| 2024 | The Demon of Unrest | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · History & Biography | |
| 2024 | The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War | Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top 20 | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · History & Biography | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | TIME Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · 100 Must-Read | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz | Vogue Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | New York Public Library Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books for Adults | |
| 2020 | The Splendid And The Vile: A Saga Of Churchill, Family, And Defiance During The Blitz | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | Barack Obama's Favorite Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Favorite Books | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz | Bill Gates' Summer and Holiday Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Holiday Books | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | The Globe and Mail Globe 100 source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Non-Fiction | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2020 | The Splendid and the Vile | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · History & Biography | |
| 2015 | Dead Wake | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2015 | Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books: Top Ten | |
| 2015 | Dead Wake | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Dead Wake | Paste Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2015 | Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania | Library Journal Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top Ten | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · History & Biography | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts | The Globe and Mail Globe 100 source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Non-Fiction | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler’s Berlin | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin | Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top 100 | |
| 2006 | Thunderstruck | The Globe and Mail Globe 100 source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Non-Fiction | |