| 2025 | Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China | Financial Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Audio | |
| 2025 | Fly, Wild Swans | The Telegraph Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2025 | Fly, Wild Swans | The Guardian Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Biography and memoir | |
| 2025 | Fly, Wild Swans: My Mother, Myself and China | Financial Times Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Literary non-fiction | |
| 2014 | Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2013 | Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China | James Tait Black Prizes source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · Biography | |
| 2013 | Empress Dowager Cixi | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2006 | Mao | British Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Shortlist · History Book of the Year | |