Professor’s Book Wins Prestigious Adams Prize

In January, Daniel Lord Smail, Ph.D., assistant professor of medieval history, was awarded the American Historical Association’s Herbert Baxter Adams Prize for his book Imaginary Cartographies: Possession and Identity in Late Medieval Marseille (Cornell University Press, 1999). “[Smail’s book] is elegantly constructed, delightful to read and graceful in its engagement with the works of others,” said Holger Herwig, Ph.D., chair of the Adams Prize committee. “The book will have a major impact and is a model first book.” The Adams prize, established in 1903, is an annual award recognizing a distinguished book by an American author in the field of European history. It was established in memory of the first secretary of the American Historical Association and one of its founders, Herbert Baxter Adams of Johns Hopkins University. “It is gratifying too see that current scholarship in medieval history is being recognized by this most prestigious award,” said Smail about his recent honor. “Some of the most interesting and innovative approaches to history are being generated by medieval historians and I hope that this award will help bring this field into the light.” In addition to the Adams prize, Smail’s book was also awarded the President’s Book Award from the Social Science History Association in 1999.