
• 2006, Kevin J. Weddle, Lincoln’s Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont (University of Virginia Press 2005); Nathaniel Fick, One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer (Houghton-Mifflin 2005)
• 2005, Jon Meacham, Franklin and Winston: An Epic Story of an Intimate Friendship (Random House); MG Sid Shachnow, USA (Ret.) and Jann Robbins, Hope and Honor (Forge Books)
• 2004, Bing West and Major General Ray L. Smith, USMC (Ret.), The March Up (Bantam); Robert L. Bateman, No Gun Ri (Stackpole)
• 2003, Bryan Mark Rigg, Hitler’s Jewish Soldiers (University Press of Kansas)
• 2002, Patrick K. O’Donnell, Beyond Valor (The Free Press); Ralph Wetterhahn, The Last Battle (Avalon Publishing)
• 2001, James Bradley with Ron Powers, Flags of Our Fathers (Bantam)
• 2000, B.G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley, Stolen Valor (Verity Press)
• 1999, Fred Chiaventone, A Road We Do Not Know (Simon & Schuster); Bill Harlow, Circle William (Scribner)