Key Points
- Helen Castor, an author based in Islington, is shortlisted for the prestigious 2025 Wolfson History Prize for her book The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV.
- The book contrasts the reigns and rivalry of medieval English kings Richard II and Henry IV, exploring its impact on England’s fate.
- The Wolfson History Prize is the UK’s leading history book award, offering £50,000 to the winner and £5,000 to each of the six shortlisted authors.
- The 2025 shortlist includes six books revealing lesser-known historical stories, from Vikings’ everyday lives to Victorian female detectives.
- Other shortlisted authors include Eleanor Barraclough, Kieran Connell, Hannah Durkin, Andrew Fleming, and Sara Lodge.
- David Cannadine, chair of the Wolfson judging panel, praised the shortlist for its diversity and depth in historical scholarship.
- The prize celebrates history writing that combines academic rigour with broad public appeal and is in its 53rd year.
- The 2025 winner will be announced on December 2.
What Is Helen Castor’s Book About?
As reported by Midas PR, Helen Castor’s The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV provides an authoritative account of the turbulent relationship between two royal cousins whose power struggles shaped medieval England. The book delves into their personalities, contrasting fortunes, and the wider historical impact of their rivalry, told with clarity and tremendous verve. It highlights one of the strangest and most fateful relationships in English history, focusing on themes of power and masculinity in crisis.
Helen Castor is a respected medieval and Tudor historian, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and an Honorary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. She is known for previous works including Blood & Roses and Joan of Arc.
What Is the Significance of the Wolfson History Prize?
The Wolfson History Prize is the UK’s most prestigious award for historical writing, now in its 53rd year. It honours books that combine scholarly excellence with readability for a general audience. The winner receives £50,000, while the other shortlisted authors each receive £5,000, making the total prize fund £75,000. Over £1.5 million has been awarded to more than 140 historians since the prize’s inception.
David Cannadine, chair of the judging panel, commented that the 2025 shortlist
“highlights exceptional historians writing today, across a vast range of subject areas. Original, intimate and fascinating, each book enriches our understanding of humanity and the past, providing deep insights into the world in which we live”.
Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, added:
“We are delighted to be announcing this year’s shortlist for the Wolfson History Prize 2025. The Prize judges have chosen a shortlist with incredible breadth and depth. Each shortlisted author brings new stories from history to light with a masterly command of both prose and sources”.
Which Other Books Are Shortlisted for the 2025 Prize?
The six books shortlisted for the 2025 Wolfson History Prize explore diverse and lesser-known historical narratives:
- Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Viking Age by Eleanor Barraclough — Examines everyday lives during the Viking Age through overlooked objects and stories.
- Multicultural Britain: A People’s History by Kieran Connell — Traces multicultural experiences in Britain through untapped sources.
- Survivors: The Lost Stories of the Last Captives of the Atlantic Slave Trade by Hannah Durkin — Reveals the survival stories of descendants of the last Atlantic slave trade captives.
- The Gravity of Feathers: Fame, Fortune and the Story of St Kilda by Andrew Fleming — Reframes the history of the remote Scottish island of St Kilda.
- The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective by Sara Lodge — Sheds light on an overlooked figure in Victorian detective history.
What Has Been Said About the 2025 Shortlist?
David Cannadine praised the quality and scope of the shortlisted books, underscoring their role in enriching historical knowledge and understanding contemporary issues through the lens of history. He described the books as “original, intimate and fascinating,” with the power to provide “deep insights into the world in which we live”.
Paul Ramsbottom remarked on the judges’ selection, emphasising the “incredible breadth and depth” of the shortlisted works and the authors’ masterful storytelling and research.
When Will the Winner Be Announced?
The winner of the 2025 Wolfson History Prize will be unveiled on December 2, continuing a prestigious tradition that has previously honoured renowned historians like Antonia Fraser, Simon Schama, Antony Beevor, and last year’s winner, Joya Chatterji.
