Finalists have been announced for the Cundill Prize in Historical Literature – billed as “the world’s most lucrative international award for a non-fiction book.”

The prize is worth US$75,000 – while runners-up receive US$10,000 each.

The finalists were chosen from 165 submissions – from 70 publishers around the globe.

Shortlisted for the Cundill are: Princeton University professor Gary Bass for “The Blood Telegram: Nixon, Kissinger and a Forgotten Genocide” (Knopf); London-based Richard Overy for “The Bombing War: Europe 1939-45” (Allen Lane); and Brussels-based David Van Reybrouck for “Congo: The Epic History of a People” (ECCO).

Names of the three finalists were announced by Professor Christopher Manfredi, Dean of McGill University’s Faculty of Arts.

The winner will be announced November 20th.