| 2025 | Mark Twain | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · History & Biography | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 100 Must-Read | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | Library Journal Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Arts & Humanities | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | Esquire Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Biography and memoir | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Must-Read Books: Biography & Memoir | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Mark Twain | Barack Obama's Favorite Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Summer Reading | |
| 2018 | Grant | Cundill History Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · History | |
| 2018 | Grant | PEN America Literary Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography | |
| 2018 | Grant | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Nonfiction | |
| 2017 | Grant | Los Angeles Times Book Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Biography | |
| 2017 | Grant | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · History & Biography | |
| 2017 | Grant | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Adult Books: Biography | |
| 2017 | Grant | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2017 | Grant | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2017 | Grant | The Economist Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Biography and memoir | |
| 2017 | Grant | Barack Obama's Favorite Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Favorite Books | |
| 2017 | Grant | Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · History | |
| 2017 | Grant | Barnes & Noble Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2017 | Grant | The Boston Globe Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2017 | Grant | New York Times 10 Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2017 | Grant | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Washington: A Life | Barack Obama's Favorite Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Summer Reading | |
| 2011 | Washington: A Life | Pulitzer Prize (Biography and History) source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Biography or Autobiography | |
| 2010 | Washington: A Life | Los Angeles Times Book Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · History | |
| 2010 | Washington | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Adult Books: Biography | |
| 2010 | Washington | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2010 | Washington: A Life | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |