6 books compete for nonfiction ‘winner of winners’ prize

By JILL LAWLESS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — Books that explore subjects from William Shakespeare and The Beatles to the lure of Mount Everest and life inside one of the world’s most secretive states are competing to be named the best-ever winner of Britain’s leading nonfiction book prize. The Baillie Gifford Prize is marking its 25th year with a Winner of Winners prize. Finalists for the 25,000-pound ($30,000) prize, are Craig Brown’s “One Two Three Four: The Beatles in Time”; Wade Davis’ “Into the Silence”; Margaret MacMillan’s “Paris 1919”;  Barbara Demick’s “Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea”; Patrick Radden Keefe’s “Empire of Pain”; and James Shapiro’s “1599: A Year in the Life of William Shakespeare.”