In the magazine world, no recognition is more highly coveted than an "Ellie," presentedby the American Society of Magazine Editors. Selected from thousands of submissions, the pieces in this anthology represent the very best of those -- outstanding works by some of the most eminent writers in America: Laura Hillenbrand (Seabiscuit) on living and creating with chronic fatigue syndrome Dave Eggers (A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius) on love and surfing Mark Bowden (Black Hawk Down) on modern torture and the "landscape of persuasion" Seymour M. Hersh (Chain of Command) on the "selective intelligence" used by the White House to justify the war in Iraq Calvin Trillin (The Tummy Trilogy) on his favorite force of nature, the newsman R. W. Apple, Jr. Tucker Carlson (CNN's Crossfire), the "whitest man in America," on a peace mission with Rev. Al Sharpton And many more!

Showcases articles written by a variety of journalists judged as finalists or winners in a contest sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors, and addresses topics ranging from reporting to feature writing.

Chosen from among the winners and finalists of the 2009 National Magazine Awards, this collection features a mixture of reviews, profiles, and reporting that caught both readers' and critics' attention.

Showcases articles written by a variety of journalists judged as finalists or winners in a contest sponsored by the American Society of Magazine Editors, and addresses topics ranging from reporting to feature writing.

Writings are selected from among the winners of the previous year's National Magazine Awards, presented by the American Society of Magazine Editors.

In the magazine world, no recognition is more highly coveted or prestigious than a National Magazine Award. Annually, members of the American Society of Magazine Editors in association with the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism select the year's most dynamic, original, provocative, and influential magazine stories. Chosen from more than one thousand submissions from a variety of magazines, the winning and finalist pieces in this anthology represent outstanding work by some of the most eminent writers in America as well as rising literary and journalistic talents. This collection celebrates excellence in a variety of genres: investigative reporting, features, profiles, criticism, and essays. Wide-ranging in style and in their subject matter, these pieces inform, surprise, entertain, and provide new perspectives on our world.

This year's National Magazine Awards finalists and winners include outstanding writing that addresses urgent topics such as justice, gender, power, and violence, both at home and abroad.