| 2025 | Dark Renaissance | Goodreads Choice Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Nominee · History & Biography | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance | The New Yorker Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Also Recommended | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival | Library Journal Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Arts & Humanities | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance | The Economist Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Biography and memoir | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival | NPR Books We Love source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Books We Love | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Must-Read Books: Biography & Memoir | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival | Washington Post Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Notable Nonfiction | |
| 2025 | Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare's Greatest Rival | Chicago Public Library Best of the Best source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Our Favorite Books | |
| 2018 | Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | National Book Critics Circle Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Finalist · Criticism | |
| 2018 | The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Nonfiction | |
| 2018 | Tyrant | Smithsonian Magazine Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · History | |
| 2018 | Tyrant: Shakespeare on Politics | The Globe and Mail Globe 100 source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Non-Fiction | |
| 2012 | The Swerve: How the World Became Modern | Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction and Memoir or Autobiography source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · General Nonfiction | |
| 2012 | The Swerve: How the Renaissance Began | Cundill History Prize source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · History | |
| 2012 | The Swerve: How the World Became Modern | Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Longlist · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | The Swerve: How the World Became Modern | National Book Awards source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Winner · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | The Swerve | BookPage Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Best Books | |
| 2011 | The Swerve: How the World Became Modern | The Globe and Mail Globe 100 source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Non-Fiction | |
| 2011 | The Swerve | Kirkus Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | The Swerve | New York Times 100 Notable Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | The Swerve: How the World Became Modern | Publishers Weekly Best Books source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Nonfiction | |
| 2011 | The Swerve: How the World Became Modern | Amazon Editors' Best Books of the Year source ↗ (opens in a new tab) | Selection · Top 100 | |