Lyndal Roper wins Cundill History Prize for book on 16th century uprising

MONTREAL — Oxford professor Lyndal Roper has won this year’s Cundill History Prize for “Summer of Fire and Blood: The German Peasants’ War,” which challenges the prevailing narrative about the doomed 16th century rebellion.

Roper, who is originally from Australia, received the US$75,000 award at a gala dinner in Montreal on Thursday night.

Cundill jurors praise her work for her deep research, which tells the story of the war of 1524 and 1525 from the perspective of the peasants.

The judges say the book shows the rebels expressed “early ideas of justice, communal decision-making, and resistance to arbitrary power,” and were not the disorganized radicals the victors claimed them to be.

The runners-up for the prize, who receive US$10,000 apiece, are “The First and Last King of Haiti: The Rise and Fall of Henry Christophe” by Marlene L. Daut and “The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life” by Sophia Rosenfeld.

The prestigious award, which is run by McGill University, recognizes non-fiction history writing in English.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 30, 2025.