| 2022 | Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe | Los Angeles Times Book Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Biography | |
| 2022 | Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe | Los Angeles Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2022 | Path Lit by Lightning | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2022 | Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2019 | A Good American Family: The Red Scare And My Father | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2019 | A Good American Family: The Red Scare and My Father | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story | Los Angeles Times Book Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · History | |
| 2015 | Once in a Great City | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2015 | Once in a Great City | Paste Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Once in a Great City: A Detroit Story | The Economist Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Politics and current affairs | |
| 2013 | Barack Obama: The Story | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | Barack Obama: The Story | Booklist Editors' Choice source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Adult Books: Biography | |
| 2012 | Barack Obama | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2006 | Clemente | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2006 | Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2006 | Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball's Last Hero | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |